# Crappie in the Choctawhatchee



## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

This week a couple of trips to the Choctaw produced a total of 14 crappie...9 one trip and 5 another. Both were in the 7 Runs area. Have heard of better catches than that down below Cowford. The bream bite is way off probably due to cooling water, however I had one report from the Cerro Gordo area that a few were caught fly fishing a couple of days ago. The river is back down in it's banks and water color clearing up so next week may improve the fishing. This winter I plan to do some serious crappie fishing and see if I can improve my jig fishing skills. The best jigs around come from www.litewirehooks.com if fishing where you get a lot of hangups. 

Today a PFF buddy and I will find out what they are doing over on Pate Lake south of Caryville. My last couple of trips there didn't produce much of anything but with the post from SkiffJr it appears to be improving. So will go see if long lining will do the trick this morning and finish off a few minnows left over from a couple of days ago. If all this does not work we will just quit early and go down to Vernon and have a catfish lunch at Dee's. 


Hope all of you have a good weekend and go fishing. 

EAT- SLEEP - GO FISHING


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## basnbud (Jul 20, 2011)

have fun. just know i'm jealous sittin here at work reading this.............


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Good luck FW ! 
I am working on honey doo's today as we are blessing some friends this weekend and family next week with the use of our river camp. Hit those crappie up after a front and don't trust the jigs too much till spring or at least Christmas. I am fired up to get after them again and may can make it work in a week or so

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Well, not a very productive day but what a beautiful day to be on the water. This is my favorite time of year to be in the outdoors. 
We fished Pate Lake from about 7:15 UNTIL 11:00. Used jigs for long lining. Caught 13 crappie and tossed 4, one warmouth in the box. Only one other boat on the lake fishing bass. Apparently it's still too early for the really big crappie. 
We learned from the folks who live at the landing that the state stocked the lake in the early 90's with crappie, bass, and shellcrackers. Ever since the lake has been a decent producer but not a sustained outstanding lake. Went to Vernon for lunch and afterward launched at Shell Landing on Holmes Creek. This was first time for my partner. We long lined down stream for about a half mile with no bites. Decided to visit the mouth of the creek to check out the report it was closed due to sand bar. This turned out to be incorrect. We had no trouble crossing into the river although there is a sand bar you can see and a path around it you can also see. It's shallow but no trouble for Jon boats. I think even a bass boat could get through with a jacked motor. 
Showed my partner how to get from Holmes Creek to Dead River so we just took a boat tour up there and then back down to the creek and went upstream a couple of miles above Shell landing. The water is perfect for fishing although a bit stained. Saw several boats fishing on the creek. One was anchored in the middle of the river at the creek intersection and reported he had two very nice flatheads in the box. He was using some heavy duty rods with huge salt water Penn type reels.


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