Question for the crappie pros

[Procraft 176]

My question is: We are just about to get in the ole hot summer weather and I want to know if spider rigging is good in the summer? If so what areas of a lake would one do some searching?

[twhaley]

Spider rigging will work well once the fish go to summer pattern. Try main lake points and river ledges, 12'to 16' (on Weiss), that is where I find them in the hot of the summer. GOOD FISHING, Terry

[abarkley]

If you lake has a thermocline that'll help even more. All the fish will be above it.

[DeadEye1000]

Spider rigging is a good way to catch crappie during the hot and cold months. As stated above river or big creek ledges are a good place to look, as well as using the thermocline as a depth control to find what depth the fish are hanging out.

I have found through the years that the fish can be finicky during the summer and sometimes prefer a hook and minnow over jigs or jigs tipped with minnows. Tune your graph to pick up the thermocline and you have a good head start to findng and catching those summer slabs.

Good Luck!

[Procraft 176]

Thanx for the info guys, I usually fish lake Martin and lake Harding. Will I be looking to fish above or below the thermocline in the summer, and also what about winter? One more thing, do u look for structure while spider rigging in the summer or will they be suspended out in the open (so to speak).

[abarkley]

Thanx for the info guys, I usually fish lake Martin and lake Harding. Will I be looking to fish above or below the thermocline in the summer, and also what about winter? One more thing, do u look for structure while spider rigging in the summer or will they be suspended out in the open (so to speak).

Above it. If you have structure to fish above it then go for it, but you should be able to find quite a few fish suspended out over open water especially around drops.

[Procraft 176]

Thanx guys, I usually winterize my boat about June ( so to speak) and summerize about sept. or oct., due to all the wave runners and pleasure boaters. But this year, I think I'm gonna try crappie fishing a good bit during the summer. Any u guys ever fish Lake Martin or Harding?

[RogerA]

If you can spider rig with all the pleasure boaters running around you are a better man than me.

[GCD]

If you can spider rig with all the pleasure boaters running around you are a better man than me.

There's a lot to be said for Crappie fishin' at night in the summer.

[Procraft 176]

That's right GCD, I think I'm gonna do some of that as soon as this weather permits.