Are those real or fake? by Brad Wiegmann

Are those real or fake? Sure nothing feels or looks like the real thing, but fake ones can also produce a positive reaction. When it comes to artificial fish habitat crappie don’t seem to care as long as it’s in the water.



It’s no secret crappie anglers catch fish out of cover placed in the lakes, rivers and ponds. While some of the cover is natural; a growing number of anglers are sinking artificial fish habitat to increase the number of crappie they catch out fishing. One popular artificial fish attractor is American Fish Tree (www.americanfishtree.com) constructed from manmade materials with the shape of a tree with limbs.



Arkie Lures (www.arkiejigs.com) pro staffer and Beaver Lake crappie fishing guide Payton Usrey knows all about sinking artificial fish habitat including American Fish Tree. Just recently, Usrey placed some on the lake in strategically placed locations based on crappie migration patterns. He knows crappie will be moving towards this artificial fish habitat as summer ends and cooler weather patterns commence during the fall and winter months.


Usrey keeps it simple when it comes to lures while fishing artificial fish habitats. “I use black and chartreuse Arkie pro model Shineee Hineee featuring a red sickle hook or an Arkie Sexeee Tail Shad in Cajun cricket and 1/16-ounce Arkie Double Eye lime and chartreuse jig head,” said Usrey.


“Crappie positions themselves on different areas of artificial fish habitat according to weather conditions. Crappie will get real tight on cold days and suspend over the top of the limbs. That’s a good time for anglers to run a bobber with a jig under it to catch them,” said Usrey.


To fish American Fish Trees Usrey puts them on the flats, he will keep his boat over top the artificial fish habitat and jig his lure straight up and down. It’s common for the Arkie jig he is fishing to bounce off limbs resulting in a reaction strike from a crappie. He recommends anglers learn what it feels like when fishing around artificial habitat so they don’t set the hook on limbs or pull on limbs disturbing crappie in it.


“When fishing around American Fish Trees sunk under docks, I use a B’n’M’ Poles Sharp Shooter Six (www.bnmpoles.com) and shoot my lure past the tree allowing the lure to fall by the limbs to get a reaction bite,” said Usrey.


He likes to use Arkie Lures Stealth Buoys when fishing artificial fish habitat on the flats. The buoy features a 1-ounce weight and 50 foot rope. Although Stealth Buoys are available in several colors, Usrey likes the hard to see black to keep the location of his artificial fish habitat a secret.


Crappie guides like Usrey knows the positive attraction of artificial fish habitat when it comes to crappie fishing. However, it’s no secret that Ursey and other guides rarely give out locations of the artificial fish habitat. Usrey did reveal he places them vertically around docks and migrational paths crappie travel throughout the year.

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