Targeting Black or White Crappie

[Alphahawk]

OK guys I have been reading a little on here about going after White or Black Crappie. I have fished a number of years for Crappie and pursued them on KY lake in TN for the last 11 years. Now I am a little embarrassed as it seems from my reading you can target one specie over another?? I have just always went Crappie fishing. Are there techniques....structure, and so on that I can most likely catch one type over the other?

Regards

[M R Dux]

I catch a good % of my black crappie shallower and along rocky areas. The whites seem to orient more to deeper structure like wood or depth changes.

[rnvinc]

I find blacks while spider riggin in 5 ft of water at water temps of 55 degrees....

I find whites are still out along creek channel dropoffs at water temps 55 degrees....

As the water temps start getting closer to 58-60 ..I find the whites moving in staging in brush in 10-14 ft..close to spawnin areas...

63 degrees and both whites and blacks are moving in shallower....

Cold fronts and/or fast rising water will put a temporary damper on these things and shut the fish down or move them out deeper a little..waiting for more stable water conditions...

Rickie

[sixfin]

It also seems to me that black crappie like a moving target better than whites. Also, whites like a little color to their water.

[CrappiePappy]

Alpha .... there may be some interesting tidbits in this : Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources - Preliminary Results (in case you haven't already read it)

... cp

[Wiskers]

it also seems to me that black crappie like a moving target better than whites. Also, whites like a little color to their water.

x2

[Alphahawk]

Thanks guys. This is one of the reasons I joined here. I knew I was going to learn a lot of new things but this is something I have never heard anyone around here talk about. I never put two and two together last week when I was standing on top of the rip rap and would cast almost parallel. The water was pretty clear and it was fun to watch a big Crappie flash as he took the jig. Those were Black Crappie. Then as I would cast straight out into 40 feet of water and count it down to about 12 feet I was catching White Crappie. I just thought it coincidence. Education is a great thing. Wait until I see my nephew. He is a full time Smallmouth guide on Dale Hallow Lake....and a good one at that...... but will also guide for Crappie on Center Hill Lake. Now I have a few things to teach him about Crappie...LOL.


Regards

[Tube man]

A big" AMEN" to all of the above...Thumbs UpThumbs Up