Picky fish on the bottom.

Any tips on getting picky fish to bite. After a week of searching found crappie in the deepest hole of a bigger bay (31' deep) and have spent a few nights sitting out there from sunset to 8-9pm and they seem to be hugging the bottom and not suspending at all. We have tried everything from genz wormz to micro jigs tipped with wax worms, crappie nibbles, minnows, or bare. we have managed to catch only 2 or 3 fish a night in the 12-14" range (which is a good size for this lake) but no big schools have moved in. In the summer 9-10" fish is the common catch.

Have you tried any plastics? micro tails or even the tube jigs you use in the summer should help. Keep changing colors until you find one that will work. Try some spoons if you have them. If the fish are there you should be able to get them to bite. I hope this helps

I have to agree with Bob G.

Downsize.Go with small jig sizes from 1/64th oz,1/80th oz,1/100th oz,and 1/124 oz sizes.Sometimes micro in the winter is the way.Good luck

Oh...and you can get small size jigs at Cabela's.:D

I have down sized and combined plastics with spikes in super slow motion and been able to pluck the so called non-hitters off the bottom or out of their favorite hideouts.

try smaller jigs or even a fly on a dropper above a egg-sinker...try to use the lightest jigs possible so they flutter on the way down...there probably is some down current near the bottom as well, that is where the fly would work well...try try try....

We have a lake like that here in CT. Try some glow. Chartruse, or reds. Put some meat on with your plastics we use spike (maggots). Recharge the jig often with an L.E.D. light. Are you useing electronics? The active crappie should rise offthe bottom in your case I'd work the 15'-25 ' depth. Recharge the glow often try some agressive jigging followded by long pauses, very long and hold absolutly still. With good electronics, you will know when to jig and when to pause by the reaction of the fish. When they are unresponsive, things can be slow, but you should be able to ice 12-15 on the slow nights and triple that on hgot ones. If all else fails, move over towards the bank and set up in that deeper water, but be NEAR the edge of the drop off. At the very least, you will be targeting active "crusining fish". The most important thing is to look for suspended fish or better yet, fish that will rise up to intercept your jig.

I agree with everyone. Paul is right on the money.
Looking for active fish that are suspended will put fish in your bucket.