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i will admit it and say crappie fishing is not one of my strengths. i am just looking fo some tips because i want to catch some. i njust would like to try someting new i have mastered the striper, white bass ,bass,bream,and catfish of wateree but i have never really caught any crappie on wateree. just looking for some tips and tricks for the lake this tie of year.
locate some brush, drop down some battery cables, zap them but DONT' collect them,
come back later once you've confirmed that they are there,
easy
Use reel rod or pole whatever you have use cork about 3' deep(try different depths if not catching) with small split shot and minnows try different depths of water and around brush and cover. This is easiest way to start with then when you start doing well catching crappie buy all the artificial stuff. Then you know you are hooked on crappie fishing.:twocents
The best way to catch 'em is with a hook right in the corner of their mouths.:Rofl:Rofl:Rofl
I'm sorry...I couldnt help it.:biggrin I've never crappie fished Wateree but I am a firm believer that when you find the bait youre close to the fish. ALWAYS watch your graph.;)
I used to fish wateree quite a bit. The best way to catch crappie year around on that lake is to longline. It is an easy lake to fish as it is not real wide, just kinda like a wider part of the original river. Launch at the State Park and head for the dam. Run across the flats and the channel looking for them. If this does not work in about an hour, run down to the lower lake and start back up doing the same this time of year. When the water cools, and winter comes along, the top half of the lake is the best. Trolling is the deal on Wateree. I quit fishing it when the fish advisory came about due to you should only eat so many ounces of fish per month or some nonsense. There is some good sized crappie in that lake, and generally you catch the bigger ones trolling. Kit
I agree with Kit, longining is still a strong method at present. As the water clears, and the pleasure boating increases, fishing over deep water brush with be the best method. Minnows on a tight line fished along the channel ledge will also produce nicely.
I have never met you, but I can tell, if I entered a tournament and you were a player I would consider you a threat. Lol! You might just make me use my brain.Quote:
Originally Posted by Inkdabber
I plan to try the long line for a couple hours for a couple days this week, but if not working will immediately start working brush tossing jigs around it, and even using the brewer slider right in the brush.
I fish Lake Murray 99 percent of the time, it is close to home, and the clear water does not bother me, I just understand it. Yep a real good summer pattern is brush piles around 20 to 30 feet. Those in 10 feet sometimes on a cloudy day, bright clear day, go deep young man. Chuckle. Kit
Well Kit, I don't consider myself when speaking of great crappie anglers, but I have been schooled by many a fine fishermen. I like to think I learned a thing or two along the way. I'm versatile, and capable of catching fish using numerous different techniques. Brush fishing using either jigs or minnows, tight and long lining is where I am best, but I am capable of dock shooting, casting, or slip bobber fishing as well. I have fished many crappie tournaments over the years, but have lost the desire to pursue them any longer. I've been successful in a few, winning a couple of Crappie Masters events, a couple of Crappie USA events, and a few locally held events. I fished lakes ranging south to Florida, west to Mississippi, and north to Indiana. Each area holds different sub species of crappie who act and relate to cover and structure differently. I'm not on this site to compete, I'm here for the friendships, the fishing reports, and to help a few folks out if I'm able. Telling someone how to use a technique, and their ability to comprehend, and apply this knowledge is rewarding to me. Usually when a tread is started by a fishermen asking a question pertaining to the how, when, and where to use a certain style a crappie fishing, numerous different replies will appear. I have learned a few variables to certain techniques by reading each response. What works best for you, may be done entirely different by someone else. It doesn't mean their technique is wrong, it's just how they learned to do it. This is a good site full of good people, I'll be looking forward to reading and replying to threads you start or respond to, just as I hope you do the same. The more input that is received, the better the site will become to all members.
Yes tournaments get to be work and not fun. I no longer fish them either. One big gripe I always had was it sure looks like it is going to be a great afternoon and evening and now I have to quit fishing and go check in? I want to keep fishing. A cool summer rain cools off the evening and I miss that? They were fun for awhile, but today I could care less about organized fishing. Cheers. KitQuote:
Originally Posted by Inkdabber
Kit , You need to come up and fish Wylie with this gang. They bout as unorganized there is. Ink is right bout the info given and received on this site. Great bunch of people here.Got a sensible question and get a sensible answer..
