New format: a phone recording
Jeff is proud of mastering some new technology ("hard for an old dog to do"). Back when his boys were born there were no cell phones. When it was time to go to the hospital, his wife Patricia went out front and rang a bell. This week is his first phone-recorded report, with his good friend John Lewis from the Shangri-La area. John is the friend who introduced Jeff to Toby Keith. Without John, Jeff might never have met Toby.
Crappie
Post-spawn Crappie are probably in 15 to 20 feet of water. Drop a jig, or swim a Lucky Bug swimming minnow (or any bait) over the top of a brush pile and you should find active post-spawn fish. Jeff saw Haydn getting minnows. Haydn's been using minnows on trips, which is always a good choice.
Remembering the first Toby trip
The first time John and Jeff took Toby Keith fishing was this time of year in 2020. John called and asked, "Jeff, you want to take Toby Keith fishing?" ("Well, hell yeah. Who wouldn't?") Toby had never seen LiveScope. Watching the Crappie in those brush piles as they picked them off, he absolutely flipped out and loved it. They have pictures from that trip, and Jeff calls them precious memories. That trip started a great relationship. Toby got interested in the tackle business, asked a lot about Jeff's history in it, and loved Catfishing. He told stories about fishing the Red River in his jet boat near his Tishomingo-area property, where the Chisholm Trail crossed the Red River. Jeff hopes to go down there and fish later this year.
Lake conditions / debris
The lake level is going down. There's a lot of debris around the point at Shangri-La, but Bass boats were flying around, and it seems the debris is hanging up along the banks, so the lake may not be nearly as nasty as people thought.
Visit
If you're listening somewhere other than the shores of Grand Lake, this is a great time to be here. Jeff thanks John for helping with the first phone report.