Spanish Lake Park offers good crappie fishing

Spanish Lake Park offers good crappie opportunity for St. Louis area anglers wanting to stay close to home. The park features two lakes, Spanish Lake is 34 acres and Sunfish Pond is 31 acres. Both have concrete boat ramps and fishing docks for disabled anglers and hold good population of crappie. The two lakes have depths of approximately 15 feet; they have plenty of submerged cover and shoreline irregularities. The water is generally clear to stained.

Recently I caught up with Tony Pearson, he is a crappie angler who spends approximately 50 days per year on Spanish Lake, and he had some advice to share with anglers looking for suburban crappie opportunities. Tony said, “Crappie fishing on this small lake is not much different than crappie fishing on big lakes.”

Upon on further questions about the techniques Tony uses he explained his approach to fishing Spanish Lake. He uses a 16-foot boat rigged with a small outboard on the transom and trolling motor on the front. Tony said, “I use two main techniques when setting up my rods. I either present lures into cover or drift areas where crappie are likely to be found.”

When dropping lures into heavy cover he recommends using a long rod and jigs just heavy enough to get them deep into the cover being targeted. Tony says, “A 1/32 ounce jig head with an 1 ½ inch curl tail or tube jig is my most productive lure. I seldom use anything heavier than 1/32 ounce because crappie feed on bait above them due to the placement of their eyes; they have better sight when looking up.” He also added when the fishing is slow, “I will tip my jigs with a wax worm.”

Color selection varies each trip and he changes colors regularly until he finds a color the crappies prefer. Generally, he uses natural colors but in stained water he opts for darker colors.

Tony’s advice for an angler not familiar with Spanish Lake is to target points where cover is present. There are many trees lying on the bank of the lake as well as some submerged brush piles. He said. “During the coldest and hottest months I target the deeper submerged cover but during the spring and fall the shallow cover is the most productive. My lure choice remains basically the same throughout the year.”

Spanish Lake Park rules restrict the use of gasoline engines. However, as long as they are not started, it is acceptable to use boat with them attached. The lakes are small enough that an electric motor is plenty of power when fishing these lakes.

Fishing Lessons

Over the years I have been blessed with many fishing partners. Some have become regular partners while others were just a one-time event. All of them have shared knowledge while on the water and I have learned something from every one of them. A few have become a fishing hero of mine..

Many years ago a gentleman took it upon himself to become my mentor and take me fishing at every opportunity we had available. He made time during my spring and summer vacations to teach me everything he knew about fishing for many species but he concentrated on my desire to catch bass. It was this wonderful man, my Uncle Larry, who built the foundation for my love of fishing.

Prior to him making it his job to educate me on tactics and techniques my limited experience of bass fishing had been approached using simple means. Live bait was the best way I knew of for catching bass even though I knew there were many reasons anglers spent hard earned money to buy artificial lures. My knowledge was lacking on how to use anything but live bait and my confidence in using artificial lures was extremely low. I had caught very few bass with lures and looking back it was due to lack of knowledge and confidence in them.

At approximately the age of ten years is when my fishing lessons began. My Uncle Larry took me on many outings and continued to keep the fishing simple using techniques I was comfortable with. While doing so he slowly added information on using many other techniques and was so subtle in doing so I did not realize he was conducting a class.

My most memorable lessons were given on a lake in Georgia that was surrounded with a golf course. If my memory is correct the lake was about 200 acres. The lake had a channel running through it at a depth of about 20 feet. The channel was very pronounced for such a small body of water and had shallower water on both sides creating a drop of about 10 feet into the channel. It was the middle of March in Georgia and the bass were ready to move into the spawning areas. The bass were in the pre-spawn stages and starting to feed heavily. The bass’ first stop on the way to the spawning areas were the edges of this channel and Uncle Larry was ready to teach me how to exploit them.

For over a year I had been carrying two bags of Culprit plastic worms in my tackle box. Both bags were still full but Uncle Larry convinced me to open them. He taught me how to use a Texas rig worm that day and the technique was very productive. We caught many bass that day and kept some for our meal that night. The lesson on that private Georgia lake started something that has still not ended.

My confidence in using plastic worms caused my curiosity to lead me to using many different types of lures. The confidence my uncle helped create kept me using them while in the past I would make a few casts with each and set them aside for more simple techniques. Slowly I began getting better and more confident with every lure type

It was not long before I was not satisfied with walking around a pond or fishing from a rented johnboat. My first boat purchase was a 14-foot johnboat with a 7.5 horsepower motor and I rigged up a mount on the front for a trolling motor. This first watercraft was not a high performance machine but it did widen my opportunities for fishing.

Not long after my first boat purchase I joined a bass club and began competing in tournaments with the other club members. Because my boat was slower and not suitable for tournament fishing I competed as a non-boater. This is where I also learned a lot about bass fishing. Everyone in the club shared information and techniques and I soaked up all the information they were willing to share. This lead to my second and third boat purchases so I would be equipped to compete as a boater in the club and many open tournaments.

