Post Cold front advice for AR crappie?

[OzarkAngler]

I'm not new to fishing and know some basics about crappie. I'm mainly a bass angler but crappie fishing has caught my attention and I'm really getting "hooked" on crappie! :-)

I fish Beaver Lake as my home lake in NWA. This cold front and rapid rise in water will probably shut the bite down.

Anyone have any advice on how to find and what to throw for some crappie this weekend? I'm thinking small jigging spoons. Maybe a free-lined or split shot live minnow.

Crappie seem to be suspended in oost-spawn mode and on creek channel swinggs and not in the mood to bite. Even when trolling they are harder to catch. Any thoughts?

[blackfish]

Depending on water temp. You might try dragging crank baits. 200s. On one side 300s. On the other 90 100 110 ft. Back start out at 1.7 up to 2. See what happens? There killing em in Miss.

[NIMROD]

I think the key is finding the fish. I'd also look on channel drops but I jig fish.

[OzarkAngler]

So I found fish in a cove but they were really tight to cover. I heard from a friend that he has fished that tree before and they just won't come off of that tree. He trolls with a lot of success and doesn't cast very much anymore (doesn't need to because he's catching a lot of fish trolling).

So in the end, I didn't have that much luck. I was bass fishing primarily and the bite on any fish was just very very subtle. I picked up a largemouth on a shakey head and I was using 10lb braid (uber feel/sensitivity) and I didn't even feel the bite. It was so subtle, I set the hook on instinct becasue it felt different. That's how subtle the bite was.


As I was leaving the cove, I found some crappie tight to a tree as I said earlier. They never bit.
I went to another cove and found some fish but couldn't get a bite. Seems like live minnows on a slip bobber is about the only way I can get a bite these days and you have to hit them in the head with the bait to get them to bite.



So........here are a few questions

- I have a list of about 6 colors that a local crappie guide uses primarily. How do I find out what color they want?
- I heard they want a faster bait. Do I need to use a Road Runner with a crappie tube or crappie swimbait?
- Road Runners don't seem to want to like a fast retrieve. Should I just rip and jig a swimbait on a heavier jighead? Like a yo-yo retrieve?
- Any suggestions on what to use for post-spawn crappie and rising water?

I'm a bass guy and crappie are really becoming an addition quick but I'm finding I'm outside of my element. :-)