By Chris Erwin
The last week of June can be a hot, hard time when it comes to catching fish. Docks all across the state are filled with anglers wiping the sweat from their forehead while they swap stories of just hard it is to put fish in the boat.
It’s a time when nighttime fishing becomes a lot more desirable. However, if you like to catch a mess of crappie, you don’t have to do it at night. Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting and fishing with David Jones a professional crappie guide on Green River Lake. He guides out of Homes Bend Resort near Columbia, Ky.
This 8500-acre lake has just about any kind of fishing you could want: Bass, muskie, walleye, bluegill and crappie are abundant there. While I have always thought of it as “the other muskie lake,” I got an education from one of the pros that fish this lake every day.
The Kentucky Outdoor Press Association visited the area last week, while there we were treated to a fish dinner. Jones and Chris Hines, a local businessman who specializes in auto and boat graphic wraps, caught all the fish. While attending the dinner, I made a date to go out with Jones where he assured me we were going to catch crappie.
I asked Jones what gear I needed to bring and he told me not to bring anything. He would furnish it all; all I needed to do was catch fish. We arranged for him to pick me up at the dock where we were staying at Homes Bend. We headed out about 5 a.m. By the time we hit the first spot on the lake, it was just getting daylight. The water was as flat as a sheet of glass and fog and mist ascended all around us. The air was surprisingly warm. I had dressed in my rain gear thinking the ride would be cool so the first thing I did was to get out of the rain gear.
Jones’ boat, a Triton, was set up for his specialized style of fishing. The two casting chairs were mounted side by side in the front of the boat and spider rigging rod holders adorned both sides of the boat. We fished three 12 foot B&M rods apiece. These rods are super sensitive. Two of the three rods were rigged with a small jig and a rubber body, tipped with a minnow. The last rod used the same type jig but was rigged with Berkley Nibbles. If you’re not sure what that is, they come in a small jar and look like little miniature marshmallows. They are about the size of an eraser on a pencil or even a little smaller. The ones we were using were chartreuse in color, and two went on at a time.
Jones moved us over his hole. He had a depthfinder about as large as any I’ve seen mounted at eye level sitting beside of him. I could see the brush-pile sitting in about 14 feet of water. He instructed me. We are only going to fish about 12 feet; using a 12-foot rod that put the bait right in your hand when you lifted your rod.
By the time I had my second rod baited, Jones was landing fish. It was a white crappie about 10 inches bending the long rod like it was five pounds. As I baited my last line, my second pole was bending into the water. I hear Davy’s yell. You got one on your second rod! I stuck the last pole in the rod holder and lifted up on the second rod. On this light rod, I could feel the thumping fish all the way into my elbow. It took me a few fish to get the lift and catching fish with my hands under control. I think I had a few fish all over Jones head before I got control of my line. I suppose I should have let Jones land a fish with his long-handled net. The action was fast thrilling and steady.
I found Jones to be a very good fishing buddy. I had a great experience in his boat. He has grown up in this area and has been fishing the lake most of his life. We had our limit by 10:30 a.m. and we headed back to Homes Bend where he cleaned our fish.
At $225.00 for two people, it’s a bargain to learn from a pro. I asked when the best time to visit was and he told me he catches fish 300 days a year. If it’s not frozen over he can put you on fish.
If you want to catch crappie, book a trip with Jones. You’ll need to call ahead about six or eight weeks to reserve a booking time. This guy totally impressed me with his ability to put fish in the boat. David Jones and be reached at (270) 634-2675.
Chris Erwin is the founder and publisher of Kentucky Angling News an on-line magazine available at www.kentuckyangling.com/magazine Chris can be reached by email chris@ashlandbeacon.com
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