Stick Marsh Farm 13 Catching Report

[Hugh Crumpler]

From: "Hugh Crumpler"
To: "Hugh Crumpler"
Subject: Stick Marsh & Farm 13 Catching Report
Date: Sunday, January 12, 2003 10:51 PM

Catching bass and crappie continues to be EXCELLENT. Crappie fishermen are loading up the boat. Bass fishermen fishermen are loading the boat up with Pickerel and Bass. Bass are biting wild shiners, spinnerbaits, hard & soft jerkbaits, and about any artificial you can fish slow.

I've had a couple real good trips this week. One was Sunday with Ray Rumpf and son. We used 8 dozen shiners. Caught a big wad of bass. We are not sure how many. We do know the largest was 24 1/4 inches long. We called it 9 3/4 lbs. Ray Sr. caught it.

I've spoken with Jim Porter and he claimed to have done well on shiners. We were fishing within sight of Jim when we caught a 9 1/2 pounder (24 inches long) and an 8 (23 1/2 inches long). One on a Thunderstick and one on a Getz Itz. Also, fishing in sight was Jeff Duval who also claimed to have loaded the boat on wild shiners.

In another area I have been fishing Randy Sanders was within sight and doing well. Some fish I've been the only one fishing since last May found their location on the internet last week. That loaded the area up with "out of towners", "locals" and "guides". I like to give folks a pattern and an idea of how to catch fish. I like to keep some secrets for my clients. Thank goodness I've got lots more places and lots more secrets.

From: "Hugh Crumpler"
To: "Hugh Crumpler"
Subject: Stick Marsh & Farm 13 Catching Report
Date: Friday, January 10, 2003 8:01 AM

Yesterday I decided to go back in time. Back to experience a part of history. I decided to go to Stick Marsh and fish Stick Marsh like we did years ago. I did not get to use the old ramp. There is a concrete pier in the way and I did not get to use the side of old levy. Thank Goodness!!

I did not get to park in a mud parking lot that held five vehicles. I did not get to park down the road. I was forced to use the paved parking lot. Thank Goodness!!!

I could not got down the canal and out into Stick Marsh. I had to go the new way- no big deal. So I headded out to twin palms-just like the old days. Whoops a palm tree was gone. Holly Cow! All the trees I used to fish around were broke off. Oh well, I just motored out there in memory and began a drift with the wind.

Picked up the old Hugh Crumpler Spinnerbait and began throwing down wind and slow rolling. Yep, it still works. The bass are still in the trees. Did this some more and it kept working. Amazingly no one else was doing this. Had the whole middle of Stick Marsh to myself. I did not load up the boat but the bass I caught out in the middle were more aggressive, fatter and longer.

Then I went to the west shore where there used to be grass mats. None there now! Bass there now! Right up against the west shore of Stick Marsh along the bank are some hydrilla beds growing in shallow water. They don't look like much but bass came out of them eating Hugh Crumpler Spinnerbaits. Most of these hydrilla beds are at the Northern quarter of the West shore.

Tried some other old places- but they didn't work. Probably, just did not put in enough time to do a good job on the other places.

Went down to Farm 13. Originally, a bass could not get into Farm 13. Thinking back historically, my bass boat was the first bass boat into Farm 13. I ran through the opening while they were digging it. As the shovel scooped up dirt it would turn and dump the dirt on the bank. By using hand signals with the machinery operator I was able to run through while he turned to dump dirt. Was so excited to get into the Farm that we did not catch a bass.

Went to the Southern end of the Farm (yesterday) and fished some grass beds that not many folks had been fishing. They will eat Hugh Crumpler Spinnerbaits but, you will get more bites and more aggressive bites with a hard jerkbait. A Thunderstick by Storm or a Long A by Bomber would be my choices.

Some bass have spawned. Some bass are spawning and lots of bass are getting ready. I saw beds in Farm 13 yesterday. I saw five pods of fry in Stick Marsh. The water temperature is warmer on the west side of both lakes than on the East side of both lakes. There is a three degree temperature difference between the west side of each lake and East side of both lakes.

Went back to the ramp. I did not have to have anyone hook up to my truck and pull me out. I did not have to get into my boat while someone drove my tow vehicle and I floored the boat to give the tow vehicle a helping hand up the side of the levy. Thank Goodness!!

Bass are larger and smarter than they used to be. To catch bass in Stick Marsh was easier when you could see the targets. Now you must fish the trees you do not see. Lots of folks have trouble doing that. In those unmolested trees is probably where the largest bass are. But, same old-same old, when they bite you gotta get um out.

God Bless You,
Hugh Crumpler III