Newbie question...

Ive been gobbling up articles and videos since I'm trying to figure this beginner crappie thing out. One thing I can't seem to nail down is the difference in winter behavior in warmer areas. Seems like a lot of the "winter crappie" content is for really cold states. My question is, what should I expect very generally for the pattern to be in a place like Florida now and up to the spawn with these warm weeks followed by a few cold nights. I live on Talquin (and go up the ocklocknee quite a bit) and just can't really figure if I should always be looking deep or if they move shallow at times because of the warm days. I know there isn't an exact answer but just curious if the behavior is considerably different than places with much colder winters. Thanks!

General rule of thumb - if you lived up North or in Midwestern states, everything, that was taught
to you as kid growing up - FORGET IT...... fish don't have the structure down here,
most lakes are shallow and stained with tanic acid from fert. runoff & pine trees.
Spec's down here move from contour to contour and find holes, feed in grass and
reeds at night move out to deeper water in daylight. Hang around lilly pads until sun
gets up - than out to deeper. They will get "lockjaw on 1 tenth of change in barametric pressure.... do a tremendous amount of hoverning - suspended in water
column. Like pond weed, lilly pads, hyrillia, grassey bottom area's, reeds, bull-rushes
spawn anywhere from Mid November to April and have seen them up into May.
Depends on what part of state you are fishing..... Lakes within 10 mi of each will have
apawn periods of month difference. NOT ALL CRAPPIE SPAWN AT OR NEAR THE SAME
TIME. Florida has a min of 5 weather systems( temp. change areas) that will trigger their everyday movements from top of state to bottom.
Florida Crappie Club runs a 20 tournament schedule that handles almost all locations
in state at different times of year. Come to watch and fish if you wish or speak with
competitors and they may be able to help you in any given area of state.

If you live on talquin, longlining is probably the best way to catch these fish until they start spawing in the pads. I am assumong since you fish up the river, you must live on the Tallahassee side of the lake. From now until late Feb or so, you will probably have the better luck in, or close to the channel. I usually fish from mid lake to the dam during this time. When the spawn starts, the creek mouths will be the place to start until they actually go into the creeks and the lilly pads will be a good place to be. Weather and water temps will be the key as to when and what they do. Just gotts hang in there and try to follow them. I fish Talquin most of the time. Maybe we'll get together on the water sometime......Good Luck.

Thanks guys. Great info. Yeah, TnT, I live up at Joe Budd so I seldom stray farther west than little River.

Little River is usually a hot spot in late Spring....Be prepared to go get em!!!!

When the weather gets hot and the fish are suppose to go deep.......head to Little River Flats........and fish the 5-10 feet water. Unreal but true.....