Summer Crappie Patterns?

Anybody want to help a fellow out. This is my first year crappie fishing, and from a kayak at that. Up until about 3 weeks ago, I was finding them around bridge pilings and deep channels with structure. The last two weeks, not a single crappie bite in these locations. Before I was catching 5-9 keepers a trip. Any general information would be appreciated. I usually fish in the morning from about 8 till noon if that helps. Again I was finding them in about 19 to 25 ft of water at different depths with live minnows. I fish the upper(NC) end of lake Wylie the most.

Thanks again!

When I fished the Catawba chain years back at this time of year I caught them on brush piles in 20-30 water on channel edges. They would be 15-18 feet deep over the brush just as the sun came up, then work their way down to the brush as it got lighter.

Where your fishing you should be catching something.

You could take your kayak up into the river section with a tube of crickets and have fun with the bream. Very small crank baits and spinners work good too.

They are moving, 2 weeks ago we were killem under deep docks, now you can't catch a fish under them same docks, This week we killed them on brush 12 to 18 feet, tried deep brush ( 2 days this week) nothing! in 20 to 30 feet of water. The bait has moved back in the creeks some, some of the fish have followed the bait. The fish are near the channel, nothing out on the flats. By Sept they should be on the brush good, right now one pile will be loaded and the next one will not have a fish on it.

I f you go for bream, try a flyrod with a bassbug and bream bug in tandem. As quiet as that kayak is and the surprise presentation of the flyrod, plus fast rate of casting, you never know what you might scare up.!

About the same pattern here fishing brush that Countryboy stated.Been off the last two weeks and killed them last week went back this week they were pretty much on the same places 12-16 ft. but instead of casting to them you had to get over them,lower the jig and lift it and they would nail it.I think they relate to the shallower brushpiles because of the thermocline.From now until fall I also catch a lot of fish letting the jig go all the way to the bottom around outside of brush.A 1/16 roadrunner works really good for this in late summer.

Appreciate the replies!' I tried around Southpoint wildlife landing this morning with not even a bite. I fished around the fish attractor just north of the landing in 20 ish feet of water, then tried the docks on the opposite side of the lake. There was even a recent big oak blow down from this year that went all the way out to 30 feet of water. I was using a white curly tail on small jig head. Tried vertical jigging with crappie nibble on jig and also shot docks with different retrieves. Nothing. I did see several schools of bait near the middle of lake in about 15 ft of water and even tried to cast into them. I need to figure something out soon. The yak is great but the area you can cover is extremely limited. Thanks again.

Crewmax42, yes a fly rid would kill the bream now. There was a large hatch of mayflies last night and all docks are covered. Saw bream hitting anything that floated, but no takers on the jig. I fly fish but not ready to try out of the yak yet.

Two ways find good brush or troll through schools of shad and I prefer the later. I guess a third could be under a light at night the perch are so aggravating then though.

What is good brush this time of year? Certain depth? Location? I'm a rookie. Thanks

Not to be a smart butt but you gotta check there are no solid answers find a pile and fish it if nothing move on.

Appreciate it. Not taken smart at all.

This is exactly the time of year when I find myself wishing I had taken time to sink some trees. We ( wife and I) have fished the fish attractors so many times with no luck that we ignore them anymore. Having some crappie condos might be helpful.

Crewmax42, I have heard the same thing, and only had one
"Bad" experience. Why do you think that is? Are they not basically condos professionally done?

Also, I'm gone to try the bamboo condos here soon.

I have no clue. If I did, and it was something I was doing, I would try to turn it around. In my case, maybe it is a lack of patience.During my bank fishing days ( my big dirt boat), I had a lot of patience and did a lot of still fishing. There was time for the fish to settle down, if my presence spooked them. These days, I pull up in a big old pontoon boat like a scene from " War of the worlds" hovering over the residents below. Maybe I get too close, don't stay long enough, or maybe I have caught my lifetime quota. Anyone's guess.

may I suggest sinking few condos (PVC) and never tell anyone except the very trusted fishing buddy their location, then each time you fish them take a few cans of cheap dog food with a few holes punched in them, and drop them over the condos. The only way this really works is the fewer people that knows about the location the better it works.

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Originally Posted by boots

may I suggest sinking few condos (PVC) and never tell anyone except the very trusted fishing buddy their location, then each time you fish them take a few cans of cheap dog food with a few holes punched in them, and drop them over the condos. The only way this really works is the fewer people that knows about the location the better it works.

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not only can u crappie fish them u can also cat fish them with the can dog food around them :twocents

I'm gonna let y'all in on my best Summer secret bait: a spoon! I use 1/4 oz Hopkins in silver an a 3/8 oz CC spoon also in silver. I can mark a deep brush pile, cast a jig to it at all levels, get over top of it an jig a Bucktail over it, an think there are no crappie there. break out the spoon an catch a dozen poppin the spoon rite over the brush. I use 8-10 lb mono an a medium action rod. I install a split ring an quality swivel an change to one size larger hook. Try it!

Thanks, fish doc. Sounds like a good technique. I have never really given spoons a chance. Especially if there is a shad die off, this would be a good technique. I am always on the lookout for crappie condos when I am watching my finder ( which is all the time) . It would be instructional to try sinking one and seeing what it looks like in sonar.

Thanks again for all the replies. I'm definitely am going to try condos out before end of summer. With being less mobile in the water I can cover I probably need them more than most. I will try the spoon. I have been wearing out white perch schools with them around dark.

Sounds like a plan. I have read some of the guys are security conscious when they are delivering and installing their condos to reduce the potential prying eyes. Also, no one has a definitive answer ( that I have seen) if they are entirely legal. Might be better to do them during hunting season.

I have about 18condos in Falls, 3 depth ranges, 12 to 15', 17 to 21' and 25 to 30',
spring I fish em shallow, now in summer my mid range ones are producing, in the fall when the temps drop, I hit the deep ones.
keeps the family in Crappie, takes work but well worth my time,
I leave the ramp about 1/2 before light,
Good fishing

Condos= cold, rainy days when others are at home.

We have done real good this week on brush in 12 to 18 foot of water, vertical jigging. I like the cane best for the condos. If done right they will last atleast 3 years. Then they start breaking down. I have put them in and went back 5 hours later and caught fish on them, we did one last year and went back that afternoon and caught 50 crappie off it.