Searching?Puzzled on Old Hickory

Howdy fellers, New to Crappie.com but it looks fun so I joined up!
BUT.....here's how I feel banghead I got some bushes out in the lower part of Old Hickory and have had a time finding any fish either on the bushes or out on the creek channels. I've caught a few but I just don't know where these Old Hick crappie go when the heat is on??? My bushes are in anywhere from 11 to 21 FOW along the channels and in ditches but it seems the fish are not in the creeks period! Any idea where they go in the summer? I know they are there somewhere.

I have never been on Old Hickory but I bet you can find them under some docks in about 20' of water or so. Sounds like you have your brush in the right location. I did notice something a few years ago about the time of year. The crappie seemed to want to be in the middle of the coves instead of near the shoreline. You may try long line trolling real slow in the middle and see what happens.

I was just telling a friend the other day of a time at tims ford. We were bank fishing from some old covered piers at a Holiday marina. Fished under them and in fornt and between with no luck. Went to the back next to shore I mean within 3 feet of shore it was about 5 foot deep with some brush and started catching crappie. Might be worth a try to go shallow in the back of cove's.

Can't help you on Old Hickory, but welcome aboard.

How tight are you on the brush? They are in the creeks on brush, but they are tight in the brush so you have to be tight on it. Use a tuffy minnow and let him swim in there. Hickory is not the best crappie lake out there, but they are in there.

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Originally Posted by AnyCrappieWillDo

How tight are you on the brush? They are in the creeks on brush, but they are tight in the brush so you have to be tight on it. Use a tuffy minnow and let him swim in there. Hickory is not the best crappie lake out there, but they are in there.

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Thanks y'all! They are bushes I put out and I'm losing plenty of jigs in'em so I don't know? I caught a couple nice ones one day and a couple more off 2 of the 15 I got out but I'm hitting them every 5 or so days since I put them out 5 weeks ago? I just kinda expected I could get a fish or 2 off each of the channel bushes tightlining but it ain't happening.

If it has been 5 weeks, maybe they just haven't all found them yet.

Are you the same hair jig from bbc?

They should be on them good this fall. Keep putting out the brush, some piles will do better than others. Make sure you have some at all levels, usually good to have them fairly close so you can get an idea of the depth fish are holding and then concentrate on these areas.

Its been my experience lately that the fish are in the deep water but suspended just above the thermocline. I believe they stay over the deep water as it gives the water above it a cooler temperature. During these hot summer days too, the top layer of water is growing good food for the plankton to feed on and the minnows are there feeding on it while the crappie, bass and other fish are there for the feast. Water temps yesterday was up in the upper 80s, about 88 to 89 degrees, and one other thing. Think about the wind direction thats been blowing all week before your trip. The fish will be to the downwind end of the deep water where the algea growth, the plankton, and the minnows are. Good luck. :)

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Originally Posted by slimeyslab

Are you the same hair jig from bbc?

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Mmm,different hairjig.

I think I'm just gonna have to wait to tightline the bushes,the fish aint on'em and I see tons og baitfish out roaming the river and creek channel. I think I'm just gonna go out there with a light at night and catch some stripes and maybe a few crappies. The cooler water will be here and a couple months then maybe the bushes will start producing.

Go to Drakes creek and never leave. Its the best one on the lake.

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Originally Posted by Hairjig

Howdy fellers, New to Crappie.com but it looks fun so I joined up!
BUT.....here's how I feel banghead I got some bushes out in the lower part of Old Hickory and have had a time finding any fish either on the bushes or out on the creek channels. I've caught a few but I just don't know where these Old Hick crappie go when the heat is on??? My bushes are in anywhere from 11 to 21 FOW along the channels and in ditches but it seems the fish are not in the creeks period! Any idea where they go in the summer? I know they are there somewhere.

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Hairjig,

I wouldn't spend much time back up in the creeks in the summer on OHL. You'll pick up more of them if you focus on the mouths of creeks and the creek channels of large creeks like Station Camp and Drakes Creek. They tend to hang in the deeper water (12' - 20') and they'll move up and down the water column all day. I pick up most OHL summer time crappie by trolling 200 and 300 series Bandit crank baits in black, chart, and white. Trolling also allows you to pull your lures on a even line through the water as opposed to tight lining or spider rigging, which will bounce your bait/jigs around with each jet skier/wake board boat that passes (which number by the million on OHL). Crappie don't fool around with a jig that's bouncing all around.

Try the crank baits. They'll look too big, but I promise they're not.

Good luck. And welcome to the forum.

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Originally Posted by Black Crow

Hairjig,

I wouldn't spend much time back up in the creeks in the summer on OHL. You'll pick up more of them if you focus on the mouths of creeks and the creek channels of large creeks like Station Camp and Drakes Creek. They tend to hang in the deeper water (12' - 20') and they'll move up and down the water column all day. I pick up most OHL summer time crappie by trolling 200 and 300 series Bandit crank baits in black, chart, and white. Trolling also allows you to pull your lures on a even line through the water as opposed to tight lining or spider rigging, which will bounce your bait/jigs around with each jet skier/wake board boat that passes (which number by the million on OHL). Crappie don't fool around with a jig that's bouncing all around.

Try the crank baits. They'll look too big, but I promise they're not.

Good luck. And welcome to the forum.

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I agree. You will not catch as many as you would on a good stake bed in April, but I do catch them in the heat with cranks when other ways aren't working.