Bream are getting hungry

A week of warm and sunny weather has been good for the fishermen and motivated the fish to become more active. The crappie fishing has picked up and the bream are starting to get interesting. Bream, brim. blue gill, shell cracker, or whatever favorite name are probably the most popular fish. Most fishermen start as little kids with a cane pole, line with a bobber and hook, and a can of worms . Usually our love for bream fishing evolves into using fly rods, jig rods, and other ultra light fishing equipment. Crickets, wax worms, night crawlers, and earth worms are the most popular live bait. Popping bugs, jigs, and flies are the standard for artificial lures. The highlight of a bream fisherman’s trip is to discover a spawning bed of big blue gills when each cast produces a bite. It is not unusual to catch 25 or more big bull bream at a bed.

While visiting Midway Lake Saturday, several boats came in with good numbers of blue gills and shell crackers in the ice boxes. They were using both worms and crickets with equal results fishing on the edge of the buck brush and cypress trees. Ricky the camp manager, said this was the first of good bream catches. Crappie have slowed down a little and the bass are good to the experienced bass fisherman.

When going to Midway put in at Ed’s Camp. The ramp is good and the bait stores has all the live baits plus drinks, tackle, and get an old fashion loney sandwich. Midway has the biggest bream in the area and the catch is on!

Horseshoe bass and crappie have been steady when the wind has allowed fishermen to fish where they want to. The fish are around the cypress trees and under a few piers. Limits are becoming more common. Quite a few folks put on waders and wade in trees and are catching crappie where boats can not go. Catfish are very good on yo-yos and limb lines using a variety of bait.

Tilden Rodgers and Marion Rec have quite a few fishermen catching catfish and bream. The fish from the latest stocking have just about all been caught. Most people don’t realize there are some very large bass. Cody Raymond caught a 7.5 pound bass. After taking pictures, he released it back into the lake.

Bear Creek is fair to good for all fish, but still low due to construction on the spill way. The brim tend to be small to medium sized. The 10hp motor limit is in effect.

Fishing will be good for the next couple of months, so get the grass mowed and take the family to the lake. Take plenty of pictures and send them to Papa Duck. Lakeside Taxidermy appreciates doing your taxidermy work. We are fast, reasonably priced, and do a great

job.

Papa Duck Lakeside Taxidermy 901-482-3430 jhcriner@hotmail.com

Cody Raymond landed this 7 1/2-pound bass out at Tilden Rodgers Park. The fish was released back into the lake after the photo was taken.

Charles Nance of Crawfordsville snagged some nice bream at Midway.

Derek Criswell and Neville Lovell were catching crappie at Horseshoe Lake on Saturday.

Photos by John Criner

Tony Marshall and Kenny Bohanon with a box of bream caught at Midway

Bill schism shows of a big catfish he caught fishing the pier at Lake Midway over the weekend.

John Criner

Outdoors Columnist