For Better Fishing, I Suggest Using A Jig...
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Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan ■ Saturday,April 10, 2010 PAGE 4B www.yankton.net OUTDOORSUPDATE OF THE OUTDOORS: For Better Fishing, I Suggest Using A Jig OUTDOOR REPORT BY GARY HOWEY Hartington, Neb. When it comes to choosing the cor- rect tackle to buy and use, there are so many different types that fisherman use, at times, it can be down right confusing. There are spinners, spinnerbaits, buzz baits, crankbaits, live bait rigs and the list goes on and on. Over the years, I know I’ve thrown almost every imaginable type of bait and at one time or another caught fish on all of them. If I would have to choose just one-bait that would catch all species of fish, I’d have to say, I’d choose a jig! And the reason for this would be simple! A jig can be used year around, Spring, Summer, Fall and even in the Winter to catch “ALL” species of fish. Pretty simple deci- sion really, it works and it’s my “Go To” bait, the bait I generally like to start fishing with. If you look at a jig, it’s not what you’d call really sophisticated bait, nothing more than a hook with a piece of lead attached to its shank. Put simply, a jig is nothing more than a bait delivery system, it gets your bait into the fish catching zone. What makes a jig so effective is that it can be fished in so many ways. Listed below are a few of the ways a jig can be fished in the spring. SPRING JIGGING METHODS • Casting jigs tipped with minnows up along the shoreline is a great way to take walleye and sauger. Look for spots along the rocks where a slack water pocket is created, an area where the fish can lie out of the current. • Use a jig tipped with a minnow and jig it vertically as you slowly work along the breaks for walleye and sauger. If the fish are biting short or dropping your bait, add a stinger hook to the back of your jig. • For Smallmouth Bass try casting a smaller jig and pig into those pockets in the weeds that lie along the shoreline. These could be spots where a beaver or muskrat came in and out of the water. These pockets in the weeds are ideal spots for Smallmouth to lie in wait for lunch to drop in. • Largemouth Bass will be tucked in or alongside of beaver dams, downed timber and other natural pockets. Try pitching a larger jig & pig into these areas as in the spring these shallower water areas will be warmer and the bass will congregate there. • To take Pike during the spring, try pitching a larger jig and pig combination up into the emerging vegetation and then retrieve it with a steady pumping action, allowing it to hop over the top of the weeds. It’s a good idea when fishing for Northern Pike to add some type of a leader in front of the jig. • Crappies and other panfish can be taken in the spring with a small jig tipped with a small minnow or Powerbait sus- pended underneath a slip bobber. Cast the rig up close to downed brush or along a boat dock as these places attract panfish as they prepare to spawn. By dressing up your jig with live bait, crawlers, leeches, minnows or some sort of plastic bait, it will give them a little action and added scent. When I’m jigging, I try to use the light- est jug possible, which can be a 1/32nd ounce in calm shallow water or a ? ounce jig in deeper water or in heavy current There are micro jigs used for trout and panfish up to 1/32nd ounce and the 1/8th & 3/8th ounce jigs used for walleyes and bass. Then there are the really big boys, the several ounce or larg- er used for the big fish like the pike, lake trout and the salt-water species. You’ll want to fish with the lightest jig you’re comfortable with, to some its 1/8th while others prefer a heavier weight jig. Like the many different weights that jigs come in, the colors you’ll find jigs available in is unlimited. I have a simple rule for fishing jigs in shallow clear water. In clear water, I use a more of a natural color jig. In deeper darker water, I’ll go with a florescent jig, as fluorescents hold their color better at deeper depths. If it’s a bright day, I’ll go with a light colored jig and on a dark day, I’ll go with dark colored bait as it gives me a con- trast against the sky and fish all feed up, so it’s easier for them to zero in on the bait. From one day to the next, it’s hard to figure out what color will turn the fish on, so I like to use a multiple colored jig head, especially when I’m fishing for walleyes. I’ll use a combination florescent green, orange and chartreuse jig head or a Firetiger color a lot. This way, I feel