[piano intro] You've caught a fish right there.
You got him.
Just wind it back real slow.
He's on it; you got it.
Two, one, bite.
Keep it comin' steady.
They'll hit it.
I don't see how you can't catch one right there.
Did he bite it?
He got it!
Got one right there.
- [male announcer]: The production of Carolina Outdoor Journal is made possible in part by: - [female announcer]: The North Carolina Wildlife Rescources Commission.
A fishing license goes a long way towards wildlife conservation in North Carolina.
Over 38,000 miles of managed streams and rivers, and 250,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs.
- [male announcer]: And by EZ Bait and Tackle, family owned and operated.
We fish from fresh to saltwater.
We provide fishing supplies and ad vice to every type of angler.
For all your fishing needs, EZ Bait and Tackle.
And by contributions from PBS NC viewers like you.
[light instrumental music] ♪ Thanks for joining us today on the Carolina Outdoor Journal .
Crappie, croppie, whichever you prefer, we're gonna fish for 'em in the summertime.
It's different than what we've done in the past.
Usually, it's springtime, and we've done some in fall and winter-- summertime-- little different, um.
Same type of fishing, uh, although we do actually change up the technique a little bit this-- this time, um.
Instead of jigging for 'em, we're casting over-- over structure.
That day, we had to deal with wind.
A lot of times, your favorite fishing hole, you may have to adapt, and we had to that day because of wind direction.
We couldn't fish on the spots that Joel Richardson, who's with us today, wanted to fish, but still had a fun day on the water.
Caught some fish.
Good information in "Geartime," I'm sure.
Right, we'll go back, and we're using real light tackle, 4-pound test, little 6-foot TFO, real ultralight rods, lots of fun with 'em.
And they'll talk to us about the jigs they use too.
(John) And our recipe today has to do with catfish.
This is a, uh-- new recipe from Donna using spinach and catfish, which we'll have to wait and see on that one.
(John) You've got that look.
[chuckling] Let's go fishin' on the Carolina Outdoor Journal .
(man) Neal, you know, today's gonna be a really good day for crappie fishing on Buggs Island.
This year, we've had a really good crappie spawn.
We've got a lot of fish in the lake.
They're runnin' a little larger than normal for hot weather.
You know, we're here in, about, the first half of July, and they're runnin' a little larger than normal, and the fish are hangin' real tight to structure like brush piles and pilings.
And these fish are runnin' around half a pound to a pound, and they're just really loaded up, and they're only in 10 feet of water, which is surprising because this time of year, normally, I'm catchin' 'em in 20, 25 feet of water.
I don't know why they're so shallow, but it has been a good bite.
I'm lookin' forward to this, Joel, 'cause this is the first time I've been in July fishin' for crappie.
Most people think about crappie fishin' in early spring or fall.
I'm lookin' forward to this.
By the way, are we gonna bet on the first fish for a dollar?
We're gonna do that.
And for the most fish, correct?
I'm gonna get that first fish.
I'm gonna get the biggest one.
OK, well, we'll be even on our dollar.
We're gonna have to fish for this big fish now.
Well, let's get up here on this brush and see if we can catch 'em.
They seem to be in 12 feet-- the brush is in about 12 to 15 feet of water, and the fish are suspended down in the tops, 6 to 8 feet down, so we're gonna do a slow count, like a five count, and then just wind back slow.
We'll get these fish.
Feels like a pretty good one here, Neal.
(Neal) Go od way to get th e day started.
That is a nice crappie.
(Joel) That's a good eatin'-size crappie.
(Neal) Excellent...good job.
(Joel) He bit that little cr appie jig, that blue and chartreuse.
Now, that's somethin' you can expect on Buggs Island.
There's just many of this size, which is just eating size, and there is some fish in here that'll go up to four pounds; they've been caught.
And you got that on the third or fourth cast.
When you got to the brush, that's the third or fourth cast you made.
That's right.
(Neal) Th at's a good sign, to o, isn't it?
That is.
That's the one I'm ready for.
Well...I guess it's left up to me to get the biggest one.
I got that dollar.
I'm gonna get the biggest one.
(Joel) You know, Neal, I believe the weatherman has missed the forecast a little bit today.
The wind is really blowin'.
It's makin' it kinda hard to fish here on this place.
I'm gonna move us to another area right over here that's gonna be a little more protected, kinda in the same depth and the same type of structure, and maybe gettin' out of that wind will really help.
