rsimms, Chickamauga, Crappie, 3-27-2010, Tim Sullivan, Craig Beard

[FishNews]

Finally... I got to return to the fold. Good friends have been kind enough to handle some recent guide trips for me while I recover from shoulder surgery. But I am well enough to return to the water, on "light duty." Which means no casting and reeling for me.<br /><br />Not a problem on the pre-spawn crappie bite... long-line trolling in 10 to 18 feet of water is the ticket right now (or "Cheating" as Drumking calls it). Previous catfish clients, Tim Sullivan and Craig Beard, wanted to sample Chickamauga crappie and drove over from Lyles, Tenn. They knew they would be following orders from a "crippled captain."<br /><br />They followed orders well. We started shortly before 8 am and had a 45-fish limit of solid keepers just after 1 pm. I'm guessing we caught 100 throwbacks, give or take. We had LOTS of company on the water on a beautiful March day. Some of my other friends were out there as well. Everybody I know limited.<br /><br />Sadly I had to cancel today's trip. Wind Advisories, with gusts up to 30 mph, is just no fun on the water.