2017 Silver Lake Winter Crappie Season

plugs · 10-29-2017, 06:42 PM

My fishing partner in crime and myself kicked off our winter crappie season. We had a great day. Kinda got off to a late start @ the crack off 9:30 and done by 11 AM. with both of us catching our crappie limits (10 ea.) After that we kept fishing for perch and bluegill and kept around 200 perch and a dozen or so bluegill for the day. There were maybe 25 bank fishermen and maybe 15 other boats through out the day. We fished back in the Streeters canal. 1/64 oz. chartreuse tube jigs 15 inches below our bobbers. The key to hammering the crappie was keep it moving. We were reeling the handle 2 times, stoping for no more than 3 seconds and reel again and that was what was working best for us.

https://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/3986/tsdhgthbjyt.JPG

plugs · 11-04-2017, 02:08 AM

Sunday's weather forcast is 29 degrees and snow falling & I don't care. At silver Lake if the crappie are in the canals you gotta get em while the gettins good LOL

PDX Tightlines · 11-04-2017, 04:11 PM

I plan on pulling my boat up from Portland tomorrow & need to get a WA license. Is there a business at the lake that sells them... and would have the good colors of the trout magnets?

PDXTL

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Got the license online, pretty easy. Still interested if there's local tackle supply. Thanks!

duckslayer · 11-04-2017, 07:31 PM

Fished today with 2 adults and 3 kids. It was not nearly as good as last weekend. We only caught about 100 combined, kept 22 fish total. The kids had fun though. White was the best color today and we went through them all.

duckslayer · 11-04-2017, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PDX Tightlines

I plan on pulling my boat up from Portland tomorrow & need to get a WA license. Is there a business at the lake that sells them... and would have the good colors of the trout magnets?

PDXTL

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Got the license online, pretty easy. Still interested if there's local tackle supply. Thanks!

The Chevron station up Spirit Lake Hwy about a mile and a half sells licenses. Wal-Mart is your best bet for trout magnets, although today white beetle grubs were the better bait.

plugs · 11-05-2017, 03:18 PM

Made it out yesterday and I pulled a limit in about 1 hour. With the forecast for Sunday being rain, snow and wind I didn't want to fight the wind so ran up and fished off the bank where the hyw. meets the lake. Never even got a nibble in 2 hours. By then my face, hands and feet were froze and headed for home.

PDX Tightlines · 11-06-2017, 01:24 PM

Towed the boat up Sunday, realized at the ramp I left the keys in Portland

(they now live in my tow rig). Decided to try to make lemonade, went to Silver Cove & paid the $16.11 with tax to fish the property. Found a spot away from everyone else & did OK. Steady action, white was the best TM color. Got about one keeper for 7 Crappie landed. Had about 12 keepers, didn't measure them all. No bucket, & decided not to take any home. Probably 20 perch, a few to 7"+ & a handful of Bluegill. I'm planing for next Saturday, depending on the weather.

PDXTL

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10-7 · 11-06-2017, 05:23 PM

A buddy took me there a few weeks back since I hadnt been. Really fun fishery Im going to take wife and kids next year.

PDX Tightlines · 11-06-2017, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10-7

A buddy took me there a few weeks back since I hadnt been. Really fun fishery Im going to take wife and kids next year.

It's not over by a long shot this Fall/ Winter. You probably know the Silver Cove fee is for a car load. Forecast for Saturday is 51 with a 38% chance of rain. I used a two jig rig about 18" apart with the bobber about the same above. Small moves & wait for bite, or very slow constant retrieve worked for me. Good luck if you go back this season!

PDXTL

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RiverJohn · 11-07-2017, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plugs

My fishing partner in crime and myself kicked off our winter crappie season. We had a great day. Kinda got off to a late start @ the crack off 9:30 and done by 11 AM. with both of us catching our crappie limits (10 ea.) After that we kept fishing for perch and bluegill and kept around 200 perch and a dozen or so bluegill for the day. There were maybe 25 bank fishermen and maybe 15 other boats through out the day. We fished back in the Streeters canal. 1/64 oz. chartreuse tube jigs 15 inches below our bobbers. The key to hammering the crappie was keep it moving. We were reeling the handle 2 times, stoping for no more than 3 seconds and reel again and that was what was working best for us.

Good stuff!!

We need more people fishing for these to get the size up!!
Just like kokanee lakes...too many fish is bad for size.

hm1ing · 11-11-2017, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverJohn

Good stuff!!

We need more people fishing for these to get the size up!!
Just like kokanee lakes...too many fish is bad for size.

I've been up there 6 times in the last month, and the average size for our limits have been 10.5 inches. About 1/3 of my fish have been 11-12 inches, using Crappie Magnets to weed out the smaller ones.

perfect drift 1 · 11-14-2017, 01:15 PM

Is it to late to head up and catch crappie in the canals?

deptrai · 11-17-2017, 12:26 PM

And where to put in a kayak?

ExBassGuide · 11-17-2017, 03:41 PM

should still be good!
Put in by the road just past "Silver shores resort" (East end of the lake).
Roger Ex Silver Lake Bass Guide

hm1ing · 11-19-2017, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kayak paddler

Is it to late to head up and catch crappie in the canals?

I will continue to fish for them until March-ish.

Natester · 11-19-2017, 11:05 PM

I was up there on Saturday the fishing was slower but the Fish were bigger. I took 8 home but caught and released a bunch over 9". The fish I kept were over 10". I didn't catch as many perch this time but I was focusing on the Crappie. If you are catching mostly perch you are fishing too deep. The Crappie nibbles seemed to help the catch rate.