Echo slam

Once again…a food chain thing.  In  lakes like Pineview, Jordanelle, Rockport and Echo the primary forage base for the predators is young of the year perch.  As late fall  water temps drop, the zooplankton upon which young perch feed migrate to deeper water…even living in the mud during the day and swarming in the dark hours.  The perch follow the zooplankton and the predators follow the perchlets.

By nature, crappies are schooling fish.  But you will find singles, doubles or small groups…especially in lakes with only small crappie populations.

I have caught only 2 crappies from Echo…both isolated singles…surprises.  But I have reliable reports of small schools being found…either near flooded brush during spawn time, or around the docks later in the year.

Didn’t think we’d get the boat out again, but couldn’t pass up a bluebird fall day.  Put in at 7am to 39 air and 55 water.  Hit our 3 main
spots and had a ball with 9-10" perch, 11-17" smallies, two 9-11" crappies and one slimer.  Play-of-the-day was our smallie double-header, 
one a 16"er, the other a 17, both hooked within 10’ of each other.  Bass spitting up crawdad parts.  The great majority of our fish came from the 15-22’ range, tho saw schools both shallower & deeper.  Initially concerned about the wind which was supposed to approach double-digits around 10am, but that didn’t show until we left at 12:30.  Drifting with the wind more productive than spot-locking and fan-casting.  Drop-shotted light-colored Yamamoto shad shape worms did most of the work today.  Nada on jerkbait and spinnerbait.  Courtesy dock still in, but ramp has gotta be gettin’ close to falling off into the abyss.  Hoping to return this coming Thursday.