A.C. JEFF, TOOK OUT THE FOLKS ON SATURDAY (OCT. 4) FOR THE FIRST PANFISHING TRIP OF THE YEAR. POOL 13 DIDN’T DISAPPOINT. WE KEPT 35 FISH BETWEEN THE 3 OF US. ALL CRAPPIES IN THE 10-12″ RANGE (NO BIG SLABS) AND A DOZEN DECENT GILLS. AGAIN, NO HOGS. CAUGHT ALMOST ALL FISH ON MINNOWS AND JIGS, UNDER A BOBBER. WILL BE BACK OUT IN 2 WEEKS. TBASS
Bignutz24, you can get those jigs at walmart too. I came across them here in La Crosse. Lots of different colors and sizes. 
I’ve been spending all my time with fresnel zones and subnetting, but my brother went this afternoon. Him and his buddy brought home 42. They fished for two hours and had some real slabs. If you look at the moon phase, I think you’ll understand why. That 17″ slab I posted a picture of came during full moon last November. Of course all of them came on b/w tubes and a minnow. They were up in the crooked slough region of the pool. COME ON NEXT WEEKEND!!!
Sorry to be negative on this issue but I for one will be happy once the DNR imposes new panfish limits in the near future. No more keeping 22 to 45, or what ever, of these slabs. Try keeping 6 or 8 for a meal instead of loading up. There will be more for you, and everyone else, when you go back the next time.
I have fished Pool 13 for years and get tired of the pressure of seeing the fish face as they get pounded and caught, especially when the water levels have them concentrated.
I just don’t understand keeping that many fish let alone filleting and butchering the whole works. Sorry.
No need to be sorry…
There is a 25 fish limit for crappie that was implemented last year. It was implemented to hopefully keep people from taking home the really small fish. I didn’t realize every family should only eat 8 fish for a meal. Remember my family just might be larger than yours, or I might eat fish several times a week, etc. Bottom line, when you take home a fraction of the fish you catch, you can sleep well at night. I know I do.
Good luck and have fun out there.
Im coming up from Davenport this weekend, best place to put in at, to fish crooked slough. 
Pan,
Launch at Pleasant Creek and go south, below the slough or Bellevue and come in from the top.
I responded to your message.
Its debateable with crappie as to how many should be kept. Carlyle and shellbyville at times have way to many crapps. They rebound rapidly. Size limits have sometimes had no positive effect. That said everyone needs to use common sense. Just because you throwing a lot back will not help as the total kept is the only real key. Anyhow the pool seems to be in pretty decent shape. One thing I know is any fish 6 weeks or more in the fridg seems like a waste.
I went fishing today. This pool is in great shape! End of my report.
This weekend was one of those that make me so glad I grew up on this fishery. The slabs were there to be had if you could find them. The hot jig for me was the Lindy “Little Nipper.” The black, tipped with a minnow was by far, the best of the day. As usual, I was a steward of the resource. Here’s my father in-law with the typical fish of the day. The numbers of bigger fish were incredible.
My brother, “Dogfish Boy,” with a nice 16+” SLOB! 
Great Pics Jeff…What types of water are you working to pull these slabs ? And do you keep this size or do you release some of the monsters ?
Dave,
The vast majority of fish have been caught in 6-8 ft., with very little current. Although, it’s hard to find any current this Fall. Of course structure is also key.
With regards to throwing back the big boys… Unfortunately or fortunately, I can still remember from my younger years, how a big river crappie tastes. For that reason alone, I throw the big ones back. Then of course there is the more important reason, to be a steward of the resource.
Very nice slabs. I’ve never fished for them on the Miss but have a couple of ponds where we get them this big. Alot of fun on the ultra light rod!
APPLE CANYON, JUST LOOKING FOR A REPORT. I WILL BE OUT ON THE BIG MUDDY THIS SATURDAY FOR SOME CRAPPIE ACTION. THE FLOW STILL WAY DOWN? I WAS THERE 3 WEEKS AGO AND THE CRAPPIES REALLY HAD THE FEEDBAG ON. I HOPE IT STAYS THE SAME. IF YOU SEE A RED RANGER BASS BOAT WITH A MERCURY 200 ON THE BACK, STOP AND SAY HI. I WILL GIVE YOU A REPORT ON MONDAY. TBASS
TBASS,
The flow has been down at 15k all week. Tonight it is up to 17k. They must have opened the rollers.
THANKS ACJ, I WILL GIVE YOU THE FULL REPORT ON MONDAY. I DO ALL OF MY FISHING AROUND SABULA. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEVER GET THAT FAR SOUTH. I WOULD LOVE TO TRY IT UP THERE SOMETIME, BUT I DON’T WANT TO MUSCLE IN ON YOUR SPOTS. I USUALLY DO FINE WITH JUST A SMALL JIG AND MINNOW. COLOR DOESN’T SEEM TO BE TO IMPORTANT. MAYBE THAT’S WHY I DON’T GET THE SLABS. YOU CATCH MANY GILL UP THERE? TALK TO YOU MONDAY, TBASS
TBASS,
I probably go way overboard, but I think that not only color is important, but so is length and width of my bait. I have 1″ and 1.5″ tubes in all the colors I use. I also have the same colors and sizes in “stingers.” A stinger is a tube with the top half of the tail gone. I also use jigs ranging from 1/64 – 1/16. As the water gets colder, I downsize. In late November/December, I usually start out real small in the morning, but will upsize as the day goes on, then back down again later in the day. I fish hair/feather jigs as well. Again, I use a variety of colors and sizes. I have WAAAYY too many tubes and hair jigs for a guy just chasing crappies, but I’ve been known to over analyze quite often. When I go, I have four poles rigged with different things, ready to try.