that I have a better chance the bait I have down there has at least one color that will turn the fish on. The key to using jigs productively is to fish them often and to fish them on a tight line, which means, don’t allow any slack line. If you have slack line when your line drops, a fish can inhale and suck your jig in, spitting it out so quickly you won’t even know you had a pick up. This is why you need to fish with a tight line. When I say keep a tight line, I mean that you shouldn’t let you jig just fall to the bot- tom. Keep your line tight, following the jig down, which keeps you in contact with your bait and there’s no slack line. Jigs are truly simple bait, nothing fancy, easy to use really remarkable bait that works in all conditions and the only way a person can use a jig wrong is to “Not” use them. When all else fails, tie on a jig, tip it with live bait or your favorite plastic bait, cast it out and then hold on, because it’s going to catch fish no matter how you fish it! Gary Howey, Hartington, Neb., is the president of Outdoorsmen Productions LLC and the producer/host of the award winning Outdoorsmen Adventures television series. For more information on the outdoors, out- door articles and outdoor videos and to watch Outdoorsmen Adventures on-line, go to www.outdoorsmenadventures.com and TROPHY SPOTLIGHT PHOTO: MISSOURI VALLEY GUIDE SERVICE Joel Vasek of Geddes shows a walleye he took using a Hippies Bleeder Chain jig right after ice on Lake Francis Case this spring. Gary Howey Snowmobile Trails In S.D. Close After Extraordinary Season PIERRE — Only a few times since the South Dakota snowmo- bile program started in the 1970s have excellent snow conditions east of the Missouri River stolen the headlines. This year was one of them. “It was a phenomenal season for snowmobile trails in eastern South Dakota,” said Ryan Raynor, state Game, Fish and Parks Department snowmobile trails coordinator. “East River snowmo- bile clubs had their hands full when it came to grooming. Once a trail base was established, it was a matter of keeping up with all the new snow and drifting.” Trails officially closed March 15 on the eastern trail system, although grooming stopped at the end of February because of spring-like conditions. The Black Hills trail system had a good year as well, peaking with significant snowfall over Christmas and New Years’ holidays. The Black Hills trails officially closed Wednesday, March 31, but grooming was halted most of the month because of warm tempera- tures and poor trail conditions. S.D., Wyoming Youth Hunting Championships May 8 PIERRE — South Dakota and Wyoming are teaming up to pres- ent youth hunting championships for each state this spring in Wyoming. The Youth Hunter Education Challenge will be held May 8 in Upton, WY. Young hunters do not need to qualify in a regional or dis- trict tournament to compete in the event. All South Dakota and Wyoming youth 18 and younger who have passed a hunter educa- tion course are eligible to show- case their hunting skills and prob- ably learn more in the process. This is the third year the chal- lenge has been hosted at the Upton club, and the second year of South Dakota participation. The challenge tests youngsters in sporting clays-style trap shoot- ing; .22-caliber firearms; muzzle- loader firearms; archery; wildlife identification; orienteering; and hunter safety. The event is sponsored by South Dakota Game, Fish and 14 and younger — are eligible to advance to the international com- petition July 26-30 at a top-notch shooting complex near Mansfield, Penn. The event is sponsored by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, Wyoming Game and Fish, Upton Gun Club, Wyoming friends of the NRA, and various local busi- nesses. While youth from both South Dakota and Wyoming will partici- pate in the event, they will not be competing against each other. A winner will be crowned for each state. To participate, youngsters must submit copies of their hunter edu- cation cards, birth certificates and photos, and pay a $10 entry fee. Entry forms are available through the Wyoming Game and Fish Web site at http://gf.state.wy.us/down- loads/pdf/education/2010%20YHE C.pdf Entries forms must be submit- ted by April 30. Crimestoppers Seeks Information On Antelope Shootings LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers is offering a reward for information about antelope that were shot and left lying in Kimball County. There have been four incidents in recent months in which a total of seven antelope where found shot and lying within a few miles of