Really Need Help With Crappie Fishing

After a lay-off of several years, due to not having a boat, I recently bought a "Scanoe," a canoe that you can mount up to a 4 hp motor, put a trolling motor on the back, and tried again, but without any success. Due to the problem of transporting the Scanoe & the fact that it is in the Upstate & I am in the Midlands, I will have to wait until I get back to the Upstate to try again.

On my most recent attempt, I put the boat right over a brush pile that was showing a water depth of about 18 feet and fish from about 15 feet to about 8 feet. My son & I put a minnow on a bottom hook and a jib up about 18 inches with the idea that the minnow would move enough to cause the jig to move just a bit. We tried at different times of the day on several occasions, but we never got so much as a single bite. In all my attempts, before and this recent attempt, I have only caught 1 SMALL crappie while trolling. I need all the help I can get.

I just read a post on another page of this forum about Lurkers not posting. I'm ain't posting, 'cause I ain't catching nuthin!

GF

You may have better luck using a float with a minnow or jig below you float 24''. Throw past the brush and work the minnow or jig back over the brush slowly. Also try throwing a jig past the brush without a float using a count-down method. Throw the jig past the brush pile and once the jig hits the water count to 2 before retrieving. Next time count to 4 and so on until you find the right depth by counting down your jig. All brush don't hold crappie and other brush may hold crappie at different times of the year.

What waters are you fishing. Color choice could make the difference in catching crappie also. Be sure to give some reports about your trips and let us know what you try, can help more once we know a few more details and water temps & water color.

Good luck

GF, this is about the hardest time of year to catch all species. Water temps are at their highest. Fish may be sluggish and holding deep. If you were starting in March, you would likely be having way more success. That said, early fall can find the crappie chasing schools of bait in open water in the mid to back of the creeks. I'm not much on sitting still over brush. Have you ever tried long lining? You can cover more areas and pull over more brush piles until you find fish. Hang in their. Lots of good info on this board if you will do a little looking around.

Thanks Stump Hunter & Fisholishous., I'm fishing a fairly small area of Lake Hartwell near the Tugaloo State Park, I think it's called. It's a Ga State Park. I can see the buoy for the Port Bass boat ramp from the entrance to the cove where I was fishing the brush pile. We used a variety of jig colors and skirts. White, Yellow, Pink and we were also using live minnows, but didn't have any luck at all. Someone from that area told me afterward that I should have been fishing deeper water. He said the Crappies were in about 25 or 30 feet of water. Do either of you know a good website to look at that would tell colors of jigs and depth of water to fish? I could look at it before I head up that way and would have an idea of what to look for when I got there.
Thanks

GF

You are on the best website for info I think. Add a few more details to your question and I feel sure someone will give you a direction to head in. Keep tryin and they will come.

That is a hard place to catch crappie even in the good months. Some of the small feeder creeks would be a good place to look. There are a lot of better spots near that part of the lake to fish, I'll send you some info with the package this week. More info from a few more fisherman that fish Hartwell would help. We have a forum page that you can't see because of your low post count, I do hope that will change when you start getting on the lakes.

Don't be afraid to post due to the lack of your catching.'the more you post of your bad fortune the more info we will have to help. Been a little while since I have been to hartwell but have always had good success on black and blue. I most always fish tugaloo side because it usually holds better water color. I don't know of any ramps real far up river but there are some channel bends up river full of stumps that are great places to start

Ok, ofishlbizzness, I'll try to add a detail or 2 here and if there is something else you think would help, ask the questions and I'll try to give you an answer. I'm sort of restricted as to how far I can travel because I'm using a new trolling motor and I'm not sure how far I can go with a single battery charge. Hopefully I can get another battery and when 1 goes down, I can hook up the other one and head home. Some of the jig heads I'm using are old ones that I bought some time ago, so I don't remember the names, etc. I think they are all either 1/8 oz or 1/16 oz. Some are round and some are triangular shaped. I have a few that have the eyes with the little black dot inside that moves around as the jig moves. I think they are a type of "doll eye." I have recently bought some 1/32 unpainted heads to try on my next trip up that way. Same thing for the skirts I'm using. I don't know the names of them. Some are yellow or chartreuse. Some are chartreuse and black, and I have also tried white, yellow & pink in marabou skirts. The Scanoe I'm using doesn't have any rod holders and I'm not sure if or how rod holders could be attached to it. It's made out of a plastic-type material. I have a topo map of Hartwell that I bought, probably around 2003 or 2004. I'm not sure if there have been newer ones made since then or not. But the one I have is in Oconee County and I'm in Chester County, so it will have to wait until I get back up there. Brush Pile, you mentioned that you have success with "black and blue" at Hartwell. Are those 2 different colors of skirts, or jig head and skirt or a two-tone skirt? I'll check my topo map next time I get a chance to look at it to see there are any channel bends in our area. I don't suppose places where there are lots of stumps show up on the topo maps? I appreciate everyone's help. If anyone would like any specific details that I have omitted, ask away. Thanks

