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I've got a bro-in-law I wanted to take crappie fishing the next couple days, and I've got a pond that has lots of standing timber, and about 15 feet deep. I'm totally lost when it comes to winter time crappie, I usually troll in the summer and spring, but am needing your help! What should I be doing to catch them now?
Can you fish it all from the bank? If so rig 2 rods, one jigs and 1 minnows with slip floats keep adjusting the depth until you find them. From a boat fish the timber tightline adjusting depth till you locate them. They will probably be in the 8'-10' range.
Crappie are usually deep in the winter. I would start by vertical jigging in the deeper parts of the pond. Start on the bottom and slowly bring the jig up. Make sure to leave the jig at each depth as you bring it up for 30 seconds or so. If you find the fish remember that dept and just drop it back down to that depth. I would try this on many different places in the pond.
Crappie don't chase things too much in the winter so move your jig really really slow. Don't over jig it.
Hope this works. Let us know how the trip goes.
First off does the pond contain crappie?? How many acres is it? Is it clear? If it has crappie then I would go out in a boat near the dam to get to the deepest water. I would tie on some 1/8 oz heads and try some BG electric chicken baby shad, a black/pink yum beavertail, or a pumpkin/char one. I would then drop it to the bottom next to the base of the trees and just hold it 1' off bottom. If nothing happens then raise the bait 1' and see what happens. If you have a portable depth finder for your boat then slowly move around the trees looking for suspended fish and drop a jig or minnow to that depth and see what hits.
George, yes the pond contains crappie! I don't think the pond is more than 2-3 acres, and it's very clear. I am still working on getting my depth finder on my 2 man boat, but I believe the deepest part of the pond is less than 20 feet, maybe 18, pretty sure it's around 16 though. There are trees that are submerged completely, and partially submerged, does either one attract better?
Fish both and see what produces best.
Ok, so... I went yesterday from 2-5:30 and caught 2 fish. I found 4 different trees that were in the deep water (15 feet), but seemed like I started getting hits when i was fishing 6 feet deep.
I only ended up catching 2 :( One that was in the shallow water (5ft) that hit when I decided to try trolling super slow. and one in the deeper water at 6 feet deep. What should I be doing differently? I was using a 8 foot jig pole and just fishing it tightline. I was thinking next time use a slip bobber set at 6 feet to try and stay in the strike zone longer.