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I have a buddy that is a good crappie fisherman and he has been showing me the ropes the last couple of years. We fish quite a bit in December and do pretty good. One day the fish bite like crazy and the next day they wont, so my question is what influences this the most? In late December the fish are in their winter pattern so conditions are pretty stable from day to day, but it seems like crappie move around often and it is hit or miss. Any reason for this?
Bait fish (shad) follow the shad and you will be on the crappie.. I caught fish last week from 3ft deep to 18ft..
I don't usually expect much on those bright clear days. But, I have caught fish on them.
DP
I have been trying to read up on baitfish movement and everything that I read says that they are intolerant of cold water. it seems like last december we would catch crappie in a certain stretch of the river one day and two days later they werent there but you could move down a couple of hundred yards and the fish would be there. Does the water temp drive this movement and if so do water temps vary that much an a given body of water? I have bass fished most of my life but it seems like crappie fishing is more finicky. One day you load the boat and the next day they are gone.
Allot plays into movement, weather, shad, birds, water temp, pressure, and so fourth. Your best bet... Find the shad, look deep, and fish the lower half of the water column. Remember crappie most aways feed best just off the bottom or the lower half of the water column this time of year. Learn this one simple rule and you will... find winter crappie fishing. Good Luck.
I see this allot in the lake where I fish. Folks pound the heck out of a spot, and when the bite slow's.. Folks say they quit bitting. The fact is... they just moved, and are ready to bite again in a new location.. and it's usually not to far.
What CP. Said Is true. His knowledge comes from 1000s. Of hours on the water. When I was a kid it was common practice to hook a crappie or a bream thru the nose add a cork to 6to 10 ft of line in order to know when and where the fish moved. Worked like a charm! Not sure about the legality of this technique . This was in the 60s and 70s. Prior to the modern fish finder this was a fairly common practice.
Thanks for the info. Lots of good info to learn on this site.
People wonder where the Crappie or at during the winter. Guys also bring them to themselves using brush and so forth. I like bamboo--easy to sink.
I always see guys using corks a lot. Myself I will use a cork if I am in shallow water but I fix my cork so I can slid it up to the very top when in deep water.
I like to tight line when I Crappie fish, I can find the deep a lot easier this way----Usually I find them about 2 ft. off the bottom.
When they are spawning, I have found them in water from 12-18 inches deep in heavy brush.