(Neal) It'd be a good idea 'cause it's startin' to whitecap.
It's hard to hold on when you got that wind.
(Joel) Yeah, I've had a few bites, and I can't really feel, now, what's goin' on.
It's blowin' me around.
Joel, we went from that last spot to this one.
What's the difference between this location and the last location we just fished from?
Well, we've moved to a little more protected area, which we don't have but about half as much wind now.
It's not a lot different from the other spot.
We're still fishin' the underwater brush in about 12 or 13 feet of water.
It might be a little bit deeper there.
There's a lot more brush on this place, and I'm seeing a lot of baitfish on my electronics.
So that's really a big plus.
I mean, finding baitfish around, uh, your brush or where you're fishin' is always a plus 'cause you need to have shad or food around to catch these fish.
Oh, yeah!
It's a keeper size anyway.
About as big as he felt, but that's about the size I keep-- that size and up, not very big.
We'll let him grow up a little bit.
[fish splashing] I've got a bite every cast.
(Neal) Well, you know, there's gotta be a "paw paw" out there for me somewhere.
I'm gonna catch him.
(Joel) I'm gonna throw behind us and catch him.
[both laughing] (Neal) That's probably where paw paw's at, behind us.
(Joel) I sure done it.
That'll catch one right there.
Five, four.
(Neal) I tell ya, Joel, I'm countin' down and crankin' about medium speed.
(Joel) Two, one.
You're crankin' pretty slow?
Oop--I had a strike!
Got a fish.
Feels like a big 'un.
Whoo!
Sometimes they fight-- oh, it's a good one, Neal.
(Neal) Good deal.
(Joel) That's a nice crappie!
I guess that would be called a white crappie.
We have some black crappie in this lake, but I see more of these white ones.
And they catch 'em outta here up to four pounds.
I've seen a couple of four-pounders caught this spring.
(Neal) Yeah.
Well, that color-- is that a sign of good health?
The condition's good for the fish?
(Joel) Yeah, and you see a little belly on a fish-- if there's not a lot of food or they're not getting' a lot, just like any other animal, they're gonna get skinnier.
You see a belly on these.
You think, "Well, they're gonna spawn maybe."
But they're just full of shad.
(Neal) That's where they're feedin' real good and got a good food supply.
(Joel) Good food supply.
Whoo, I believe that's a better crappie there!
(Neal) Looks like a little better crappie.
(Joel) It is.
(Neal) He's fightin' a little bit better anyway.
That's a nice-- (Joel) There is a school of baitfish in there as big as this boat, right on the surface.
Did you see that big dark area there?
That's where I'm castin' to.
That's where he came from.
That is a great sign.
You've caught a fish right there.
You got him.
Just wind it back real slow.
He's on it; I know you got it.
(Neal) I'm waitin' on him.
(Joel) Two, one, bite.
Keep it comin' steady; they'll hit it.
I don't see how you can't catch one right there.
Did he bite it?
He got it!
Got one right there.
Is it a big one?
Nah.
(Joel) Nnn--keeper size!
(Neal) Keeper size.
(Joel) Keeper size.
(Neal) Joel, I just love the color of them fish.
I'm really impressed with the color, the health they are in, and good shape.
Got me one.
They all feel good on this little TFO rod.
[mellow acoustic guitar leads soft rock arrangement] ♪ (Joel) I believe I got one.
Oh yeah, that's a nice, good one.
(Neal) He's a better-size fish.
(Joel) Better-size crappie, there.
(Neal) Wow, that's-- that's a bit better.
Now, we have been catching a lot of fish in this size range, and that is a good crappie right there, Neal.
You know, it's not uncommon on--on this lake, if you find a good school of crappie, you could catch 75, 100, 150 of 'em outta one place!
And there's lots of fish this size in the lake this year.
(Neal) Yeah, first we had this angle with the wind and toward the buoy.
We went around that buoy; I got one.
You know, it's funny how the correct angle will get bites.
It's got somethin' to do with the wind and the baitfish, Neal.
Do you got a big one?
(Neal) It's not big, but he's fightin'.
(Joel) Wow!
He's pullin' your drag.
(Neal) Got that rod tip bent down good.
(Joel) Oh, that's a nice crappie!
Look at you.
(Neal) Oh yeah, man.
(Joel) You caught that on black and blue.
(Neal) Seems like that's the predominant color for these crappies.
