# Big Sam crappie!



## JustinCorbell (Apr 5, 2013)

Found em again. In 35' of water suspending between 15-20'....... not just at one place but multiple around the lake, there was a very noticeable pattern. Ready to get after em again this weekend!
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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

Very nice


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

MR some Beauties


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## Danny O (Apr 14, 2010)

Excellent!


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

you got em dialed in !!


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## JustinCorbell (Apr 5, 2013)

Thanks guys................im sure you have heard/seen/read this posted before BUT I wanted to say it myself.

I grew up crappie fishing with my dad and grandparents, my pawpaw was never a big bass fisherman and while my dad did do a bit of bass fishing it just never really intrigued me. My grandparents were meat fishers I guess you would say, they were all about crappie and catfish and over the years I have become the same. I have been crappie fishing as long as I can remember and have set out countless brushpiles and chased crappie all over lake sam rayburn, never really having a problem catching fish but some days (like most) were harder than others when trying to locate good numbers of fish. I recently purchased a new boat and decided it was time to get into the downscan/sidescan game........I have read PILES of info on various forums regarding the different makes and models. I ended up purchasing a helix 5 si shortly after buying my boat and had a good understanding of how it worked before I ever put the boat in the water with it installed. I will say this, the crappie better watch their backs because they are not safe anymore! I have used the helix 2 weekends in a row and have already purchased a 899ci si as an upgrade, with these tools at my disposal it is ridiculous how easy it is to find and catch crappie now........Im will continue putting out piles to fish BUT I know now without a doubt that I can cruise into a new area and find fish without having to rely solely on my brush piles. 2 weeks ago myself, my other 1/2 and our little one put the boat in the water and eased into a cove in veach basin (rayburn) and almost immediately i spotted crappie on my graph and told my other 1/2 "that tree is loaded" she looked at me funny and said "how do you know" well we pulled up to it and 2 hours later left with 20+ crappie............it is literally that easy if you do a bit of reading and know what you are looking at/for when on the water. Last weekend myself and 3 buddies went back to the same hole and caught 24 the first afternoon, the second day we went back and caught more but they slowed down so we made a run to the 147 bridge (which was LOADED with boats) we pulled in and I switched to downscan and began zig zaggin between pilings........ 6 pilings later I said "there they are, suspended on the cross beam" .......... 5 minutes later we tied up to that beam and I personally boated 6 crappie on back to back casts over 13".......... Guys, if ya'll want to take the uncertainty out of finding and catching fish these depthfinders are absolutely the way to go! my new unit comes in tomorrow and I can't wait to hit the water again this weekend to get after em again!


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## tngbmt (May 30, 2004)

any better/other method too cook them .. filet/ fried is getting old


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## Crusader (Jan 31, 2014)

tngbmt said:


> any better/other method too cook them .. filet/ fried is getting old


I recently reanimated old method -- put them in salt for 48h, then hang them to dry (this is somewhat a challenge in our humid climate). Awesome with beer, but most refuse to try for some reason.


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## sotexhookset (Jun 4, 2011)

Whoa. Freakin killed them. Nice catch and some great slabs in there.


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## JustinCorbell (Apr 5, 2013)

can't help ya as far as cookin em goes, we use doug nelsons fish fry and they turn out awesome every time. Can't wait for 4:30, I took a day of vacation and we are headed back up tonight, gonna install the new depthfinder and be back on the water at daylight tomorrow to try and do it all over again!


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## dan_wrider (Jun 21, 2011)

Great catch! Thanks for the tips on the fishfinders. 
I'm kind of cheap and having a hard time pulling the trigger on one.


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## JustinCorbell (Apr 5, 2013)

dan_wrider said:


> Great catch! Thanks for the tips on the fishfinders.
> I'm kind of cheap and having a hard time pulling the trigger on one.


I hear ya but trust me on this one, they are worth EVERY PENNY!


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## JustinCorbell (Apr 5, 2013)

Update from this past weekend. We managed to find em again. Couple fish pics and sunset and my trusty shiner eating, fish baying jack russell "yeti"


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## JustinCorbell (Apr 5, 2013)

........Well then, my phone decided to go haywire........ not exactly what I thought I had posted.......or oriented correctly lol but I guess you get the picture!


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