Had a co-worker tell me that he and his boys had a hard time finding the crappie or the bass    but that they had no problem finding the bluegills near where they were staying...  They were up there last weekend and I believe they said that they were in a cabin at Konocti.

Hey Derbingel,
Speaking of line...  Sometime ago you spoke pretty highly of a line called Damyl Tectan from Cabelas...  Do you still like it as well or what do you trust or prefer these days (for crappie/bass)??

  Hi Paul, Sounds like you are happy with your underwater camera.   If that's the case, I would be curious to know what the make & model are. And also, Does it have it's own light source and how deep can you send it, assuming it's not wireless. Thanks!

  No, But it doesn't surprise me much...  Isn't Lake Mendocino known for it's striper population and not all that far away? It wouldn't surprise me if someone catches a sturgeon in there someday...

  Let's face it, Some home-sick northerner planted Northern Pike in Davis Lake years ago (maybe twice) and until then you had to go way out of state to find a northern pike...

  I was just curious, Those of you that have had a chance to whack 'em.....  If you had electronics, Were you able to see them? And if so, Shouldn't a guy be able to cruise a similar-type area or terrain and find some new concentrations or "honey holes"??  And if not, Why not??  According to my lake map, All of the fairly recent or historic "hot spots" (except for Konocti) seem to have similar terrain.....  Steep and deep and usually some kind of cover in the form of big rocks or docks......  What do you guys think??

  Hey Scwafish, Thanks again for the killer pics AND the camera info.    Looks like I need to do some shopping.....

  Hi scwafish. I just wanted to say thanks also for the great pictures! Really makes a difference when reading about something/somewhere. You say that you just love your waterproof digital....I can see why! Even the close-up of the crappie came out good.  I need to invest in a digital camera.....  Is your waterproof digi much more expensive than a regular one? Can you make a recommendation? Thanks! BJ

  Hi Legcramp. Just curious, Were you in SF bay or Monterey bay? Where abouts? Off a pier or in the surf? Thanks, BJ

  Hey Derbingel, Thanks for the tip. That's a heck of a testamonial,But it also says a lot about your knot tying abilty.....
  What type of knot do you like when tying on a jig? Do you use the same one for bare hooks too? Is it as easy to work with as the old Stren mono or is it more of a challenge......?   My 48 year old eyeballs and banged-up ol' fingers just aren't what they were when I was 14  But then again I am a little "rusty"...... I'm just wondering what type of knot I should be "practicing".Thanks! BJ

Catbuster, Yes there are a few of us that fish for crappie, but it seems as though there aren't that many that do and play with computers too (at least on this site so far). Unfortunately there hasn't been a lot to "chatter" about at Clear Lake this year so far ................although Ed did "throw us a bone" last february...............Thanks Ed!
 Lyle, If you ever get an invite to get in on a hot crappie bite from someone who's got 'em dialed in by all means go! If you ever got in on a good pre-spawn/spawn bite it would be something you'd never forget,especially if there was some size to 'em. It can be some pretty fast action when they're there or you can find them........A person with a boat or float tube almost always has an advantage but most hot spring bites can be had from somewhere on the shore......in most lakes. It's the rest of the year that they become a real challenge to find and yes a boat with a good depth finder is a big plus especially during mid-summer and winter. If you ever get curious you can learn a lot just by cruising the main message board at Crappie.com...................It seems that back in the Carolinas,Kentucky and down through the rest of the sun-belt crappie are as popular if not more-so in places than black bass. They've got two national associations,big tournaments and high-dollar guides to boot! Most people out here just forget about them in between springs because of the big variety of other sport fish to be had  that we all take for granted...........
 I've been watching Black Butte too but it seems that the weird spring we had this year knocked the "normally good" out of their spring bite too.   BJ                            

Hey Ed, Ditto on the many thanks! I have always found your reports interesting,entertaining,educating and informative..................even if there hasn't been any news on crappie lately.......   Thanks again!  BJ   yourock                              

Hey Ed, Thanks for the info. I'll pass it on. Hope to be up there ASAP!   yourock     BJ                            

Rockhopper, Nice to see you checking in over here too. I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask Slabslayer, but based on his post (nov. 1rst '02 here at the Year 'round Crappie topic) last fall it looked like he was looking for a few leads himself. Although he might have just been looking for november/winter info. too. You know what cabin fever and "withdrawls" from a better season will do..........
    If I'd have known you guys were going to be at the San Mateo ISE I would've tried to swing by and introduce myself...........I'm assuming that the "Big George" you're speaking of is Big George Hawley--the bass guide from up there. 'Round about last april he was on the Brian Hoffman show to give a bass report and as an "honerable mention" mentioned that he had seen a gal up in Rodman slough catch a big slab that as he put it "had a belly bigger than mine". No doubt it was probably one of the big females that supposedly stage first. It was about the same time that I heard the "would've been a new state record black crappie" story. If I remember right that was a north-lake fish too. Shortly afterward I went up there for a weekend but couldn't find them.( I didn't have a boat ) The problem with renting a boat is that anywhere you go, you have to have the darn thing back by 4:30 and you know how important the evening can be for crappie fishing................I hope those guys who are wondering why they can't rent any boats are listening! <_<  Except for a couple of spots next to the bridge (usually taken up by catfisherman) Rodman slough didn't seem to have anything to offer a bank angler unless someone else out there knows something that I don't know yet......................I did most of my fishing around the state park and didn't see much except a few bass caught. Talk to 'ya later.....BJ                            

Thanks Ed. I thought we got erased. I can't remember  :blink:  how I did it but after I left the post I did finally find the older stuff. I was pleased to see it still there. If for no other reason than to let people know that we're still out here "salivating", hoping that someday someone with some info. will "throw us a bone".     The crappie should be getting started any time between the end of this month and sometime in april, depending on the weather. Last spring the weather was up and down........about the time you thought it had been nice enough long enough for things to start happening we'd get some cold, nasty weather and it would set things back.
   I think the crappie and bass were a ways out off the tules doin' the cha-cha (three steps forward then three steps back) not knowing just what the heck they should do.
  As for your local crappie expert, it may be awhile before you see him again due to the bite or lack of it...........But if you do see him.............or anyone else who looks like the guys in the pictures you might start seeing at the local bait shops (with twice-weekly "limits")............TACKLE HIM!!  Then tell him you know of some out-of-towners that don't know how to find those crappies, that would be willing to hire him for the day.........providing of course that there would be some kind of a gaurantee..........
                                                                      Thanks again,
                                                                                   BJ                                

What happened? Where'd everybody go?? Did we "expire" that quickly??
At this rate we'll never make it to spring gang.........BJ