PYMATUNINGS GIANT SLABS

Local hot-stick Ken Smith with a giant Pymatuning slab. Wow!

Just got back from a great trip in NW Pennsylvania where the 2014 PA CRAPPIE CAMP, hosted by outdoor writer Darl Black, was held at massive 17,000 acre Pymatuning Lake on the Pa-Ohio border. Weather was warm, hot, actually, and the big black crappie were on the bite in pre-spawn and spawn modes. Got to fish with local hot-stick Ken Smith and he put us onto many 13 to 15 inch slabs.

Average sized fish exceeded 13 inches.

We drift fished the expansive stump flats of the Linesville section of the northern part of the lake and scored on 1/8 oz jigs tipped with various plastics and Crappie Nibbles. Ken knows his stuff and had us on the fish quickly. We fished 5 ft down in 7 to 8 feet of water. On Tuesday morning he and I had 19 crappies over 13 inches. Other guys in our party of writers and crappie pros and tackle reps did just as well down lake fishing in the shallow padfields for big spawners. A few more pics...

Big slabs bring big smiles!

Crappie pro Dan D. with a slab from the pads in the rain.

Some of our fish pushed 15 inches.

I enjoyed using the local fish cleaning station.

Our group of about 7 anglers had a four day total of approximately 300 crappies with about 250 running from 13 to 15 inches...high quality crappie fishing  anywhere! Bobby Garland plastics and jigheads dominated the catch as spider rigging and other Southern Style slab tactics filtered north. We fished other area lakes for crappies and bass, and a full report will be upcoming on those trips as well. But the crappie fishing at Pymatuning was outstanding, and the size of the fish were phenomenal for a lake north of the Mason Dixon Line. These fish were in pre-spawn and spawning phase and it was May 13 thru the 16th that we fished. We 'hit it just right'...none of that 'you should have been here last week' stuff!

Dixie Cricket strikes again!

 Along the way I caught about 100 bluegill down behind my cabin at the Jamestown Area of Pymatuning State Park. My 1/64th oz Dixie Cricket Jig did em in.

Bobby Garland blues and chartreuse were hot colors.

Biggest white crappie was Dan Dannenmueler's near 15 incher from Shenango.

We also slipped over to Shenango River Reservoir one morning and crappie pro Dan Dannenmueller schooled me on spider rigging techniques that he uses for tournament slabbin'. Although the white crappies ran smaller at Shenango, Dan did manage a monster white crappie.

Spawning male black crappie has the tuxedo on!

I just want to thank Darl Black and his wife Marilyn for putting on such a dynamite event...great friends, great food and great fishing. Seldom does it all come together like that but it certainly did on this trip.
And, as always, I need to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for watching over us and ordaining this event to happen. Good things don't just happen...no...more often, we like to give ourselves the credit when it all comes together. Truth is, God is always in the mix. As it states in Psalm 139:16...

'ALL THE DAYS ORDAINED FOR ME WERE WRITTEN IN YOUR BOOK BEFORE ONE OF THEM CAME TO BE.'

Thanks, Lord Jesus, as always, you have the perfect plan. Amen!