Many years and tournaments later I was blessed with the first of two little boys and once again I began learning more about fishing. While I did enjoy the competitive fishing these two little anglers took me back to a time of walking the shores of farm ponds. My years of getting fishing lessons from others made me a better teacher for these two little anglers. While teaching my sons to fish I immediately started them fishing with beetle spin lures small enough for eager bluegill to take. They did not have the patience to watch a bobber float on the pond surface and wait for the fish to come to them so I took advantage of this weakness. Also, this rig made it easier on me by not having to bait hooks. Not only were the bluegill eager to eat these tiny lures some bass up to 14 inches also attacked them. A 14-inch bass on a kid’s small rod gets quite exciting for all involved.

Now my fishing lessons have started all over again from learning the basics to the latest techniques and back to teaching the basics again. I learned two very important lessons from these three anglers. Great relationships develop between anglers regardless of age when they share fishing time together. Also, fishing is just as much fun whether covering a lot of water in high powered boats or walking around a pond with young anglers eager to learn more on each outing.

Simpson County Park bass fishing in St. Louis County

On a recent fishing trip to a local St. Louis County Park lake it was clear that fall fishing has arrived. The bait-fish we cursing the surface and the bass were feeding heavily on them. Top water lures and spinnerbaits were very productive for the schooling bass and a brush jig was effective for the bigger bass holding in the shoreline cover waiting to ambush prey.

During just two hours on the water my partner and I boated approximately two-dozen bass on top water and spinnerbaits and had three nice bass fall victim to a brush jig. The jig bite was slow and our presentation had to be exact.

Floating cover near the spillway of the lake is where the bigger bass were found. The water falling over the spillway produce a slight current and it seemed to concentrate the bait-fish and bass. The smaller bass were following the bait-fish throughout the lake and were eager to smash a Rebel Pop-R. A spinnerbait moving about two feet deep also took several of the smaller bass.

The lake is located Simpson Park in southwest St. Louis County. It is a 72-acre lake with a boat ramp. Gasoline motors are not allowed but bass boats can be used with a trolling motor. The ramp is shallow and launching bigger boats can be difficult and have to be winched back onto the trailer when loading.

This was my first outing on this lake and I have heard complaints from anglers fishing it from shore. However, much of the lake is not easily accessible from the shore. The most productive areas found this day were also not available to shore anglers. St. Louis anglers with a few hours and access to a boat should consider this lake.

Catch bass in overlooked waters

The Midwest is the home to numerous small creeks that most anglers overlook. Many of these creeks have springs feeding them water during the often dry summer. The water remains cool and Smallmouth Bass thrive.  The best feature of these small creeks is most anglers do not give a second thought about fishing them.

Many anglers drive across these creeks everyday during their daily travels but fail to realize their fish producing potential. In Missouri there are countless waterways that intersect state highways and county roads. Some run through private land while others have several public access areas. The public access areas often times become popular swimming holes.

Just up or down stream from these swimming holes the water becomes home to many species including Smallmouth bass. Smallmouth bass often grow to trophy size in these tiny streams and become quite aggressive when chasing prey. This aggressive nature makes them extremely fun to catch, especially on light tackle.

To take advantage of these opportunities finds you a good map of your area and mark highways where they are intersected by creeks. Use a satellite map service and locate these areas for a better view of the waters above and below the roadway. If you find a steady supply of water in the basin chances are good the creek will be the home to Smallmouth bass and/or Largemouth bass. These areas should be explored to determine the fishing potential they offer.

Very basic tackle is required for creeks and small rivers. Often times a pocket full of lures and one medium action outfit is all that is required for a fun and productive day on the water. Wading these waters is the easiest way to learn the waterway and its fishing potential. The best time to wade creeks is during the hottest months of summer. The cool water is necessary for the Smallmouth bass and keeps the angler cool as well.

The most productive lures are soft plastic crawdads and worms. Stand up and shaky head jigs are ideal to rig these lure for a natural presentation. Small spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are also productive for creek bass. Pumpkinseed and green pumpkin are good color choices for soft plastics in clear creeks. For spinnerbaits and buzzbaits white, chartreuse and chartreuse/white skirts have been my most productive for many years.

Get out and explore the waterways while staying cool fishing during the hot summer season. While there are many public accesses to creeks most do, at some point, cross private land. Always seek permission before entering private land.

Midwest Custom Tackle Change-Up Jig

Now available is the Midwest Custom Tackle Change-Up Jig.

 The Change-Up Jig features a full silicone skirt, Mustad 5/0 Hook, powder coat finish and a screw lock keeper.

The Change-Up Jig allows anglers to have a Texas Rigged plastic trailer.

Trim the top of the skirt to create a finesse skirt.


Remove the skirt to create a screw lock shaky head.

The Midwest Custom Tackle Change-Up Jig is available exclusively at Midwest Fishing Tackle

Evolution Gorilla Pliers

Recently I had the opportunity to try the Evolution Gorilla Pliers and was very impressed with this fishing tool. The features include a tungsten coated (replaceable) cutter designed to cut leaders, line and light wire. The cutters cut braid, mono and fluorocarbon line easily and quickly without leaving frayed end on the braid.