I used to go to many lakes, Wylie, Greenwood, wateree and Santee. Even the Edisto and Combahee Rivers. Now that I am more or less retired I fish three or four days a week and just stick close to home. Last three days on Murray was good for Gills, catfish, white perch, but the crappie have not improved on Murray, in fact I think it is a declining fishery. I even have a new fish story, my jig just stopped, hung up I thought, then it took off and there was no way to stop that fish. It must have been BigFoot in a scuba outfit. Lol! I never saw it so it could have been a huge flathead or one of those grass carp.Quote:
Originally Posted by ofishlbizzness
Anyway caught 16 crappie this morning on this rig Attachment 204539 Small 1/32 jig, 1 and 1/2 black/chart jig drop shot with 1/8 sinker. Fish were in and around the brush piles in 18 to 22 feet of water. The key was to fish brush and deep docks with brush right next to a creek channel of some kind. If a deep water cove did not have a creek channel it did not have any fish. Crappie are tuff on Murray sometimes, but there are lots of fish that will nail the rig I posted. Even the channel cats jump on it. It is a catch anything rig. Crappie did run small, I suspect they get caught before they can grow up. I did try the long line a couple hours Tuesday and Wednesday, caught like six one day and four the next but very small so gave up on that until fall. Fish are in the brush for the summer. Kit
Kit what size rod are you using?
I use a 6 foot 9 inch Lews Drop Shot Rod, any medium light longer rod with a very fast tip works well. I also use Nanofil line or braid and one can feel a gnat breath on the line. That is important as sometimes a crappie bite is light. Braid also is strong enough you can most of the time just bend the hook when you get hung up. A jig pole rod would work well also as about half the time I vertical jig the brush piles, but do like to cast to the deep end of docks and maybe make a cast or two into 35 feet of water at times and sometimes they are that deep. Many stories abound about how the sneaky fish can see your line, in reality I have found it makes no difference at all, be it bright so you can see it or what, the fish do not care. They are not educated trout in a small stream with six inches of water. For the summer up until Thanksgiving time and the water cools a bit, all the crappie, big Gills, along with bass, catfish will be found in deeper water holding on brush. For crappie that little smaller twist tail works well, for Gills some kind of creature jig or even a bluegill fly rigged in this way works better if you specifically wish to target the Gills. A small one inch hair jig also works well on the Gills. Another place to fish for Gills are the deep drop off points of the underwater humps and Islands offshore they will be found on those points. Crappie though are always in the brush relating in some manner to brush as this is the only cover left in the lake during the summer when they like deep water.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eatmorecrappie
Last but not least, on Murray sometimes you have to tip the jig with a small minnow, crappie on Murray are finicky sometimes. So if one really specifically wants to target crappie, minnows save the day . I never worry about it and if they bite fine, if not fine, many other fish to keep me entertained. Also early from daylight until about 10 a.m. they will be suspended above the brush, then as the sun boils your hair they do sock into the brush and you have to go after them.
Kit
So Kit when you are fishing brush you never cut your motor off? You just drive up to the brush and start fishing letting the motor idle? When you drift away from the brush you just drive back up to it? Would the sound of the motor running not scare the fish? Thanks
That is an answer with many answers. No the motor will not scare the fish. As a matter of fact on Wateree there is a guide whom backtrolls with main engine and a big wind sock and the turbulence increases the numbers caught. It all just depends on where you are fishing and the conditions and how thorough you need to work a given area. It also depends on the lake and exactly what you are fishing and yes on the wind conditions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eatmorecrappie
On Lake Murray if you are fishing only brush and you know where the brush is yes you can make a milk run and vertical jig brush piles and never shut the main engine off and do very well. If you find a concentration of fish then deploy the trolling motor and stay awhile and work the area over.
I suppose take two lakes for an example, Santee and Lake Murray. On Santee working brush is the game in the summer. Always that is the game. Any docks are in shallow water and no need to even waste time. There are a few in deeper water but they are pounded to the point it is take a number to participate. Lol! So you run the brush from pile to pile .
On Lake murray the brush is more spread out, especially the offshore brush piles and to carefully work them is better. Also most deep water coves with a creek channel that swings in close to deep water docks the docks all have brush piled in front of them and in some coves you can work six to ten brush piles in the same cove. However it is worth working the deep dock posts also and also worth a cast or two in the general area of those docks as people tend to toss their Christmas tree off the side of the dock anywhere. So in such places I use the trolling motor. But sitting over a brush pile with trolling motor or main motor does not scare the fish.
