Thread: Small Crappie

Originally Posted by ezgo

Hello new to the site I have a question the lakes in the northern kentucky area like kincaid aj jolly are full of hand hand size and below at best these lakes you would think have a few good keepers in them if so what would someone suggest to do. Not looking for a honey hole but are there any decent crappie lakes in northern kentucky.

Most of the Northern KY lakes are generally on the small side, which usually lends to overpopulation of the Crappie (esp if they have White Crappie). Even South of me, at Cedar Creek Lake, which only has Black Crappie stocked in it, it's small size and lack of predation has allowed them to stunt. They removed the size limit, so that more anglers could legally take these fish ... in hopes that a decrease in overall numbers would allow the survivors to grow bigger. That was about all they (KDFWR) could do.

I do know that one member has reported catching some good sized Crappie from the lake up around Williamstown .... here's the thread from that report : http://www.crappie.com/crappie/kentu...town-lake.html and it looks like it was around this time of year, too.

... cp

Thanks for the tips I was wondering about that lake, if you fish the cave what area do you fish there is so much wood everywhere 3-4 weeks ago I made a trip there put in at scotts creek and all I could catch was bass off my minnows.

Originally Posted by ezgo

Thanks for the tips I was wondering about that lake, if you fish the cave what area do you fish there is so much wood everywhere 3-4 weeks ago I made a trip there put in at scotts creek and all I could catch was bass off my minnows.

... but, most of my trips were Bass fishing at night. All of my Crappie trips there were Spring spawn time trips. For those, I usually put in at Twin Knobs, then went to Cassidy Ford Valley & Shrout Hollow. Those are the two bays just before you get to the mouth of Ramey Creek/Warix Creek. Most of my Crappie have come from Cassidy. There have been times, when I was there a bit early, and the Crappie had not moved back into the bays (but were heading in that direction) ... and caught them along the main lake's rocky cliff bank that's along the way to those two creeks. There's a roadbed that runs along that bank ... but, most of the time, when I did catch Crappie along that bank, it was around some "wood" ... whether it be brush, sunken branches, root wads, or whatever.
Other than those two bays ... the only other place I've Crappie fished there, is in Caney Creek. Never really did all that good, there ... but, that could have been just bad timing, clear water, or other conditions that weren't favorable :p
I'm sure that there are some other members that fish there, that can give you more up-to-date info. I haven't fished the Cave but once or twice in over 25yrs ... basically since Taylorsville Lake was impounded.

... cp

EZGO,
Try fishing up in the river area, Poppin Creek ramp area. Lots of standing timber. Just be careful of stumps with your motor. This is a good area to fish, not only for crappie but for musky and bass. No skiers, jetskis, just the river and yourself. Find the river channel and fish the standing timber close to it. Vary your depths and move around until you find them. Try pitching a 1/32 oz jig or minnow and float, and let it fall next to the timber. No hits, move to the next tree.
Good Luck,
Bassky

Try East Fork Lake near Batavia, Amelia area off of SR 125 or SR32. Or try Brookville Lake, northwest of Harrison Ohio in Indiana, SR52 off of I-74. Both are very good crappie lakes with lots of cover and some nice crappie. These are your best bet for bigger and more crappie for No Ky area.
Bassky

Originally Posted by crappiepappy

"...overpopulation...(esp if they have White Crappie). ........" :

Pappy, teach me something here please. Are White Crappie more prolific than Black? Whites are what we have here in the KY River, I've never seen a Black come out of here. Just trying to learn more about my prey........

Originally Posted by siddhartha

Pappy, teach me something here please. Are White Crappie more prolific than Black? Whites are what we have here in the KY River, I've never seen a Black come out of here. Just trying to learn more about my prey........

White Crappie are considered more prolific than Black Crappie, which is why most "experts" say don't stock White Crappie in a pond or small lake. But, too ... it could depend on the conditions of the body of water (take the change in percentages of numbers of Black Crappie/White Crappie on KY Lake).
The KY River may be a whole other deal, too. It tends to get quite muddy, at times, and that may not bode well for the Black Crappie. Not that there aren't Black Crappie in the river, but their numbers may not be sufficient to sustain or create a heavy population percentage. White Crappie do tend to get a little bigger/longer than Black Crappie, while the Black Crappie tend to get thicker bodied, overall.
Under normal circumstances, Black Crappie prefer clear water/cooler water/weeds ... while White Crappie prefer murky water/warmer water/wood. But, with that being said ... Taylorsville has no weeds, and I catch Black Crappie off the wood --- while Cave Run does have weeds, and generally clearer water, but I still catch (caught :p ) more White Crappie from there. You just never know
One thing's for sure ... if they're put in any body of water, Black Crappie will do their best to survive there, even if it means going against the grain (as to their preferences).
White Crappie are mostly "fish" eaters (minnows/shad/other species fry), while Black Crappie will eat alot of other live critters (worms/craws/bugs/etc) ... but either one can be caught, at times, with most any kind of live offering. If they're hungry, or while in the midst of feeding, they're subject to munching down on a worm/grub/bug/craw/etc that's offered to them.
Neither one of them likes current, and will position themselves behind anything that will break/divert the current ... bridge pilon, stump, wing dam, deadfall, brushpile, etc. They may even seek lesser current, by going up into a inflowing creek.

... cp

It has been a few years but I used to catch some good 8 to 10 inch crappie out of Bolts Lake at Dry Ridge.