May edition of Outdoor Life magazine has a neat little tip for keeping tabs on the school once you find 'em. We all know how crappie never stay in one spot for too long.

When you catch one that isn't big enough to keep, tie a ten or fifteen foot piece of fish line or string to it's lip through the hole left by the hook. Tie the other end to a half-inflated balloon. put the little guy back in the water and let him return to the school.

Where the school goes, so will the balloon, making it easy to track the school.

When you get ready to call it a day, retrieve the balloon and remove the string from the fish's mouth and release it.

Heard of that, never done that because I assumed it was legal

Why would it be illegal ??

I believe RETNAVYENCM said it like he meant to say it: he hadn't tried it because he thought it was LEGAL. In other words, he would only be interested if it were ILLEGAL. (of course we know that he was just having fun with the twist on words, I am sure he is as legal as any honest fisherman can be!)
Good luck fishing guys!

Its just a poor mans fish finder. Why would it be Illegal? I have heard of this method before and talked to those who have done this and they say it works well. Puts them right on the fish. Makes sense to me but I have never tried it.

seems ethically unsound and totally unneccessary to me. I can catch all I want most trips and get skunked enough to keep it interesting, I wouldn't want it to get too easy.

I think it would be better to put the line and balloon through a keeper fishes mouth so that we can rule out the ethically sound part of it, because at the end of the day when you pull up the fish with the baloon it doesn't matter whether you injured it or not-Its gonna hit the frying pan anyway. I havent tried this with crappie, but in NH we have tons of white and yellow perch, allong with a long ice fishing season. In the early season when the ice is only 3-4" thick and transparent we will catch a perch and do the same thing only use a small bright colored bobber. when we release the fish you can see the bobber under the ice and follow it arround to stay with the school. Its tons of fun, actually!

I couldn't resist.If one has to tie a balloon on a line to watch it's behavior,then that person is a **** poor fisherman.There really is a difference between a "fisherman" and a "Sportsman".And as i read some of the stuff on here,it isn't hard tell the difference.PETA isn't so bad after all.

Seems unsporting, similar to hitting catfish in the head with a hammer when you catch them, huh BuggsMan? Pot calling the kettle black if you ask me!

Toby

HMMMMM....Let me make sure I got this straight...

Using one of gods living creatures "minnow" to catch a live larger living creature "crappie" = ok, ethical, sportsmanlike. Assuming most crappie fisherman use minnows from time to time?

Using one of gods living creatures "crappie" to locate other living creatures "crappie" = not ok, not ethical, unsportsmanlike????

What am I missing here?

Is using a fishing pole, fish finder, and boat sort of like cheating!

Thanks for the tip, I thought it sounded pretty neat. I crappie fish about once a year and am not very good at it, maybe this will help.

You never can resist. Why am I not surprised.

Unethical and unsportsmanlike like. I love it. You'd rather use sonar. Well, sonar units contain computer chips. Do you know how many deadly chemicals and gases are used in the manufacture of computer chips? To answer, many. Where does their pollution end up? To answer, in the water. Do you know how much electricity a computer chip plant uses? How about an electric bill of $500,000 a month. So, if they are getting their electricity from a coal burning generator, where does that pollution end up? In the water. Now, you get in your, pollution spouting, outboard powered boat and call yourself "better" than the guy who uses a balloon. I mean what's next, someone is looked down upon because they have a "uni-brow" and don't get laser hair removal? Whatever happened to Gentleman with common sense and respect for others? Great tip chappie! And for all you negative posters, thanks for the laughs

If the electric bill is $500.000 than what are they doing with outa date hardly used anymore coal fire boilers?There very dangerous,trust me I know.

It would be a coal burning electric plant. Not enough nukes to do the job.