each other. The most recent included two antelope found March 30 about 14 miles south of Dix near the Nebraska-Colorado border. Conservation officer Scott Brandt of Gering said the most recent antelope found, a buck and a doe, were lying near a road, about 20 yards apart. They were gut-shot with a large-caliber rifle. In the three earlier incidents, the antelope were shot in the neck with a small-caliber rifle. The reward of up to $1,000 is for information that leads to a con- viction in the case. To report any information on the antelope, or any game law vio- lation, call Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers toll-free at (800) 742-7627. Callers may remain anonymous. Fourth Of July Camping Spots In State Parks Open Soon PIERRE — Campers making Fourth of July plans can begin making camping reservations on April 3 for a Friday, July 2, arrival. Reservations can be made by calling 800-710-2267 or by going online to www.campsd.com. A three-day stay is required at all parks except Custer State Park for holi- day weekends. “Fourth of July weekend is always a busy time in the parks,” said Doug Hofer, state parks director. "Campsites are reserved well in advance, so campers will need to plan ahead and make reservations as soon as possible to get their favorite camping spots." Reservations for campsites and camping cabins in South Dakota state parks can be made within 90 days of arrival dates. Reservations for group lodges statewide and all campsites at Custer State Park are currently being accepted. The telephone reservation center is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (CDT). Online reservations can be made 24 hours a day. Reservations open at 7 a.m. on the first day of the 90-day win- dow, both online and at the call center. There is a $7.70 per site non- refundable reservation fee (not applicable to South Dakota resi- dents). Camping fees must be paid when reservations are made and can be paid with credit cards, money orders or personal checks. Daily or annual park entrance licenses are required for all vehicles entering the parks. Entrance fees are in addi- tion to camping fees. For more detailed information on making reservations or to view the 90-day window calen- dar, visit www.sdparks.info or contact the Division of Parks and Recreation office at 605-773-3391 or email [email protected]. BY DAVID CASSTEVENS (c) 2010, Fort Worth Star-Telegram LAKE EDDLEMAN, Texas — Sipping light beer and smoking a menthol cigarette, the woman wear- ing a blue NASCAR cap inside Peanut's Crappie House pulled her line from the murky depths of Lake Eddleman. Not a bite. Nary a nibble. "They're down there," Debbie "Peanut" Reynolds assured. Catfish. Bass. White and black crappie galore. Hercules, half-napping, looked up and barked as if in full agree- ment. Three other mutts lay along the plank floor or sprawled on a dilapi- dated plaid sofa. On television the uniformed crew of the USS Enterprise faced another intergalac- tic crisis on a rerun of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Reynolds, 49, inspected her hot pink tube jig. "I love sci-fi," she said, nodding at the screen. Best of all she loves fishing and the ebb and flow of her uncompli- cated life. Peanut's Crappie House sits near the end of a winding, potholed dirt road, about 100 miles north- west of Fort Worth, Texas. The sheet-metal structure _ an enclosed dock _ isn't much to look at, but from the comfort of her favorite swivel chair the owner can fish all day, watch TV, talk to her pets ("Beethoven, be-have!") and welcome anglers of all ages as they renew their springtime pursuit of crappie, the most popular panfish in Texas. "It's sad. There aren't many places like this left," Reynolds said. Her business, open every day, and similar operations are slowly disappearing from the landscape. Rocky Creek Marina operates a crappie house on Lake Benbrook. Lake Weatherford Marina has one too. "I'm told that as these places get old they aren't replaced," said Phylis McQuern, an employee at Lake Weatherford Marina. "Droughts and storms have taken a toll. There are very few to go to, now." Lake levels have taken their toll as well, said Tom Hungerford, an assistant biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Fort Worth. "The water level fluctuations over the last five years probably have made business pretty tough for those (crappie house) folks," he said. ‘Best Eatin’ Fish’ Reynolds, an Amarillo, Texas, native, spent many years in Phoenix and held various jobs while living there. She managed a grocery store. She drove a taxi and a city