GF

Randall you can pull up maps of Hartwell Lake, lots of details to study. How often do you get to fish Hartwell?

Thanks, Stump Hunter. Can you post a link to the Hartwell maps online? My wife & I have a retirement cottage that we hope to move to in 2 or 3 years. I will be old enough to retire this November, but for purposes of medical insurance for my wife, I plan to work on at least 2 more years, possibly 3. I am the Pastor of a small, rural church in Chester County and so my schedule is uncertain. We get to go up from time to time, but it is very irregular. But I have several occasions to be there and to fish throughout the Spring, Summer & Fall.

Take care

GF

Here is a great map Randall,

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=...05d&dg=feature

You are on the right track wit what you have. My go to colors are black and chartreuse and blue and black. With the blue and black I go with a blue head with black body and blue tail. For the life of me I cannot remember the name of the creeks I am thinking of but it is just down from the state park and have standing timber. The timber is marked on any good map but in one of the creeks it is visible and in one it isn't and harder to find. Both are in the water depth you are hunting right now. You should try those as well because they will not be as far a run as up river

Are you talking about Gum Log Creek? There is standing timber in there, but it may be too far down the lake for me to get to with a trolling motor. I'm further up the lake near the Tugaloo State Park.

Take care

GF

Yeah gum log and eastanollee I think is how it's spelled

Gill Fisher, its been a long time since I've fished Hartwell and I have never fished the area you are describing, but I had success fishing up around Clemson. There were several ramps up around that area of the lake that put you in on the rivers. I caught fish on standing timber, brush, bridges, and docks up there. I used a combination of live bait and jigs and black/chart., john deere green/chart, and black and blue were all good colors for me. Most of what I did was cast and vertical jig around that stuff and I caught a lot of pretty fish up there. With a little bit of trial and error I'm certain you'll figure them out before too long. The more posting you do here on the boards the more folks will help you! One thing is for sure, this is the best fishing site on the web and you'll find some GREAT people here that are willing to help and share information.

In addition to Stumps Map, here's one that might help you with contours: Navionics WebApp - Product Catalog

That's a Navionics Map that shows contours and other lake features. Use your mouse to scroll and zoom into your area. Hope it helps.

OK, Guys, the maps were both very helpful. In looking at the Navionics Map, I have identified some fallen timber that is nearby. I emailed a neighbor in Fair Play after I came home from my unsuccessful fishing trip and he told me about a brush pile in that area. But he may have been talking about the fallen timber. The place he identified is right at the fallen timber. I have been into Gum Log Creek with another neighbor who is now deceased & have caught Crappie in a couple of areas there with him. In looking at the map, it may be possible to get there with a battery and the trolling motor. The last time I was there was the first time I had used the Scanoe and it turns out that the battery I had was bad so I really don't have a good feel for how far and how fast I can go with a good battery. I'll know more after my next trip up there.

Brush Pile, I don't know where "eastanollee creek" is. I haven't found it on the map, so far. Could you give me an idea of where to look? Where is it from Gum Log Creek?

Thanks

GF

Gill Fisher try Todd Creek right out of Clemson, lot of lay downs and some very good fishing most of the time. Good luck Tommy Vaughan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry gill just got in and saw your question. I will get back to you tomorrow when I can dig out my map

No problem, Brush Pile. I appreciate all the help I'm getting here. I have several new jig bodies to try next time I get up there. I hope to also have a new battery for the trolling motor by then as well. And a neighbor of ours up there has given me a clue or two about a couple of places to fish. I hope the next go at it is going to be more successful.

Take care

GF