02-11-2024, 08:59 PM
Just wondering...has anybody done a "CSI" post-catch exam on their fish...to see what they have been eating and how much? As we have observed with other species in other waters...like Walleyes in Willard...when the fish are full of easily obtained food they are less likely to bite whatever anglers are showing them. It's baby shad in Willard but the crappies in Pineview are prone to slurping vast quantities of zooplankton when that is all that's available.
I have a theory that with all the new water and nutrients in the lake this year that there is probably a bumper crop of the invertebrates for them to eat. I know in the past...night fishing...it was possible to see the clouds of the bitty bite critters coming up out of the mud after dark and then seeing the crappies move in on them...and to start catching the crappies while they were feeding. But if they are feeding effectively throughout the day and are already full up when anglers show up then they will not be as active.
As we know, there is no big population of small minnows for the fish in Pineview, so the predators have to make a living on what is available. There are young of the year perch and crappies for a few months, but during the winter they are back to living on "soup".
I have a theory that with all the new water and nutrients in the lake this year that there is probably a bumper crop of the invertebrates for them to eat. I know in the past...night fishing...it was possible to see the clouds of the bitty bite critters coming up out of the mud after dark and then seeing the crappies move in on them...and to start catching the crappies while they were feeding. But if they are feeding effectively throughout the day and are already full up when anglers show up then they will not be as active.
As we know, there is no big population of small minnows for the fish in Pineview, so the predators have to make a living on what is available. There are young of the year perch and crappies for a few months, but during the winter they are back to living on "soup".