(Joel) My jig's got blue in it.
Maybe blue's a good thing.
A good thing in hot weather for bass fishing's blue.
I thought I'd try it for crappie, and it's working.
I'm gonna tell you how hard he bit.
You see how hard this hook's coming?
He won't let it go.
Look at that.
That's unusual for a crappie, but he inhaled that jig.
That is a pretty one.
(Neal) You know, a chartreuse tail might add something too.
Well, we've caught bluegill, and every time we catch 'em, they're all chartreusey, so maybe we got the right combination here.
You think they're tryin'-- you got some hatchin' here that got chartreuse to it that the fish are feedin' on?
(Joel) Well, we've got kind of stained water.
You know how chartreuse always seems to be a good color in stained water.
Maybe that's helpin' us out-- more visibility.
I couldn't-- I couldn't, uh-- I didn't do as good on the other color.
Come in slow with him.
(Neal) Yeah, I got him right here.
I'm gonna lift that rod up on there.
(Joel) Oh yes, nice.
Nice fish, Neal!
(Neal) He's close to being a jumbo, right?
(Joel) Well, I tell you what.
It doesn't matter where you go, that's a good crappie anywhere you go right there.
I noticed we're catchin' a bit bigger quality of crappie now since it's, well, about midday.
A lot of times I see, that, you know, your smaller fish'll feed heavy early, and your bigger fish won't feed with 'em, and the sun gets brighter, fish goes tighter to the brush, and you catch the bigger ones.
I seen that a lot of times.
You think that's the biggest fish of the day?
It won't be in a minute.
[chuckling] I'm just thinkin' about that dollar.
Well, I'll give you that... for a minute.
For right now then, we're even, right?
You got the first; I got the biggest one.
OK, well, it ain't over till the last minute!
Ha, ha...ha!
How's your jig holdin' out?
It's holdin' on good.
That's what I like about rubber jigs.
You can catch a lotta fish on one a lot of times and just keep on castin'.
You make more casts, you catch more fish sometimes.
You know somethin' else that made it.
We switched these jigs.
We finally got that right color combination, and we get more bites, and, um, stronger bites too.
They're not just tappin' it once every while.
Yeah, they're hittin' harder.
They're really thumpin' it!
Did you hear that drag go when he bit?
Yeah, he pulled your drag out.
I heard some drag slippin'.
I don't believe he is.
Maybe what we've been catchin'-- about the same size.
Like you said, just changin' the direction we was throwin' and retrievin' the lure back-- Oh, that's a good one, Neal!
That's a good eatin'-size fish right there.
Perfect.
Good job.
Blue and chartreuse, that's the ticket.
Blue and chartreuse!
[fish splashing] He gonna go back and tell the rest of 'em!
Oh yeah, that's a good one right here!
(Neal) We're good from the side, anyway.
(Joel) He just give up after he come to the surface.
That's a good eatin'-size one there.
Ooh, boy!
(Neal) Good job.
(Joel) Believe I'll keep a couple to eat, Neal.
(Neal) That's the right size right there.
(Joel) That's the right size-- good little fillet.
[fish splashing] Is that al l in there?
Let's catch some more of them.
(Neal) I'll tell you what; I've got a good fish here.
It's pullin' drag on it.
(Joel) Yeah, he's pullin' drag!
I believe you got the big one for today!
Oh boy, I hope he gets off-- heh, heh, heh!
(Neal) No, he can't 'cause I gotta have the big fish.
(Joel) All right, you got the big fish so far!
(Neal) Joel, this is about the biggest we caught.
It's kinda pushin' that size.
(Joel) Yeah, I guess I'll let you have that dollar on the big fish 'cause if it isn't the biggest, you've caught one a little bigger.
That is a nice one though.
(Neal) I know we're in the summer months.
We're in the first week of July.
The water temperature is probably 80 degrees, and the air temperature is 89 to 90.
What's the difference in the fishin' conditions you'd expect this time of year than you would in the spring or fall?
(Joel) Well, normally, in the spring or colder-water months, like fall, you know, I catch a larger fish, uh, and they'll be in shallower water, like in the back end of the creeks, just out in the flats, Neal.
But this time o' year, you know, your baitfish have spawned.
Your crappie have spawned.
All the fish have pretty much spawned.
They come to these channels in a little bit deeper water.
It could be anywhere from 10 feet to 25 feet, and they gang up around all the shad schools.
