A third visit in three years to the monstrous Kentucky Lake proved to be a challenge for the seasoned angling professionals of the Stammen clan. Just a week earlier the lake was an incredible 9 feet above normal level due to the torrential rainstorms that hit the area. Some fish enjoy the tumult but our target, crappie, do not. At all. We tempted the snobby slabs for days with every trick and trinket we could muster. To no avail. Despite the silent protests of our steadfast leader, Cap'n Dan, we switched gears and tried for other game. Nearly a dozen different species graced our lines (even a mackerel?) but it was the mighty bluegill and the illusive shellcracker that ultimately filled our baskets. They weren't crappie but they were fun. It wasn't until the evening before our departure that we started to entice a crappie or two. I'm pretty sure they were literally jumping in the boat while we were driving back north. But that's ok. It will just make us want to go back even more. We are a stubborn bunch.
