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I live in near Omaha NE, and I have access to a private lake, it is a sand pit that is not huge by any means but it is a decent size lake. Last weekend I went out to try my luck at the crappie, tried a few spots that I thought would be ok and caught zero crappie, just a bunch of white perch, I was using a white jig with a minnow, I am having trouble catching crappie in this warm weather, any body have any idea on where to find crappie when the water is warm?
First, try to locate an area that has depth plus shade . . . ideally, the shade will come from some kind of structural element, such as brush or timber, or a rockpile can be good. If there is any weedgrowth, sometimes the crappie will seek the shade of it . . . if the pit is deep enough, the crappie will likely suspend in the cooler water (thermocline) . . . also, an approach that has worked well for me is simply to take a bright lure and lower it until you can't see it anymore. The crappie will be at that depth or lower usually. A jig with a Crappie Nibble on it is a good search lure, and so is a plain-old minnow. Hope you get into 'em!
in terms of going at night ...... fishing the shaded banks/cover in the early AM hours ..... going on days when there's heavy cloud cover, or light rain. You might also consider fishing as far away from the boat, as possible ... maybe some longline trolling. If fishing from the bank, use a weighted float for more distance (but, be aware that you will have to do some fast reeling in of the slack line, before setting the hook - just wait until you feel the weight of the fish)
The fish can't go anywhere ... they're stuck there :rolleyes: but, they can become spooky in clear water, or shallow water, and when there's no "cover" for them to hide in. Shade does the following - cools the water temps, affords the fish some camouflage, and contrasts the baitfish against the water's surface.
The particular specie of Crappie, in this "sand pit", may also make a difference in how they react to the warm water. It won't bother White Crappie so much - but, may make Black Crappie lethargic.
Were those "white perch" true White Perch .... or were they actually "freshwater drum" ? (some people call them "white perch") Some people even call Crappie "white perch" :rolleyes: :D
Freshwater Drum:
http://images.dnr.state.mn.us/natura...waterdrum2.jpg
White Perch:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eperchnctc.jpg
If this "sand pit" is devoid of any structure, or cover, you will probably have to fish the deepest area ... especially during the daylight hours. They may be around the shallows, in the early AM hours, but will most likely head to the depths once the Sun gets on the surface of the water on those banks. .......... luck2ya ..... cp :cool: