Fishing a three leech rig

[Tom Butler]

Boy, long week at at school, have not been in a classroom since they first sent us home (mine were well suited to do online).
Got a chance to fish the 3 leeches I posted in the vice last weekend on a beautiful fall morning. 9'6wt, type 6, 2' 20# chameleon, 2' 10# to a ring, 1' 8#, 3' 6#, 3' 4# UG. 8" droppers. Casts well, quite tangle resistant.

Fished the brown simiseal leech up top, green in the middle and black on cleanup.

Brown struck first

then peacock shortly thereafter

the bluegill only ate the green

the black didn't get as many, except for in one group. Didn't set this up, the hook came out and there it was.

We had thought about taking the boat out for salmon, but no one was really that stoked. This was a kick in the ass. I had some new Umpqua hooks 10 3xl, not that sharp out of the package.
And now we're off to see Batman at the plaza (Adam West day) and the other superfriends. Then a little football game. Go Dawgs!

 

[Jim in Anacortes]

A small lake near me has some very good Crappie fishing. I stumbled on to this fishery while chasing Large Mouth Bass. It seems that a small white bunny leech catches very large Crappie, and once you hook into one of them (find the school), you can catch as many as you want. They fight like hell and although I release them all, I know how good they would taste deep fried. Made into a taco with cabbage and white sauce ....Ok I'm gunna get me about 4 crappie... get 8 tiny filets and make me some Baja fish tacos.

 

[Jim in Anacortes]

Very few fresh water fish get me excited about eating them. I am a "seafood snob". And I have been lucky enough to regularly eat some of the best seafood on the planet. That being said, for some reason the Crappie (for me) is one of the few freshwater fish that makes my mouth water.

 

[Tom Butler]

I stumbled on to this fishery ........ It seems that a small white bunny leech.

I knew they were there, but yea I just kinda stumbled into it as well. I have some of those, I'll give them a try.

They fight like hell and although I release them all, I know how good they would taste deep fried. Made into a taco with cabbage and white sauce ....Ok I'm gunna get me about 4 crappie... get 8 tiny filets and make me some Baja fish tacos.

They do fight really well. I've been letting them go so far, but I do know they can be good eating.

 

[DoesItFloat]

TASTY.

 

[NukeLDO]

Allright, I'm gonna have to get out on that lake before the ACOE draws it down for the winter! Haven't been out there all summer.
Given the way the Corps manages that lake, I'm always surprised by what shows up in it.
It's mostly mud in winter, they fill it up with the spring flood rains (no floods please! our property upstream has been decimated)
and then all of a sudden come mid summer there are all those warm water fish in there.
where did they come from?
certainly not upstream where I am.
do they overwinter in the meager water that sits in that bowl?
On a good note, we did have salmon spawning on the upper part of the creek where I live this year.....a first in many moons.

 

[Tom Butler]

Allright, I'm gonna have to get out on that lake before the ACOE draws it down for the winter! Haven't been out there all summer.
Given the way the Corps manages that lake, I'm always surprised by what shows up in it.
It's mostly mud in winter, they fill it up with the spring flood rains (no floods please! our property upstream has been decimated)
and then all of a sudden come mid summer there are all those warm water fish in there.
where did they come from?
certainly not upstream where I am.
do they overwinter in the meager water that sits in that bowl?
On a good note, we did have salmon spawning on the upper part of the creek where I live this year.....a first in many moons.

The eastern bowl is a good 7-10' deep all winter. Midges to eat all winter, or they shut down and lay in the mud. Some of those crappie must be 5yr. fish. I have not got a bass over 6" but the gear folks have. No yellow perch this year. Not many trout seem to have made it through the summer. This ones big brother towed me all over.
The salmon thing is really neat to hear.

 

[NukeLDO]

The eastern bowl is a good 7-10' deep all winter. Midges to eat all winter, or they shut down and lay in the mud. Some of those crappie must be 5yr. fish. I have not got a bass over 6" but the gear folks have. No yellow perch this year. Not many trout seem to have made it through the summer. This ones big brother towed me all over.
The salmon thing is really neat to hear.

I've caught 12" bass out of there in years past.
And I'll play with the stocker trout they put in there, but nothing to bring home for the dinner table.
But if the crappie are in there that thick, I might have to give it a go this fall.