These 6.5 inch pliers have a split ring nose, a crimp and hook holder. I didn’t use the crimp but found the split ring nose and hook holder work great for changing hooks on lures and the hook holder grips most common sized hooks very tightly.

Most pliers I have used in the past were too heavy to carry on a pair of shorts using a sheath. However, these aircraft grade aluminum pliers fit nicely and securely into the included nylon sheath. The light-weight of these pliers created no issues with pulling on my shorts and I often forgot they were on my waist band. The included lanyard was a perfect length for use and also made of light-weight material. I never once was left looking for them on the floor of the boat when I needed them. The sheath features a Velcro strap for securing the Gorilla Pliers into place and it is easy to release when the pliers are needed.

Gorilla Pliers are now available online at www.MidwestTackleShop.com and at www.Gambler-Bang.com.

Gambler Big EZ

The Gambler Big EZ combines the features of a soft plastic swimbait with a soft plastic jerkbait. The lure features hook slots on both top and bottom, a swimbait paddle tail. Also, the segmented design of the body allows for plenty of side to side swimming action. This lure can be swam like a swimbait or twitched like a soft plastic jerkbait.
The Gambler Big EZ is made with soft, yet durable plastic. It is cabable of holding up to several strikes but soft enough to feel natural and create plenty of action in the water.
I used it with weightless, weighted and jig heads. All three riggings worked great. The hook slots on the body kept the hook weedless but allowed for easy hooking of striking fish.
The Big EZ comes in 11 attractive colors for any conditions. It is available online at www.MidwestTackleShop.com and www.Gambler-Bang.com

The Fishing Trip

The fishing trip has been planned for several weeks and the anticipation is growing harder to handle for the young angler. Several weeks may not seem like a long time to a seasoned angler but to a four-year-old several weeks is an eternity. Every morning the questions start about when the weather and water will warm enough to encourage the fish to become eager to entertain a young boy. A two-hour fishing trip to a farm pond can be an insignificant event to an older angler but for the youngster it is similar to an exotic trip to a far away land.

This particular destination is only a 25-mile drive from home for the young angler but the small pond is filled with pan fish and bass that create nonstop action. The fish are eager to eat anything from live bait to almost any artificial offering. The bass are always willing to explode on small topwater offerings and provide acrobatic displays once hooked. The visual excitement of watching a topwater offering and the bass’ willingness to display themselves in such fashion create an exciting outing for any youngster.

This excitement will not hold the attention of a four year old for long. However, the outing is nowhere close to over once the angler’s interest starts to fade. The area is full of open fields and forestland along with two ponds. Walks through the fields and forest are an adventure in themselves. Short walks through the woods provide the sounds of last fall’s leaves crunching beneath little shoes and one sweeping motion of a tiny foot opens up an opportunity to explore the many insects that call the forest home.

The blooming plants provide many colors to explore and an opportunity to pick some wild flowers to present to Mom upon returning home. Some can be identified when discovered while some samples are taken home for further examination and identification. The wild Violets, Dogwood and Red Bud Trees provide wonderful colors in a wooded area still quite thin in vegetation. Stopping to smell them excites the nose and indicates that Mother Nature is coming back to life.

Finding a fallen tree branch provides the youngster a toy as well as a walking stick while on the forest adventure. The toy reminds me of times when toys were simple and did not create entertainment without some imagination. Rocks, another readily available toy, are an excellent choice for the child to ward off the creatures lurking just over the next hill. Any natural noise heard while on the adventure becomes a potential enemy to be dealt with and the sticks and rocks make great tools for this job at hand.

Leaving the shaded cover of the trees create a transition of interesting animals including horses, cattle and one lonely mule. The livestock are huge animals in the eyes of the youngster who just minutes ago were the world’s best angler at the nearby pond. The first question will be “can we ride them?” The next is “can we pet them? Finding that the huge horses are quite gentle and friendly, and like the attention eases some of the uncertainty during the first moments of their discovery. Once the petting has been done we now have several new friends willing to follow us through the field during the next step in this adventure.

With still some uncertainty about the large animals that have just befriended us, the youngster regularly looks over his shoulder keeping a close watch on the horses. Proud of his newly established friendship and not wanting them to lose interest in following us, he is still wondering about their motive for wanting to follow so closely. He does not yet understand that these animals are just a curious about him as he is of them.

We near the pond again where our fishing gear is leaning against a tree waiting for our return. One more attempt to make the water’s surface erupt with excitement is a success. Another eager bass explodes on the topwater presentation offered by the young boy and he again is the world’s greatest angler. His attention is beginning to fade once again and it is time to gather our belongings and embark on a journey home so he can share the fresh picked flowers and the story of him once again confirming his ability as a great angler.

While this short adventure into the outdoors may seem insignificant for some it is one not forgotten by the boy. It is part of the building process that will create a life-long love of the great outdoors. All of the boy’s senses have been subjected to some sort of stimuli and he has had the opportunity to use his imagination. These sorts of situations do not often occur while inside a building, and if they do, certainly not to this degree.

Customize Jerkbaits

New article on how to customize jerkbaits by Table Rock Lake Guide, Chris Tetrick now available on Bass Fishing Midwest