As you can see, I’m pretty anal retentive about my approach to a few panfish. I really believe there is a 4 pound slab swimming near Bellevue. I want to be the guy that catches (and releases) her first.
As far as ‘gills go, I get some each day, but try to stay away from them. I don’t target them at the river because of the monsters I get at ACL. My experience has been that if the ‘gills are there thick, the slabs aren’t there in numbers.
Oh boy… I didn’t mean to pontificate with my response. In addition to being anal retentitive, I can also be a wind bag. Good luck, I look forward to your report!
I had many many fish today. Yep, more 8″ crappies than a guy could imagine. I had a few slabs but nothing real big. I lost one at the boat that was just a monster! I did have a 22″ fork tail grab my jig and then jumped clean over a big log. What a riot. All fish were released to provide more fun another day.
ACJ, WE HIT THE WATER ABOUT 6:30AM AND THE FISH ONCE AGAIN COOPERATED. PROBABLY A DOZEN FISH IN THE 9 -11″ ONE 13″ (BIGGEST OF THE DAY) AND TONS OF SHORT FISH. I THINK THE RIVER IS IN GREAT SHAPE. WE BROUGHT HOME 32 BETWEEN THE 3 OF US. ALL WERE CAUGHT AROUND THE SABULA AREA IN THE WOOD. IY ALSO SEEMS THE WATER IS HIGHER SINCE I WAS THERE LAST. I PROBABLY WON’T GET BACK FOR 2 WEEKS. SAVE A FEW FOR ME. TBASS
went up crooked slough on 10/26 caught 3 crappies then they just shut off then the bass started biting between me and my partner we caught over 40 bass. biggest was about 19″ all where released. not what I was after but made for a good day of fishing
I was on call over the past fews days, so I haven’t been out. The bite has been very very good for my dad and brother at the end of last week. Same pattern as I’ve been reporting all Fall. I’ll be out Friday through Monday and am betting the bite will change a bit because of all this rain. The flow is up to about 30k tonight, and I expect it to go higher. Perhaps my “usual” spots will be producing by this weekend. 
The “usual” spots actually change every year on this fishery.
I was looking forward to coming to the site and telling everyone that once again the “full moon theory” paid off. On paper the river looked good. Flow was about 30k, with winds at about 11mph. Well… Dad and I arrived at Pleasant Creek on Friday to hefty northern winds with about 30 mph gusts. The river was of course the dirtiest it’s been since spring. We went out anyway and I am proud to report that I never lost one jig that day. 
We stayed two hours and never caught a fish. Saturday and today were about the same. The river was a lot cleaner today. The flow is down to about 22k and falling. Oh well, it was still great to be out. Man, the green heads are down in force! I’ll be back at it next weekend.
ACJ, WE HIT THE RIVER AT 7:30 ON SUNDAY. VERY COLD, AND SUNNY. THE WATER WAS STAINED AND ALOT OF THE MORE PRODUCTIVE LOGS AND BRUSH WE WANTED TO FISH WERE ICE COVERED. EVEN WHEN THE ICE MELTED, THERE WERE NOT ANY FISH TO BE HAD. WE DID MANAGE A FEW FISH OFF OF SOME BRIDGE PILINGS. WE ENDED UP WITH 25 BETWEEN THE 2 OF US. BROUGHT HOME 16. THE BIGGEST WAS ABOUT 9″ GIVE OR TAKE. VERY TOUGH. THAT WILL BE ALL THE FISHING TILL THE ICE HITS, WHICH AT THIS RATE COULD BE THANKSGIVING. GOING OUT DEER HUNTING NEXT 2 WEEKS. TBASS
I’m pretty sure the crappies from Pool 13 have moved down to Pool 14. BN24 has been posting pictures of some quality crappies he’s getting down there. Went yesterday for a couple hours. They were biting so softly, I wished I had my ice tackle with me. My fishing is about done for a few weeks, because my wife is having surgery December 1. I’ll be taking care of her when she gets home from the hospital. She’s going to be in rough shape for 6-8 weeks.
When I got off the river yesterday, I checked out this 2200 acres I scored to hunt on. I did a quick perimeter check of one fence line, and this is what I saw: A dandy 8 pointer came loping through from another farm, and I saw many squirrel nests. I love to eat squirrels. As I was walking along the fence, I kept thinking that it is great pheasant cover. A few minutes later, I flushed three roosters! Now the bad news, I discovered I let my FOID card lapse. I’ll have to get that rectified!
Oh well, enough of my ramblings for now.
I was thinking about the Fall on fishing on 13, and I realized something. I don’t recall any eggs in the crappies I kept this Fall. We always find some eggs in the females that we keep, but not this year. I wonder what that means, if anything. I don’t think I kept only males this year. Anyone else have a thought about it?
If you cleaned any females at all this fall Jeff, there should have been eggs in them. That doesn’t bode well for the future. Looks like you guys might miss a year class of keepers 4 or 5 years down the road.
WOW!!! What a forum. I am mostly a walleye guy but keep seeing this forum as I scroll down the list and have been saving it for when the times gets closer to chase after panfish for me [ice time] and I’m sure glad I checked this one out. I also love crappie fishing and there was alot of neat reports and pics on the crappie fishing you guys have been catching. Thanks for sharing. Keep it up guys. A really need forum here. I am going to have to make sure I do more panfishing next year even when the grandkids aren’t with me. Almost forgot how much fun it is til I read this stuff. Thanks, Bill
Bringing it up for a friend to see some pictures. They’ve been getting crappies big time lately back home. I have Wednesday afternoon through Sunday off. Might have to slip a trip in one day. Most of the time, I’ll be at the lake chasing bulls..
Flow is up to 50k today.
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