# Trolled up a mixed bag of goodies.



## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

My BFF Terri (Jackback) and I fished a friend's 25 acre gravel pit off the Tallapoosa River yesterday. Dodging thunderstorms, we managed to fish less than two hours, but had a blast.

This gravel pit was reclaimed years ago, and the water is clear as St. Joe bay. Normally, extremely clear water is very infertile, but this lake is ringed by beds of peppergrass, which helps the foodchain. We were told by the landowner to keep everything we caught, and if we didn't want it, to just throw it up on the bank for the raccoons. He said the pond was overcrowded, and the bass were stunted. We were happy to oblige.

We fished from a 10 ft jonboat propelled by a trolling motor. Let me tell you, fishing from a 10 ft jonboat is like trying to have sex standing up in a hammock! Drink a few beers and just try to pee from one sometime.

Casting crappie jigs was not working for us, so we tossed jigs out the back and slow-trolled. We never went more than 50 yards without hooking chunky bluegills, skinny bass, or our target species- slab crappie. Ended the day with 7 crappie, 6 bluegills, and 5 skinny bass.

Terri was using a 1/16 oz blue ice grub, and I was using a 1/16 oz chartruese curly tail. The fish didn't seem to show a preference.


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## cody&ryand (Oct 3, 2007)

Nice catch when we had our old hunting camp and had the pond stocked the guy that did it for us told us to do the same thing. He said if you don't keep everything u catch throw it on the bank or else it will be over populated in no time. It seemed to work for us had bass 5+ pounds in a matter of a few years. Would love to know how big some of them are now


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Great report and photo. Fishing a private pond can really be a blast. I have a friend with small 1 to 1.5 acres. I keep telling him he's got way too many bream and they need to be thinned out. If I was a flathead guy I could catch all the live bait I needed in this one little pond.


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## jackback (Feb 17, 2013)

It was a blast! A tippy 10 ft. jonboat is a challenge! We will go back hopefully with better weather and put a whoopin on um!


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

jackback said:


> It was a blast! A tippy 10 ft. jonboat is a challenge! We will go back hopefully with better weather and put a whoopin on um!


Better weather? You mean you didn't like loading the boat, fishing 10 minutes, unload everything that might get wet, waiting an hour or more for the rain and lightning to quit, go bail the boat out, load everything again, then fish for one hour before dark? 

You must be new to fishing. :whistling:

Seriously, if we had fished for four hours, I would STILL be cleaning fish. :no:


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

Nice catch but when are we gonna get to see some stripers?


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Try'n Hard said:


> Nice catch but when are we gonna get to see some stripers?


Shouldn't be much longer - gotta work through the shellcrackers and bluegills first. Then we might go after some endangered fish in the Gulf.


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## jackback (Feb 17, 2013)

Bodupp said:


> Better weather? You mean you didn't like loading the boat, fishing 10 minutes, unload everything that might get wet, waiting an hour or more for the rain and lightning to quit, go bail the boat out, load everything again, then fish for one hour before dark?
> 
> You must be new to fishing. :whistling:
> 
> Seriously, if we had fished for four hours, I would STILL be cleaning fish. :no:


I know you appreciate a good deckhand. All that loading and unloading and bailing the boat and running from storms. Geeze! I wouldn't know how to act if there weren't a Chinese fire drill from time to time!  As for new to fishing :no:


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Welcome back, Jackback. For some reason, I'm reminded of the beginning of of one of Dr. Sam's stories - "It was the third day of a seven day drunk...". :001_huh:


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Very nice Bodd. I admire these post. My Crappie catching skills are not there. 
Nice job!


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## Riverlover (Mar 5, 2016)

Sweet mixed bag. Sounds like the fish were a perfect topping to a great time.


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## Geezer (Mar 30, 2014)

Nice Catch!


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## jackback (Feb 17, 2013)

Bodupp said:


> Welcome back, Jackback. For some reason, I'm reminded of the beginning of of one of Dr. Sam's stories - "It was the third day of a seven day drunk...". :001_huh:


Lmao! Good to be back. We should be fishing!


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Riverlover said:


> Sweet mixed bag. Sounds like the fish were a perfect topping to a great time.


The perfect topping was tonight when Jackback had a fish fry at their farm with the fish we caught. Had friends from Maine and Alaska in the crowd. You know the girl can cook when she can draw people from that far!


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## jackback (Feb 17, 2013)

Bodupp said:


> The perfect topping was tonight when Jackback had a fish fry at their farm with the fish we caught. Had friends from Maine and Alaska in the crowd. You know the girl can cook when she can draw people from that far!


Hey Thanks!


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