Can't figure it out

3 days ago I fished Poinsette for a few hours on a windy afternoon and we did fairly well. I went back yesterday and got in 3 hours of lower winds, overcast skies, rain was on its way in. These conditions are usually really good fishing for me. I caught 1 fish? I missed a couple, but I couldn't get on fish like i did 3 days ago. I tried every spot we caught fish and nearby areas...nothing! Really puzzles me? I had on a variety of great colors, different depths, and felt like I had a good presentation w boat control.

Anyone want to offer a suggestion on what the deal was?

Bill Dance says, "sometimes they just aren't biting" and truer words were never spoke.

Sometimes they'll stay put for a month. Another time, here today,gone tomorrow. Any answer I could give would be pure speculation. I think I get more enjoyment out of cussing them than I would knowing the answers.

The problem is that "it's Poinsett". 600 acres of water that between getting pounded everyday by everyone in NE Arkansas when it is good, is also used to test drive high performance boats, pontoons and other misc watercraft just because there is no other water to run your junk in. I went one day last year and the best bream hole on the lake had people swimming in it. It's a wonder there is any fish left at all in it. I had some people in a ski boat 2 years ago pull up to me fishing and ask if there was any place that didn't have stumps and I said right here in this area where I'm at so they kindly proceeded to test their ski boat in a hundred yard circle around me. Absolutely ridiculous, and yes the fishing has been pretty sorry. Going elsewhere.

I tend to watch the moon phase this time of year, especially early and late in the spawn. When the water temps are teetering on that magic number early on, a full moon will tend to kick things into high gear. When it starts to wane, sometimes they will shut down for a few days. 1st and 3rd quarter moons are not my favorite this time of year, but you can usually still find em. Normally, they will just pull back a little ways from the beds and suspend in deeper water. Im not certain that this was the problem, but it has been a pretty consistent factor for me in the past when all the other conditions seemed right.

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Originally Posted by htr2133

3 days ago I fished Poinsette for a few hours on a windy afternoon and we did fairly well. I went back yesterday and got in 3 hours of lower winds, overcast skies, rain was on its way in. These conditions are usually really good fishing for me. I caught 1 fish? I missed a couple, but I couldn't get on fish like i did 3 days ago. I tried every spot we caught fish and nearby areas...nothing! Really puzzles me? I had on a variety of great colors, different depths, and felt like I had a good presentation w boat control.

Anyone want to offer a suggestion on what the deal was?

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welcome to crappie fishing, lol!!! could have been a number of things, everyday is usually a little different , figuring out a pattern can be tough on any given day

If you had it figured out wouldn't be called fishing!

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Originally Posted by Cmj

I tend to watch the moon phase this time of year, especially early and late in the spawn. When the water temps are teetering on that magic number early on, a full moon will tend to kick things into high gear. When it starts to wane, sometimes they will shut down for a few days. 1st and 3rd quarter moons are not my favorite this time of year, but you can usually still find em. Normally, they will just pull back a little ways from the beds and suspend in deeper water. Im not certain that this was the problem, but it has been a pretty consistent factor for me in the past when all the other conditions seemed right.

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I had NO idea there were lakes on the Moon! Dang. I knew you fished lots of places though. Maybe I oughtta follow you around and spy on ya.

Me? I like to go based on my wife's schedule. If it's favorable, I go. If it's not favorable, I go. But not if it's too windy, too cold, or there's too much water, or I'm real tired, or it's Saturday or............

hmmm. Maybe I DON'T go enough!

Seriously, I share your concern on why sometimes are great and others are not. The more I learn about crappie fishing the more I find it similar to deer hunting, the only two real vices I have. It's just chasing magical, mystical creatures using useless knowledge that you think you possess. :)

Try change'n up as with this crazy weather the fish must be as confused as the fishermen.:twocents

What Nim said. The most important thing ive learned about crappie fishing -(for me) is go to have a good time. If I catch em great if not - have a good time. Always beats working.