bus. After her parents died, she moved to Young County 21 years ago and, on a whim, bought the crappie house from Cloyce Shadwick. Cloyce and wife Lu now run C & L's Bait and Tackle, which is just down the road a bit. Both are partial to crappie. "Best eatin' fish there are," Cloyce Shadwick declared. Reynolds enjoys the delicate fla- vor of the white, flaky fish, too. "You can deep-fry crappie. Bake crappie. Broil it. . . . I put crappie in a nice pot of tater soup." The crap- pie house owner spoke in a meas- ured cadence, like Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue reciting all the ways to prepare shrimp in the movie "Forrest Gump." Under ideal conditions, Reynolds said, a person who drops a line in the 30-foot waters of her fishing house can hook a couple of dozen of the schooling fish in 90 minutes. "If you can't catch them in here," she said, "then the fish just aren't biting." In Texas, crappie are subject to a 10-inch minimum and a per-person daily bag of 25. White crappie weighing 41 pounds have been caught in Texas waters, according to the wildlife department. On Feb. 3, Reynolds said, she and her customers caught 85 "keep- ers." She watched a local supermar- ket butcher reel in a yellow cat using a lightweight rod. The fish weighed 13 pounds, 10 ounces. "It was like pulling a refrigerator up with a string," Reynolds said of the 20-minute battle of wills. PHOTOS: CAPTAIN NORM’S Devron Leonard, Lincoln, Neb., caught this 3-pound Smallmouth Bass on April 4. Myron Ptack of Vermillion caught this 7.15- pound Northern Pike on March 29. Marv Cline caught this 5-pound Walleye on March 21. Jay Fountain of Sioux Falls caught this 19-pound Northern Pike on April 3. Warren Stocking of Yankton caught this 7- pound Walleye on March 21. Tanner Eining caught this 10.5-pound Walleye on March 18. At Crappie Houses, Simple Rules Apply For Anglers
Transcript of For Better Fishing, I Suggest Using A Jig...
Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan ■ Saturday,April 10, 2010PAGE 4B www.yankton.net
OUTDOORSUPDATEOF THE OUTDOORS:
For Better Fishing, I Suggest Using A Jig OUTDOOR
REPORT
BY GARY HOWEYHartington, Neb.
When it comes to choosing the cor-rect tackle to buy and use, there are somany different types that fisherman use,at times, it can be down right confusing.
There are spinners, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, crankbaits, live bait rigs and thelist goes on and on.
Over the years, I know I’ve thrownalmost every imaginable type of bait andat one time or another caught fish on allof them.
If I would have to choose just one-baitthat would catch all species of fish, I’dhave to say, I’d choose a jig!
And the reason forthis would be simple! Ajig can be used yeararound, Spring, Summer,Fall and even in theWinter to catch “ALL”species of fish.
Pretty simple deci-sion really, it works andit’s my “Go To” bait, thebait I generally like tostart fishing with.
If you look at a jig,it’s not what you’d callreally sophisticated bait,
nothing more than a hook with a piece oflead attached to its shank.
Put simply, a jig is nothing more thana bait delivery system, it gets your baitinto the fish catching zone.
What makes a jig so effective is that itcan be fished in so many ways.
Listed below are a few of the ways ajig can be fished in the spring.
SPRING JIGGING METHODS• Casting jigs tipped with minnows up
along the shoreline is a great way to takewalleye and sauger. Look for spots alongthe rocks where a slack water pocket iscreated, an area where the fish can lieout of the current.
• Use a jig tipped with a minnow andjig it vertically as you slowly work alongthe breaks for walleye and sauger. If thefish are biting short or dropping yourbait, add a stinger hook to the back ofyour jig.
• For Smallmouth Bass try casting a
smaller jig and pig into those pockets inthe weeds that lie along the shoreline.These could be spots where a beaver ormuskrat came in and out of the water.These pockets in the weeds are idealspots for Smallmouth to lie in wait forlunch to drop in.
• Largemouth Bass will be tucked inor alongside of beaver dams, downedtimber and other natural pockets. Trypitching a larger jig & pig into these areasas in the spring these shallower waterareas will be warmer and the bass willcongregate there.
• To take Pike during the spring, trypitching a larger jig and pig combinationup into the emerging vegetation and thenretrieve it with a steady pumping action,allowing it to hop over the top of theweeds. It’s a good idea when fishing forNorthern Pike to add some type of aleader in front of the jig.
