Hitting the muddy water with big yellow

These last few weeks have seen the warm water fisheries just explode!  While waiting for July to roll around to toss dries up to hungry trout up in the mountains my local warm water playground has been keeping me quite busy. No boat launch so the pressure stays light and fish are generally quite cooperative.

Usually on the water by 5, rigged up with with my trusty warm water beater rod.  A 8' EagleClaw Featherlight 5/6 rod.  Its big, heavy, yellow, and chucks big bugs like a champ.

Not much going on in the main portion of the pond this time of day so up river I go.

After motoring up a mile the river gets a bit smaller.

I let the current slowly take me back down river at nice leisurely pace
Time to start get popping….

Cast, pop, pause, pop, pause, pop…..and then it pretty much looks like a toilet flushing where my popper used to be and its on!

Playing with poppers is fun, engaging and down right awesome when it gets crushed by a big fish.  I got a fair amount of fish doing it, but there is a better way…..with the sun still high, time to let loose the cougar!

Its in there somewhere….good thing I brought pliers…..and 20 pound test mono.

Nows its just after 8 and the suns going down, its been a good day but the craziest part has yet to come.  Time to motor back down the main portion of the water body for the grand finale.

I go ahead and drop anchor right in the middle and just as soon as the last bit of the suns rays leave the water just erupts with crappie everywhere.  Every cast in every direction results in a fish, and they are big!

All of them are 12+ inches and put a bend in a 6wt rod like you wouldn't believe.  From 8 till 9 I caught over 30 crappies, just nuts!   The finally tally was just over 70 fish in 4 hours, love this time of year!