Page 12 - Crappie NOW - April 2018

SOLVING “CURRENT” SITUATIONS

If the current kicks back on to a higher volume, Regardless of location, he views current
Overstreet reverts to fishing back down in the as an asset and not a negative. Certain
wood. Only in extreme conditions – floods, elements figure in to success – a strong
for example – does he abandon his main- trolling motor and dependable batteries, for
river approach and change locations. example – are givens when fishing in current.
When flooding occurs, Overstreet said “It’s something that I sort of take for
the fish tend to move to the bank and seek granted,” he said. “There are other times that
shelter behind rocks and laydowns or move you don’t encounter it. It’s not bad though.
to the mouths of feeder creeks. Crappie fishing in current can be great if you
“I actually experienced that this past know how to fish it and get used to it.”
winter,” he said. “The river was moving so
fast that the fish toughed it out for a few days, - Greg McCain
and then they were gone. All of a sudden,
they were hard to find.
“Either get in there beside the bank
or move to the mouths of feeder creeks or
big sloughs, especially those that have deep
channels and are not silted in. A feeder creek
with a 15-foot channel feeding into the main
river is ideal.”
Those fish can be caught using the
same one-pole and spider-rigging techniques.
The fish may also remain in those locations if
spawning time is near. Some will eventually
spawn around protected areas near the bank
or move deeper into creeks to spawning
areas.
Overstreet always attempts to
determine current conditions. He said the
same principles that guide his main-river
fishing also dictate what he does in slower
water on lakes. The ideas apply regardless
of whether the water is moving out due to
run-off or backing up due to rising water on
the main river.
“It doesn’t really matter,” Overstreet
said. “It can be good when the creeks rise
due to high water on the main channel. It
helps the fish know where to go. If they are
close to the mouth, they will move back into
the creek with the rising water, especially
when they are coming up on spawning time.
“The same can be true when you are
back in a creek that opens up into a lake and
there is water coming in.”
“Last year, we were on Neely Henry,
fishing with minnow rigs with one ounce of
weight in 20 feet of water,” he said. “The
water was clear, but they were really moving
it that day.”

12 Crappie NOW April 2018