Retreat resident Joey Mines knows where the fish are for sure. He and his fishing protégé Ken Breland (pictured here) were out on West Point Lake today with Retreat’s Hardman Knox. The weather was absolutely perfect as we left the marina just at sunrise and headed toward the south end of the lake and then later to Yellow Jacket Creek.
Knowing that the water was warm (86 degrees) Joey had us using a “drop shot” to catch Crappie. Normally, this is a bass fishing technique. He reminded us that when the water temperature is warm like it is in August the fish bite a lot less, and you have to give them a chance to study the bait. The “drop shot” allows the fish to take a hard look at the bait and then go after it. No doubt, Joey’s warm water secret tip was ideal for today’s conditions and the key to getting into the Crappie. We came home with plenty of nice filets for frying, and the wives will sure enjoy it when we use Joey’s special recipe to cook those filets this evening for dinner!
Wow, what great time! And we’ll know to modify our technique next time we go fishing in cooler water because the fish will be active – moving shallow, chasing lures, and aggressively biting.