You will be amazed at the numbers of brush piles in front of docks at Murray. Turn on your electronics and learn to use them and you will find many brush piles in 18 to 22 feet of water in front of docks, and pay particular attention to any dock with rod holders and crappie lights on the dock. Those the home owner has placed brush in front of them. Some are quite large as they add all their tree limbs to the brush pile each year. It is well worth your time to take a couple days and just look for brush piles and become familiar with where they are.
Offshore ones......well in the past I have cheated. (Grin) Let me tell ya a secret. Chuckle. Most crappie guides on Lake Murray work out of the landing at Hollands. It has all they need for their guests. Restrooms, a place to eat, nice docks so the client does not fall into the water.....Lol. So you can go bass fishing with a casting rod and a pair of binoculars and spy on them. Long ago this is how I located some nice brush piles. They sneak out there with brush piled on a pontoon boat and build them. Hey all is fair in love, war and fishing. So you see a guide toss out a marker and put his clients to work you can be sure there is a brush pile right there. Most are on a point or in a flat close to deep water.
In summary most brush piles that are productive are found in deep water coves that have a defined creek channel into the cove ,the docks on the creek channel side will be the productive ones, those on the off side are barren. Fish use the creek channel as migration routes in and out. On Murray most of the time I use the trolling motor and work a deep water cove slow and careful. I work the deep dock posts along with the brush. If I were such as at Santee I would use only the main motor be it working a milk run of brush or cypress trees. Those cypress knees that grow underwater that you cannot see hold lots of fish sometimes. On windy days one hand on the main motor bumping it in and out of gear with a jig pole in one hand works well, it just depends on that day.
Now on Murray with all those docks and fancy homes, there is the rare homeowner who will give you a hassle and come out there and tell you those are my fish. In some many years of fishing murray this has happened maybe half a dozen times. I guess they drank some sour milk that day. Lol! I just say yes sir and move on. Those folks are already having a bad day and no need to let them ruin yours. It is a big lake and when you become aware of such a person, just leave them alone. There are those kind but they are rare. Most will wander down and talk to you and be helpful rather than obnoxious. But there is the occasional one who drunk sour milk.
Fish are always biting. There is no such thing as they are not biting today. They will bite if you figure it out.
Cheers.......Kit
Lazy fisherman let others do the work and reap the rewards. Not my cup of tea but the lakes are full of different people.
It doesn't take much to build some brushpile and it helps all fisherman. Just my :twocents
Not to bash anyone, but I agree with you 100%. You'll never see me follow anyone, or a pair of binoculars in my boat.Quote:
Originally Posted by STUMP HUNTER
Very well, I will leave you boys to it. Not a whole lot of difference than turning on the electronics and side scan and finding brush piles that way. That is the modern way to find them. They show up quite well, all you have to do is run down the lake about 5 mph and there they are.Quote:
Originally Posted by STUMP HUNTER
See ya in the next life.
Cheers
Kit
Kit if you would put some brush out, and see how much work it is in doing so, then you will understand the reason for the comments from Ink and Stump Hunter. I myself have put hundreds of brush out and it is very hard to watch people fish, and not understand the work that is put in to have a place to fish. Food for thought if you put your self in our shoe you may see thing different. Do something for your self, just put one brush out and I will assure you will see things in a different light. Just my 5 cents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kit, I think they drank some sour milk!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've built brush piles and found others fishing on them. No big deal; it's public water and you must realize that. Sure it's hard work but if I spot a brush pile, I'm going to fish it; and if another fisherman comes by, I am likely to tell him to join in on the action. He may be a newbie and needs to build his confidence up, or he may out-fish you and you just might learn something from him. I won't ruin my day getting into a peeing contest over a pile of sticks. If you know how to catch crappie you will eat dinner too.
B-
It amazes me how one person can say what he thinks and it is OK but when the other side expresses their point it's all wrong. No one has said anything about don't fish my brush piles. The man said he watches for others to show him where the brush pile are and I said he is a lazy fisherman.
I for one want my grand children to learn you have to work for what you get but it seems some of you would rather just fish the piles that are already there. Sooner than later if everyone just fishes and puts no work into making pile there won't be any pile for anyone. Sour milk ? really, I have shown more people how and where to fish than you could probably ever fish so don't come here talking about sour people. I am going to state what I think just like you have the right to state what you think.