(Neal) Right.
(Joel) And this year, it seem like the shad is staying a little bit shallower than they typically would be this time o' year.
So the fish are in about six to ten feet of water out here on brush piles and stumps and rock piles-- things like that around these channels.
(Neal) Right.
That wind gets us pretty good.
We got a pretty decent size.
(Joel) Yeah, that is a good size.
I wanna eat that size!
(Neal) Well, we're gonna get it just for you.
(Joel) Right, right there, good fish!
Man, the wind is getting up!
(Neal) Th at was a good catch.
(Joel) Did he bite it lightly or just--?
(Neal) He just mouthed it.
He didn't hi t it hard.
I had a lot of bow in my line be cause the wind was blowin'.
And that rod I'm using is sensitive enough where I could feel that bite even though I had bow in the line.
You felt the bite?
The hook set was gentle.
I just pulled back and got a good hook in the fish.
Look like you're gonna have some crappie for dinner tonight.
Joe, the wind was an issue that day.
Well, it was in the fact we couldn't reach some areas Joel wanted to fish.
He's got a number of places he guides up there, and so he's got areas all over the lake that he likes to frequent for crappie, and we just couldn't reach some of the better spots that he'd had earlier in the week, but we did manage to fish some of the good spots, and we caught some fish.
And again, that, uh, technique of casting over the structure and bringing it back slowly proved to be very effective that day.
They actually tried jiggin' a little bit, but I think casting and the slow retrieve that day just worked for us.
All right, let's go to "Geartime" and learn more.
[mellow acoustic guitar leads soft rock arrangement] ♪ I had a great time today.
The fishin' condition wasn't really what we'd expected.
We had wind that was not called for.
I don't believe seein' 'em forecast high wind like we had because it was whitecappin' out there.
But we caught crappie, and I appreciate you givin' me a good time.
I enjoyed it and had a great time.
Every time weather conditions is tough, we always catch fish, and that's due to your knowledge of the lake and what to do.
(Joel) Well, we fish hard and don't give up.
That's a big plus.
I learned that early, but yeah, there was a lot of wind for mid-July, a lot of wind.
It's not typical in fishin' offshore like we were fishin' today.
It makes it tough with these little light baits that we're using like a 1/16-ounce little jig head and a little 2-inch grub on there.
And--and you know, it really made a difference today.
We noticed--we don't always notice this 'cause usually, if they're bitin' good, they'll bite about anything, these crappie, but today, they wanted somethin' blue and chartreuse or, like you have, black and blue and chartreuse, and they really wanted a slow retrieve.
We had to keep that bait down, and that was the problem with the wind.
You know, I don't think the wind messes up the fishin'.
I actually believe it helps fishin' a lot, but when you've got this light line and these little jigs like this-- 15-, 20- mile-an-hour wind, it is just so hard to keep that bait down in the strike zone because that is very critical that you get that bait down to them fish and a slow, steady retrieve, you know.
A lot of casts we made, we had three to five feet of bow in the line, and by the time we realized we had a bite, maybe the fish had let go of it.
And that's what I found out about this color.
This black, blue, and chartreuse is what worked for me, and a lot of people get hung up on a jig when it's got dual colors like that.
What I found for me that works is whenever I hook the jig, I always keep the curl up.
A lotta people put the blue or the black on the bottom, but I always follow the curl with the hook.
Is that what you do?
Yeah, always, the tail-- that tail needs to be turned the same way the hook is, and it won't twist your line.
And that tail acts like a keel because the lowest part of it's down on the bottom.
And if your line is twisted up, you never catch as many fish.
You can't even feel a strike 'cause it's like a spring, so that is a very good tip for, uh, the viewers out there to-- to always rig that-- no matter if it's a big or a small grub, you wanna have that tail turned just like that hook, and, you know, your lure runs straighter.
Right.
It's a big plus.
I always do that too.
Well, you talk about that bow in the line.
When I was casting, I had that bow in my line.
This is the first time I used this rod and outfit.
This Temple Fork Outfitters rod was very sensitive.
For me, when I got that tap or that thump on my jig, even though I had that bow, I could feel it.
It gives me a chance to load up the fish and get the slack out.
You didn't have to have a hook set.
The bite was so sluggish, but I contribute a lotta my fish I caught today, you know, the lure but also the rod just for the sensitivity it has.
Yes, and I always believe, in crappie fishin'-- you know, I never use heavier than a 6-pound test.