mine wasnt negative, I just thought it was illegal to fish that way is all

RETNAVYENCM,
I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU WERE SAYING IN YOUR POST. LIKE ME, YOU GET EXCITED AND DIDN'T SPELL THE WORD CORRECTLY. STRIPER FISHING IS LIKE THAT FOR ME. IF I GET ONE ON, EVERYBODY WILL KNOW WHERE I AM. SOMETIMES DURING EXCITEMENT, I FORGET WHAT COVE OR BUOY I'M NEAR. KNOW WHAT I SAYING. I'VE OFTEN THOUGHT ABOUT DOING THE SAME THING WITH A STRIPER. NOT NECESSARLY TO CATCH MORE, BUT TO LEARN THEIR BEHAVIOR. SOMETIMES I HIT A BIG SCHOOL, GET FISH ON, SETTLE BACK DOWN, AND CAN'T FIND A FISH. DON'T KNOW IF THEY GO TO THE BOTTOM OR CLARKSVILLE WHEN I'M TROLLING AT THE ROCK WALL. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING JUST TO SEE WHERE THE FISH GO. WHEN I SEE SOMEONE GET A LITTLE PO'D AT SOMEONE'S POST, IT KINDA BOTHERS ME. WHY WOULD US FISHING FRIENDS GET UPSET BY SOME SILLY POST. GUYS JUST THINK OF WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY IN BLACKSBURG.
ENOUGH SAID. TIGHT LINES-SETTER

I get so into watching the lines when trolling for stripers I give myself a tension headache at times. Watching for them feeding under birds is the best fishing there is for me. Good luck out there setter

So uh Setter how big a balloon do you figure you would have to put on a striper and how many feet of mono?

Hey Setter, do I seem po'd? Look like I got a laugh out of it. I used to ger po'd about stuff. Bad for my health. Have you ever seen a po'd retard? Nah, ignorance is bliss. It's just that some people don't have that excuse and I think it's funny. I explained a few things and offered an opinion. As fas as Blacksbugh goes, what a tragedy. And life goes on. Haven't the people at V.T. already discussed the impact this might have on enrollment? Yep. That happened the same day of the killings. But, that insensitivity slipped by because most people were focusing on the victims and the killer. To me, it's important to extract information to help us, the survivors. We shouldn't let their deaths be for nothing. You can pour all the money you can at it and the problem doesn't go away. Who is going to ask the killers' parents about their responsibility? They knew he had a problem. What did they do? Then, our "system" had a chance to deal with him. What did they do? Neither will ever step up and say that they are sorry. Ho many pedophiles get released only to harm our children again? While we pray for the families, they point fingers. NBC goes after ratings. Other schools are wondering if all the donations they are used to getting are going to Blacksburg instead. Thankfully, we have enough distractions to keep us from truly dealing with much of anything. Shouldn't we be asking questions instead of going fishing this weekend? Nah, we can leave that up to the same people that let the killer back on the streets. Of course, I'm going to be labeled something after this post. All I can say is that praying will save YOUR soul. All the prayers in the world didn't save them. What or who is going to save you, me, or anybody? One thing is for sure, catching some fish sure does ease the pain of it all. I am not bold enough to say "nuff said". That is basically saying "I said all that needs to be said because I speak for everyone who is anyone." Your attempt at revoking my right to free speech is hilarious! Again, thanks for the opportunity to share information and the laughs.

If someone has to attache a balloon to a fish to see the fish's pattern(s) i real hard up and it shows how lacking the knowledge of fishing you have.The more i read this board the more i see ignorance.

I did that in a pond one day caught the crappie near the dam end put about 10 ft line on him small red float/bobber that son of a gun swam 150 ft to the middle of the pond before it stopped! Not having a boat so no depth finder I was not sure as to why it moved so far but did the school move or just that one? Could not cast to it as it was way out in the middle of the pond.
Buggsman a few ?? 4 u, what is wrong with using your head to catch fish? An idea or trick to make you a better fisherman and you foul mouth them? Nutther ?? 4 u just how many state records do you have?? Trophy fish awards?? Tourney's you have won??
>>>>The more i read this board the more i see ignorance.<< Notice the incorrect use of grammer?? No capital "I"'s. Yep ignorance.

x8e7BugEater you must be a very unhappy person. You only joy as far as I can tell is to call someone ignorant. Did you have a unhappy childhood? Or were you droped on your head as a young child. You must be real mad at your parents for not taking you to the doctor for them to fix it. Or maybe you are mad because they could not fix it. All of us who have read your past posts understand that you are slightly touched in some way but newer viewers may be offended or hurt. Those of us that are familiar with you ways know that you cant help yourself and we feel sorry for you. We should take up a collection so that you could get some help. It just isnt healthy to run around mad like you do all the time lashing out at innocent folks. My lord son you might pop a vessel or something. Slow down and smell the roses once in a while. Dont let all these unscrupulous fisherpeople fanatics like myself get you all riled up again. Heavens we sure would hate for you to have to do another stent in that place you know. For all of you not familar with ole Buggsy dont take it personal like cause he is harmless and without control with that nasty whack on the head as a youth ya know. Just give him some lattitude to vent so the pressure can subside in his head.We all have come to kinda like him even as strange as that may seem to you newer viewers viewers of this board cause HE WILL NOT GO AWAY!!!! LOL

