Quote Originally Posted by Crestliner08 View Post
Sorry to hear about your skunk! That usually happens to us at the start and end of each season, so it's coming for us yet! From your post, I'm gathering that you were vertical jigging? Or were you casting? When the wind kicks up, for us anyway, it usually improves the bite. Maybe they wanted the bait moving? Just a thought.
The answer to your question is "yes". While I prefer vertical jigging when the bite gets tough I also cast and retrieve back through the area. I will also cast out, holding my rod tip high and let the lure slowly drop back into the fish holding area. I vary my presentation from dead still to moving fast through the area, from swimming the jig around the fish to hitting them with the jig when they refuse to take notice of it. I will allow the jig to slowly drop through them, slowly move up through them, move in circles around them, just about anything I can make the jig do when trying to get them to bite.

I certainly hope this did not signal the end of my fishing season, as my normal fishing season lasts 12 months a year. A slight wind helps. But when the wind is enough to produce waves that rock the boat it is difficult to feel the bite on the size jigs I prefer. However I went all the way up to 1/8 oz without any results. The crappie were simply in a negative mood and nothing I did would entice them to bite. If I hit them with the jig or pulled it through them they would simply move out of the way or scatter.

I tried again last night under the green light and caught a few. I went to the brush and bridge pillars that were loaded with fish yesterday morning, to find them awol last night. The green light pulled in plenty of bait fish but very few larger fish. I called it a night after three hours of very slow action.