We were using 4-pound test today, ultralight action 6-foot rods and a slow retrieve, light line.
I think light line is very critical.
And I'll tell you what I like today.
We were doin' vertical jiggin', and that's a technique I haven't done, and I learned that from you today, and I learned how good it could be.
Yeah, casting-- you see a lot of fishermen fishin' vertical, straight down over top of the fish, but you know, crappie in hot weather, I've always found that they really bite it if you're castin' and retrievin' 'cause they tend to suspend a little bit, and you're coverin' that suspended water column a lot better.
I sure enjoyed today.
I had a great time.
Thank you, Joel.
Joel, thanks for that.
Here's Joel's number if you want to call.
We hope you learned something during that "Geartime."
Speaking of learning, you might write this recipe down.
We'll join Donna now.
She's got a recipe for catfish and spinach.
♪ ♪ ♪ Hi, today in the kitchen, we're making a catfish-spinach gratin-- quick and easy.
So let's go and get started.
We're gonna make our cream sauce.
It's like a cheese sauce.
We have our butter melting in our pan.
We're gonna add in our flour and give this a stir until it is all combined.
Then we're gonna gradually add in our milk, or you can use a cream if you'd like.
[sizzling] And we're gonna let that simmer for just a few minutes until it begins to thicken.
So while this is thickening, let's go ahead and we'll prepare our baking dish.
We'll take our baking dish and take some fresh spinach and line our baking dish.
And you can also use frozen spinach if you like, if that's what you have or that's what your family likes.
Just make sure that you thaw and drain it really well.
Otherwise, it'll be a little too watery in here.
So we're just gonna fill this up, and it will cook down.
Then, we're gonna take our catfish fillets, and we're gonna place those in our pan.
We're gonna salt and pepper those real quickly.
And then, we're ready to pour our sauce over.
So we have our sauce.
We're gonna add our Gruyère cheese to it and some crème fraîche.
So this is gonna be a really creamy, really tasty sauce.
And this is what it looks like when it's finished.
So we're just going to give that a stir.
We're gonna pour that over the top of our fish, and we're gonna bake this at 350 for about 10 or 15 minutes until your fish is completely cooked through.
And then, if you'd like, you can also put it underneath the broiler for five minutes to brown it up on the top if you want.
You can add a little more cheese to that on the top if you like.
This is what it looks like done.
Served with lemon wedges, it's a great, quick and easy dinner for you and your family, but it's something a little tastier and a little bit different than your normal, just, baked fish.
So I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to seeing you next time here on "Simple Cooking."
I do enjoy catfish.
Thanks a bunch, Donna.
Let's go back and talk about fish.
Joe, little wind, but it turned out a good day.
Right, and the benefit of having a number of different locations proved that day to be, um, prudent to have that.
Of course, he guides on the lake, so he knows a lot of areas, so we were able to work around the wind issue.
And the crappie we caught today were decent, you know, uh, keeper-size crappie.
Here, in recent, uh-- recent years, uh, Kerr Lake has really been showin' some really nice crappie.
In fact, uh, Joel mentioned, he's seen some close to four pounds caught, and I've been hearin' good reports.
We didn't find any that day.
A couple places we could not reach because of the wind held the bigger fish he was hopin' to reach, but a good class of fish.
We had-- had lots of fun.
That lake's, like I said, full of crappie, and if you've never tried crappie fishin', they're great on the table.
Give Joel a call; he'll put you on 'em.
Having a guide will make the difference?
On a lake that size, absolutely.
For Joe Albea, I'm John Moore.
We do thank you so much for joining us today on the Carolina Outdoor Journal .
- [male announcer]: And make sure to visit our website for more information.
- [male announcer]: The production of Carolina Outdoor Journal is made possible in part by: - [female announcer]: The North Carolina Wildlife Rescources Commission.
A fishing license goes a long way towards wildlife conservation in North Carolina.
Over 38,000 miles of managed streams and rivers, and 250,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs.
- [male announcer]: And by EZ Bait and Tackle, family owned and operated.
We fish from fresh to saltwater.
We provide fishing supplies and ad vice to every type of angler.
For all your fishing needs, EZ Bait and Tackle.
And by contributions from PBS NC vi ewers like you.
[light instrumental music] ♪
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sa7SZ6arn1%2BrtqWxzmiqrqWdmr9ur9Gap6mhlWK5uIDDsGto