Thread: Kayak Trip Report, Swan Creek WMA

I had 4 hours of time off that was going to expire if I didn't take soon so left work Thursday at lunch and went to Swan Creek. Beautiful day and I had the area all to myself. Found beds in several places, but the Gills had already left. I started working the buckbrush edges with the Nikko Pin Worm about 12 inches under a bobber alternating tossing a small spinner. Finally got on a pattern of using the spinner to search and when I caught a fish working the area with the Nikko slower usually catching a few more. I returned a dozen Crappie, mostly short and several Bass with nice Gill scattered everywhere. I kept half a limit and returned many, many more including numerous large Shellcrackers. The water was about a foot high for summer pool, 85 degrees with visibility of about 12 inches. Where the pipe goes under the train tracks there was a big whirlpool so they were pumping water hard trying to get the water down. Great, great afternoon on the water.

Not always, but often you catch an actively feeding fish with the spinner, but many, many more with the slower presentation. The same for Crappie. Anytime I catch one or two on a spinner, once I don't catch any more in a few casts I'll change to a slower presentation and usually catch several more. It's just the slower presentation doesn't allow you to cover water as fast.

Think of Bass fishing using a spinner bait. Catch one or two next to a tree come back with a worm or jig and pig and often pick up a couple more.