This had been our traditional spring fish camp lake for 30 years. Through an older generation that that has gone and now the young tag'alongs are the last generation... with tag'alongs coming up.
It went dry 5 years ago, lost all the fish but carp and cats in the mud holes, at least what could be shocked. The lake was dead and we've had to move spring fish camp to another, less accommodating for large groups, lake.
Literally broke my heart, with all the memories and family/friend history.
My buddy was in the area and decided to go see how much water was in the lake, an old couple was pulling their boat out of the abandoned boat launch. They hadn't been to the lake in years and didn't know it went dry.
They had 40 crappie in their ice chest.
When my buddy got to cell service he called me all excited. We canceled what we had going yesterday and hauled ass up. We caught 23 keeper crappie and a ton of 8 to 10" bass. The crappie were in size groups of small to medium. So they have been spawning at least 3 years. Some obviously survived 5 years ago.
The lake is still way down, and no one knows it has fish, but my wife and I were just saying not long ago, we would never see that lake have crappie in our lifetime again.
Yesterday was a truly happy day for us... an old friend yet lives.