• Crappies and other panfish can betaken in the spring with a small jig tippedwith a small minnow or Powerbait sus-
pended underneath a slip bobber. Castthe rig up close to downed brush oralong a boat dock as these places attractpanfish as they prepare to spawn.
By dressing up your jig with live bait,crawlers, leeches, minnows or some sortof plastic bait, it will give them a littleaction and added scent.
When I’m jigging, I try to use the light-est jug possible, which can be a 1/32ndounce in calm shallow water or a ? ouncejig in deeper water or in heavy current
There are micro jigs used for troutand panfish up to 1/32nd ounce and the1/8th & 3/8th ounce jigs used forwalleyes and bass. Then there are thereally big boys, the several ounce or larg-er used for the big fish like the pike, laketrout and the salt-water species.
You’ll want to fish with the lightest jigyou’re comfortable with, to some its1/8th while others prefer a heavierweight jig.
Like the many different weights thatjigs come in, the colors you’ll find jigs
available in is unlimited.I have a simple rule for fishing jigs in
shallow clear water. In clear water, I use amore of a natural color jig.
In deeper darker water, I’ll go with aflorescent jig, as fluorescents hold theircolor better at deeper depths.
If it’s a bright day, I’ll go with a lightcolored jig and on a dark day, I’ll go withdark colored bait as it gives me a con-trast against the sky and fish all feed up,so it’s easier for them to zero in on thebait.
From one day to the next, it’s hard tofigure out what color will turn the fish on,so I like to use a multiple colored jighead, especially when I’m fishing forwalleyes.
I’ll use a combination florescent green,orange and chartreuse jig head or aFiretiger color a lot. This way, I feel that Ihave a better chance the bait I havedown there has at least one color thatwill turn the fish on.
The key to using jigs productively isto fish them often and to fish them on atight line, which means, don’t allow anyslack line.
If you have slack line when your linedrops, a fish can inhale and suck your jigin, spitting it out so quickly you won’teven know you had a pick up. This iswhy you need to fish with a tight line.
When I say keep a tight line, I mean thatyou shouldn’t let you jig just fall to the bot-tom. Keep your line tight, following the jigdown, which keeps you in contact withyour bait and there’s no slack line.
Jigs are truly simple bait, nothingfancy, easy to use really remarkable baitthat works in all conditions and the onlyway a person can use a jig wrong is to“Not” use them.
When all else fails, tie on a jig, tip itwith live bait or your favorite plastic bait,cast it out and then hold on, because it’sgoing to catch fish no matter how youfish it!
Gary Howey, Hartington, Neb., is thepresident of Outdoorsmen Productions LLCand the producer/host of the award winningOutdoorsmen Adventures television series.For more information on the outdoors, out-door articles and outdoor videos and towatch Outdoorsmen Adventures on-line, goto www.outdoorsmenadventures.com and
TT RR OO PP HH YY SS PP OO TT LL II GG HH TT
PHOTO: MISSOURI VALLEY GUIDE SERVICEJoel Vasek of Geddes shows a walleye he took using a Hippies Bleeder Chain jigright after ice on Lake Francis Case this spring.
GaryHowey
Snowmobile Trails InS.D. Close After
Extraordinary SeasonPIERRE — Only a few times
since the South Dakota snowmo-bile program started in the 1970shave excellent snow conditionseast of the Missouri River stolenthe headlines. This year was one ofthem.
“It was a phenomenal seasonfor snowmobile trails in easternSouth Dakota,” said Ryan Raynor,state Game, Fish and ParksDepartment snowmobile trailscoordinator. “East River snowmo-bile clubs had their hands fullwhen it came to grooming. Once atrail base was established, it was amatter of keeping up with all thenew snow and drifting.”
Trails officially closed March 15on the eastern trail system,although grooming stopped at theend of February because ofspring-like conditions.
The Black Hills trail system hada good year as well, peaking withsignificant snowfall over Christmasand New Years’ holidays.
The Black Hills trails officiallyclosed Wednesday, March 31, butgrooming was halted most of themonth because of warm tempera-tures and poor trail conditions.
