Cold water fishing a new experience for me (except ice fishing)

[Spoonminnow]

Went out about 2pm and fished until sunset on a local lake. A friend fished there from shore and did well using a float and lure rigged on a light jig. The crappie were small, except for a few, but hey - it's late Oct. and the water temperature is falling, soon to be in the 40's.

I had the advantage of fishing from a row boat and have sonar on board to find depth and the old creek channel in 8-9 FOW. A few weeks ago someone I showed how to use my creation, slayed them in the middle of the lake and convinced me to now fish deeper here on in. Best advice I've gotten in a long time because now I'm slaying them, finding small schools.

My shoreline friend recommended a light jig under the float, so I tried it for awhile. Only one 9" crappie casting around the boat, changing leader length to see how low the lure should hang down. I got tired of waiting and put on a 1/16 oz jig with a 2" manufactured minnow with little tail action and caught a 10" yellow perch. I figured if that lure worked, may as well go back to my own design in 2".

I couldn't believe the strikes in 9' and in 54 degree water. As the day got shorter I figured why not experiment with a 1/8 oz jig and a 2 3/4" lure (the one I poured) in chartreuse and pepper. Now I'm getting crappie as well as perch as I drift and anchor, drift and anchor! The sun is going down fast and the water temp with it - 50 degree surface temp. Still caught a lot of fish as it was getting dark on the chartreuse minnow lure. (Can't believe crappie preferred a longer lure that moved a bit faster on a heavier jig head.)

Note: before I lost the 1/16 oz jig to a deep submerged tree trunk, I was killing them using my 2" minnow with green pumpkin body & green flakes/ clear tail with a bit of silver flakes.

All told, over 30 fish in three hours - perch between 8-10" and crappie between 9-10". Could it be the bite was that good because the remnants of Hurricane Patricia is arriving tomorrow or could it be that good for the near future? In any case, I'll see how their biting Thurs. using the 1/8 oz and the same lure. At least I know now that the bite can be fierce in much cooler water and downsizing not an advantage until ice fishing and the most amazing thing - fish were hitting the lure multiple times on the same retrieve or hitting it if I cast it close to the boat a second time after I missed the hook set!

Crazy fish ...