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What do y'all do to catch crappie after the spawn and they pulled out of the shallows? I know a lot of people troll but that's not an option for me as I'm fishing out of a bullet with a worked 300 on it so extended idling is not good because it will foul the plugs.
I find them under docks and boat houses after spawn. Brush and timber on the edges of channels are good too. They are staging up getting ready to head to deeper water. Docks and boat houses hold fish all year long but right after spawn they seem to hold there in abundance. Especially those that are quiet and don't have anything going on. Those that have spider webs on them are good places to start.
I wouldn't even use my Merc 90 to troll with !! Best option would be to just use your trolling motor, if you want to troll jigs or cranks out in open water.
I generally start casting jigs to blowdowns that extend into 15+ feet of water, brushpiles in the 12-18ft depths, spider rig jigs/plastics or jigs/plastics/minnow rigs around those brushpiles, longline troll jigs or Roadrunners @ 0.5-0.8mph in the 12-15ft depths (early) and then *pull cranks @ 1.8mph during the heat of the day. (* meaning I would pull cranks if I was equipped to do so)
Shooting docks is another option, if the lake has an abundance of them. Stationary docks (on poles) are the best, but floating docks can be fished (they're just a little more difficult).
Water temps, thermocline setup depth, and the depth and activity/movement of Shad schools will determine what depth the Crappie will suspend at ... while weather conditions & changes will determine what mood the fish will be in.
Fishing at night, under lights, is another option when the daytime heat is too much for comfortable fishing.
... cp :kewl
Thanks for the tips guys, have any of y'all ever used a drop shot for them. I do it bass fishing and it looks like it could be useful for deep crappie with maybe a minnow or a little grub. I'm looking for single rod tips as i like to feel that thump and then set the hook.
Personally, I have not used a "drop shot" setup to fish for Crappie. But, ask this question on the Main Message forum and you should get some answers, as I know there are others that have & do use this technique.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trapper13
... cp :kewl
Trapper; There are a lot of videos on youtube about drop shotting summertime crappie. Here is one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57xQQ7vP-y4
I've been catching mine using Caps & Colman rigs. They are easy to store when made up ahead of time and work well with minners or jigs.
Thanks again guys, I'm gonna have to get out there and get after them and let the fish tell me what they want. I'm sure it want be any different than bass fishing just different techniques.
Try casting and counting down jigs around brush piles if there is any.
How about in 85 Degree Water...? They are Not Biting, out in the Lake in My Honey hole...Go to the Docks..? I'm usually in 10-12 ft water...Stained water, brown...FL lakes..
I will have to second trolling/ pushing/ pulling cranks. Let's you cover a lot of water to find actively feeding fish.
They are scattered in our lakes in Florida during the summer. I recommend longlining or cranks to cover area. Start multiple depths to cover the water column and see where they're holding then adjust to that depth. Sometimes they're in 2-3' in 10-12 and other times I've seen them hug the bottom. Depends on the thermocline and oxygen levels. Lots of reaction bites.Quote:
Originally Posted by Airwolf49
What about those of us that are shore bound? Are we pretty much out of luck post spawn?
Try around docks and under docks and under bridges around their pilings. The water temperature is getting hotter and just like we do they look for shaded places that are cooler. Also try deeper water around blow down trees or over brush. Shallow water around lily pads and tall grass are also places to try. Any day fishing is a good day.Quote:
Originally Posted by RiverSlabber
Not necessarily ... Scrat has some good info, plus you can sometimes find Crappie relatively shallow in the early AM, especially if the cover or object you are fishing is in the shade. The deeper banks with wood cover, especially blowdown trees that extend deep into the water, will usually hold fish for a longer period of the day. Since the fish have cover & depth, they have a choice as to how deep they can go to stay in the shaded water. Water temps in shaded areas are going to be cooler than the surrounding water, and even if they're not cooler (as in the case of "moving water"), the shade provides camouflage for the fish.Quote:
Originally Posted by RiverSlabber
... cp :kewl
Lots of good advice but different lakes require different tactics sometimes.