Priest/Hickory crappie report

[Urban_Hunter]

Went to Priest last weekend and didn't catch a crappie. Couldn't find them in any of the usual spots 15-35ft deep. Saw a good bit in trees on the main river channel suspended about 45ft deep in the 60ft channel but couldn't get bit.

Went back on Friday. Found some but couldn't get bit again. Went up in school house cove and saw 7-8 boats fishing the standing timber. We fished with them and never got bit and didn't see anyone catch anything. Ran into a guide I know that had 1 keeper and was calling it a day.

Defeated, I had a couple hours to spare this morning and went to old hickory to try and find a sliver of redemption. Got off to a bad start. Backed the boat in and noticed it was sliding off the trailer even though I hadn't unlatched it. The stitching on my strap that holds the hook had given up and let the boat go. I had to run knee deep to save it. Despite the cold I rung out my socks and roughed it out. Had 9 keepers in 2-1/2 hours, 1 short fish. 5 of the 9 were easily over 12". Got a bowl full of fillets soaking for dinner

Fish were deep and slow moving. Many would slowly follow the bait and never commit.

 

[Trapper John]

Glad you caught that boat! Been in similar situations a time or two, but in warmer conditions thankfully.

Been relatively slow going on Priest. Been catching a few off the rocks along the main channel between Smyrna and Mt. Juliet. Can't bring myself to put the boat in this time of year. I've been hiking in and doing what I can from the bank. I suppose that'll shut down in the next week with the extreme cold coming. Done relatively well with the yellow bass, though.

 

[TNReb]

You did better than me. I couldn't find a crappie on Old Hickory yesterday. Every bush I checked was about plum empty. Gave up and decided to bass fish. Caught a few pretty quickly but they were just 14-15 inchers.

 

[Biggun4214]

You have to be careful in situations like this, especially in the winter. I worked at least 2 drownings where people swam to retrieve their boats.

 

[chimneyman]

Went to Priest last weekend and didn't catch a crappie. Couldn't find them in any of the usual spots 15-35ft deep. Saw a good bit in trees on the main river channel suspended about 45ft deep in the 60ft channel but couldn't get bit.

Went back on Friday. Found some but couldn't get bit again. Went up in school house cove and saw 7-8 boats fishing the standing timber. We fished with them and never got bit and didn't see anyone catch anything. Ran into a guide I know that had 1 keeper and was calling it a day.

Defeated, I had a couple hours to spare this morning and went to old hickory to try and find a sliver of redemption. Got off to a bad start. Backed the boat in and noticed it was sliding off the trailer even though I hadn't unlatched it. The stitching on my strap that holds the hook had given up and let the boat go. I had to run knee deep to save it. Despite the cold I rung out my socks and roughed it out. Had 9 keepers in 2-1/2 hours, 1 short fish. 5 of the 9 were easily over 12". Got a bowl full of fillets soaking for dinner

Fish were deep and slow moving. Many would slowly follow the bait and never commit.

Strap AND safety chain hooked to boat til trailer wheels hit the water