S.D., Wyoming YouthHunting
Championships May 8PIERRE — South Dakota and
Wyoming are teaming up to pres-ent youth hunting championshipsfor each state this spring inWyoming.
The Youth Hunter EducationChallenge will be held May 8 inUpton, WY. Young hunters do notneed to qualify in a regional or dis-trict tournament to compete in theevent. All South Dakota andWyoming youth 18 and youngerwho have passed a hunter educa-tion course are eligible to show-case their hunting skills and prob-ably learn more in the process.
This is the third year the chal-lenge has been hosted at the Uptonclub, and the second year of SouthDakota participation.
The challenge tests youngstersin sporting clays-style trap shoot-ing; .22-caliber firearms; muzzle-loader firearms; archery; wildlifeidentification; orienteering; andhunter safety.
The event is sponsored bySouth Dakota Game, Fish and 14and younger — are eligible toadvance to the international com-petition July 26-30 at a top-notchshooting complex near Mansfield,Penn.
The event is sponsored bySouth Dakota Game, Fish andParks, Wyoming Game and Fish,Upton Gun Club, Wyoming friendsof the NRA, and various local busi-nesses.
While youth from both SouthDakota and Wyoming will partici-pate in the event, they will not becompeting against each other. Awinner will be crowned for eachstate.
To participate, youngsters mustsubmit copies of their hunter edu-cation cards, birth certificates andphotos, and pay a $10 entry fee.Entry forms are available throughthe Wyoming Game and Fish Website at http://gf.state.wy.us/down-loads/pdf/education/2010%20YHEC.pdf
Entries forms must be submit-ted by April 30.
Crimestoppers SeeksInformation On
Antelope ShootingsLINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska
Wildlife Crimestoppers is offeringa reward for information aboutantelope that were shot and leftlying in Kimball County.
There have been four incidentsin recent months in which a total ofseven antelope where found shotand lying within a few miles ofeach other. The most recentincluded two antelope foundMarch 30 about 14 miles south ofDix near the Nebraska-Coloradoborder.
Conservation officer ScottBrandt of Gering said the mostrecent antelope found, a buck anda doe, were lying near a road,about 20 yards apart. They weregut-shot with a large-caliber rifle.In the three earlier incidents, theantelope were shot in the neckwith a small-caliber rifle.
The reward of up to $1,000 isfor information that leads to a con-viction in the case.
To report any information onthe antelope, or any game law vio-lation, call Nebraska WildlifeCrimestoppers toll-free at (800)742-7627. Callers may remainanonymous.
Fourth Of JulyCamping SpotsIn State ParksOpen Soon
PIERRE — Campers makingFourth of July plans can beginmaking camping reservations onApril 3 for a Friday, July 2,arrival. Reservations can bemade by calling 800-710-2267 orby going online towww.campsd.com. A three-daystay is required at all parksexcept Custer State Park for holi-day weekends.
“Fourth of July weekend isalways a busy time in the parks,”said Doug Hofer, state parksdirector. "Campsites arereserved well in advance, socampers will need to plan aheadand make reservations as soonas possible to get their favoritecamping spots."
Reservations for campsitesand camping cabins in SouthDakota state parks can be madewithin 90 days of arrival dates.Reservations for group lodgesstatewide and all campsites atCuster State Park are currentlybeing accepted.
The telephone reservationcenter is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.daily (CDT). Online reservationscan be made 24 hours a day.Reservations open at 7 a.m. onthe first day of the 90-day win-dow, both online and at the callcenter.
There is a $7.70 per site non-refundable reservation fee (notapplicable to South Dakota resi-dents). Camping fees must bepaid when reservations are madeand can be paid with creditcards, money orders or personalchecks. Daily or annual parkentrance licenses are requiredfor all vehicles entering theparks. Entrance fees are in addi-tion to camping fees.
For more detailed informationon making reservations or toview the 90-day window calen-dar, visit www.sdparks.info orcontact the Division of Parks andRecreation office at 605-773-3391or email [email protected].
BY DAVID CASSTEVENS(c) 2010, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
LAKE EDDLEMAN, Texas —Sipping light beer and smoking amenthol cigarette, the woman wear-ing a blue NASCAR cap insidePeanut's Crappie House pulled herline from the murky depths of LakeEddleman.
