Understanding Seasonal fish location is critical for fishing success as crappies transition from the deep summer weed beds and cat tail choked shorelines on natural lakes to more vertical and overhead cover that man made structures such ans bridges, docks and marinas provide. Cold water temps in the upper 40's cause aquatic water weeds like Urasian Milfoil, Coontail and Hydrilla to die off, leaving the remaining small bait fish vulnerable to predation by schools of feeding crappie. In many Northern waters, bait minnows are not allowed to be used by sport fishing laws meant to curb the spread of invasive species like Gobies and Asian Silver Carp. That's where realistic minnow jigs made by Northland Lures and Berkely Gulp baits and fish mimicking swim baits made by Gitzit, Storm and Zoom brands shine as the "go to" baits for big slabs. Down South, Bobby Garland Baby Shads in assorted bright colors like Electric Chicken and Chartruse in the 2" size bait get the nod for stained or muddy water conditions. What ever bait profile you choose, be sure to be using Minnow jig profiles to appeal to the crappies natural tendency to target minnows where ever they are found. Discovering the "Primordial Vortex" and it's influence on crappie location in fall. Certain water sheds around the country often produce the largest crappie found any where in the country due to factors such as the waters having abundant bait fish that is due to a high density of plankton and aquatic insects on which to build the food chain for sustained crappie growth year in and year out. Water Flea Daphnia, Mysis shrimp and many other tiny aquatic insect forage species like Midges and nymphs can be found in wind driven algae mats, pushed along by water currents.
Lakes and reservoirs with suitable depths as deep as 30 feet allow for sunlight penetration, which produces Phytoplankton, the key ingredient needed on which the Primordial food chain depends. Of particular interest for crappie fishermen are lakes with concrete highway bridge spans that form Bottle necks on the main lake. The concrete pillars beneath the bridges provide cover and places for algae to hold on to and grow, attracting small bait fish that feed on the algae. The overhead High way roadways block out the bright sunlight, providing lurking crappie with a light to dark light penetration edge to hide in then dart out into to ambush unwary bait fish or your well presented jig. The "Primordial Vortex" phenomenon occurs when wind driven algae mats and current driven plankton meet up and super concentrate those Crappie food items under the bridge spans. A Northern current met by Southern prevailing wind driven surface algae mat is the perfect example of this, as crappie flock in thick schools to feed on the abundant bait fish feeding on the algae /plankton buffet. It is a lesser known fact that crappie will school up and face forward into where current driven plankton concentrate. The crappie then use their gill rakers to sift and sein thr much smaller food items from the water column. Stomach content samples often times bare out this fact that crappie do indeed use their highly developed eye sight to feed on tiny aquatic animal species. In clearer waters, fluorocarbon leaders thwart the sharp eyesight of a stalking crappie, making your jig appear to be a helpless and an easy meal. For a more precise presentation, slip bobber rigs as offered by Thill and Cormal allow the angler to effectively locate and suspend their favorite jig at the precise depth at which the crappie school is holding. Color depth finders such as the Lowrance X 100 and Fish Eagle 320 C are excellent electronics that allow the angler to pin point crappie schools at a precise depth.
Large boat marinas off of the main lake or river current can also be productive for fall slabs. Surface debris that form mats in the backs of lee ward coves and clusters of recreational swimming and boat docks with interlocking cross beams are often worth a cast or two. Ultralight rods from 5" to 7 foot , made of high density graphite are perfect for a day of casting or pitching jigs. Super strong, soft, yet castable copolymer monofilament lines like P Line Xtra Strong, Izor Platinum and mc Coy Mean Green Extreme in 4 to 6lb sizes fit the bill for this type of fishing and allow for a long day of casting with little arm fatigue. Lastly add a little bit of scent like Brushpile Crappie Attractant to your jig to appeal to those finicky crappie that you might otherwise miss. True slabs can be had in the fall if you do your home work: Great fishing memories and many a deep fried crappie fillet meals will follow soon after.
~ Article By Dave Gerhauser A.K.A The Jigmiester.
.
Forum Statistics
Articles and Stories
vBulletin Message