NAW, I DIDN'T GET PO'D.LIFE IS TO SHORT TO GET PO'D ABOUT GOOFY STUFF. IGNORANT, YA, THATS PROBABLY ME. BEEN STRIPER FISHING AT KERR FOR 35-40 YEARS AND I DON'T BELIEVE SOMEONE CAN KEEP UP WITH A SCHOOL OF STRIPERS. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU CAN LIMIT OUT IN A FEW MINUTES. THERE ARE OTHER TIMES I'M LUCKY TO GET A SNIFF. I REALLY ENJOY THE CHALLENGE. AS FAR AS TO THE SIZE OF THE BALOON, IT MIGHT JUST HAVE TO BE A BUOY.
LINE LENGTH, PROBABLY 50 TO 75 YARDS. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THE FISH YOU CATCH WOULD RETURN TO THE SCHOOL OR GO HIDE. IT'S NOT ALWAYS BAD TO HAVE HEALTHY CONFLICTS. IF WE NEVER HAD ANY CONFLICTS, I KNOW I PROBABLY WOULDN'T STILL BE MARRIED.
SETTER

Buggsman,

If you are so knowledgable of fish and their behavior, why don't you stop criticizing everybodies ideas and/ or techniques and put some of your own out here. Everything I read from you is criticizing in some way. Whether you like it or not everybody does things differently from you, so don't criticize someone for not being like you! Keep it to yourself if you don't agree. I think all of us "ignorant" people here would appreciate next time if you just kept your mouth shut.

Chappie,
I appreciate your post, and im going to try it. these are the kind of posts we need on here, if you dont agree with how someone fishes it's your business, please STOP starting crap on here. This is a place for informative fishing posts not all the bull that seems to follow the good ideas!

and BUGGSMAN, how about giving us a fishing report once in a while, or offer help to the one's who ask, instead of downing everyone's posts.
Mike

I read something somewhere about putting a few small holes in a clear plastic jug, like a water bottle, and suspending a few minnows next to your lights when there's not many wild minnows or shad around. Supposedly crappie see them from a distance and move in to investigate.

C'mon guys cant we all just get along! I dont want discriminate any of the people who think that the baloon thing is unethical, bueacuse it is there opinion and they are intitled to it, but i dont see why it matters how you catch fish as long as it is enviornmentally sound and does not compromise other fishes health. In short Who cares! the weather is beautiful, lets go fishin'!

Good Grief Ray! clear plastic jugs! water bottles!! LIGHTS!!! ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE THE BUGMAN BANG HIS HEAD ON THE TRANSOM??!!

Don't make yourself sick thinking i am all up in the air.I do have a few trophies over my long fishing career.I haven't won any tournys because i don't believe in them.To many people fish before the tourny and keep the fish hidden until tourny day.Sure it goes on,just like the drinking of alcohol does at night,don't kid yourself.I don't have to get on here and explain to the world what kind of fishing day i had.There's alot of fishing going on on this board and NOT on the water.Some of you couldn't catch a cold,needless to say a fish.If you could,you wouldn't be using or wanting to use all these unsportsman like ideas.Just a reminder,if you use all capital letters in your post,that shows your panties are in a knot and you are weak on debates.

i couldnt help but notice that all the fishing going on on this board and not on the water you were part of every bit of it buggsman, im pretty much like the others you probably need to keep your mouth shut the more i read the dumber you sounded, do you not fish tourneys because you dont believe in them or because you know you dont have a chance

Yank,it was kinda hard to see if you asked me quwstion or not,because of your lack of a ? mark.I suspect you were trying to so let me answer.

(1)I don't believe in them simply because it puts to many people on the water at one time that wouldn't be there any other time.
(2)I suspect there is some shady dealings going on.Isn't it funny how people can't catch the big one until tourney day?Makes one think.
(3)All the above.

You have a long road to follow to even come close to my catchings over the past 35 years.A wealth of info that only my kids and grandkids will know about.And it was all done legally and ethically.No balloons and no twelve rods hanging out the boat.

I have known Buggsman for many years. It is true that he catches a lot fish. He fishes the same ponds that I do and he catches a lot of brim. Never seen him catch anything else, but he is good on those bluegills with cane and pole.

Is that so "Sidewalk Sal"

That's a good idea Chappie, thanks for the post.