Not a bite. Nary a nibble."They're down there," Debbie
"Peanut" Reynolds assured.Catfish. Bass. White and black
crappie galore.Hercules, half-napping, looked
up and barked as if in full agree-ment.
Three other mutts lay along theplank floor or sprawled on a dilapi-dated plaid sofa. On television theuniformed crew of the USSEnterprise faced another intergalac-tic crisis on a rerun of "Star Trek:The Next Generation"
Reynolds, 49, inspected her hotpink tube jig.
"I love sci-fi," she said, noddingat the screen.
Best of all she loves fishing andthe ebb and flow of her uncompli-cated life.
Peanut's Crappie House sitsnear the end of a winding, potholeddirt road, about 100 miles north-west of Fort Worth, Texas.
The sheet-metal structure _ anenclosed dock _ isn't much to lookat, but from the comfort of her
favorite swivel chair the owner canfish all day, watch TV, talk to herpets ("Beethoven, be-have!") andwelcome anglers of all ages as theyrenew their springtime pursuit ofcrappie, the most popular panfishin Texas.
"It's sad. There aren't manyplaces like this left," Reynolds said.
Her business, open every day,and similar operations are slowlydisappearing from the landscape.Rocky Creek Marina operates acrappie house on Lake Benbrook.Lake Weatherford Marina has onetoo.
"I'm told that as these places getold they aren't replaced," saidPhylis McQuern, an employee atLake Weatherford Marina."Droughts and storms have taken atoll. There are very few to go to,now."
Lake levels have taken their tollas well, said Tom Hungerford, anassistant biologist with the TexasParks and Wildlife Department inFort Worth.
"The water level fluctuationsover the last five years probablyhave made business pretty toughfor those (crappie house) folks," hesaid.
‘Best Eatin’ Fish’Reynolds, an Amarillo, Texas,
native, spent many years in Phoenixand held various jobs while livingthere. She managed a grocery store.
She drove a taxi and a city bus. Afterher parents died, she moved toYoung County 21 years ago and, ona whim, bought the crappie housefrom Cloyce Shadwick.
Cloyce and wife Lu now run C &L's Bait and Tackle, which is justdown the road a bit. Both are partialto crappie.
"Best eatin' fish there are,"Cloyce Shadwick declared.
Reynolds enjoys the delicate fla-vor of the white, flaky fish, too.
"You can deep-fry crappie. Bakecrappie. Broil it. . . . I put crappie ina nice pot of tater soup." The crap-pie house owner spoke in a meas-ured cadence, like Benjamin Buford"Bubba" Blue reciting all the ways toprepare shrimp in the movie"Forrest Gump."
Under ideal conditions,Reynolds said, a person who drops
a line in the 30-foot waters of herfishing house can hook a couple ofdozen of the schooling fish in 90minutes.
"If you can't catch them in here,"she said, "then the fish just aren'tbiting."
In Texas, crappie are subject to a10-inch minimum and a per-persondaily bag of 25. White crappieweighing 41 pounds have beencaught in Texas waters, accordingto the wildlife department.
On Feb. 3, Reynolds said, sheand her customers caught 85 "keep-ers."
She watched a local supermar-ket butcher reel in a yellow catusing a lightweight rod. The fishweighed 13 pounds, 10 ounces.
"It was like pulling a refrigeratorup with a string," Reynolds said ofthe 20-minute battle of wills.
PHOTOS: CAPTAIN NORM’S
Devron Leonard, Lincoln, Neb., caught this3-pound Smallmouth Bass on April 4.
Myron Ptack of Vermillion caught this 7.15-pound Northern Pike on March 29.Marv Cline caught this 5-pound Walleye on
March 21.
Jay Fountain of Sioux Falls caught this19-pound Northern Pike on April 3.
Warren Stocking of Yankton caught this 7-pound Walleye on March 21.
Tanner Eining caught this 10.5-poundWalleye on March 18.
At Crappie Houses, Simple Rules Apply For Anglers
