trouble with cold water crappie

Hello from NJ. I'm a new member and I need some help. I've gotten pretty good at catching crappie during the warmer months here in NJ but I am at a complete loss when fishing for them in cold water.
The water temperature where I'm fishing has been 42. I'm marking fish on my sonar throughout the entire water column but they're not responding to anything that I put in front of them. I've been fishing very slow because of the cold temps, using different baits with different presentations and have had no success. I don't expect every mark on the sonar to be a crappie but some of them must be because I have caught plenty of slabs in these lakes.
I read an article by Jeff White about trolling crank baits for cold water crappie and am going to try that this weekend. Has anybody tried this method in cold water with any success.
Suggestions, tips and information of any kind will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Me being from the Alabama gulf coast I can't be much help with cold water conditions but I'm sure some one will chime in to help. Welcome from the Alabama delta

If you haven't done it first thing I would do is down size my baits. Seems in cold water they like tiny baits. Also crank baits will catch fish in cold water.

try fishing only around some structure for a while and see if that helps.Sometimes the fish to catch are so tight to cover they get lost in the return.Just go structure to structure and try to put your bait right in front of them... Fish wood first,if you don't have a lot of wood then try rock,weed beds,something that gives them something for cover. If baitfish are present close by so much the better. The other thing is try to fish under baitfish balls. That gives you specific targets to look for and make your presentation. Try to find a creek channel with standing timber or stumps,and then look for brush piles in among the timber that are along the creek channel. Locate some at different depths and then try to find what depth they are preferring. You may want to try a weedless jig because you will need to drop it right in the structure at times. Get situated and sit real still and look and feel for a real light bite. I sometimes use a slip bobber even if I am right beside the boat and fishing 30 ft deep. I use enough weight to have the bobber where it will barely float and look for the slightest movement. Just use different size split shots to get it just right.

Most fish at those temps will be right on the bottom. You may see suspended fish and they might be active crappie but for the most part, in water under 45 degrees the majority of fish will be within that first two feet from the mud. A steep transition from shallow to 10 -15 feet deep will be where they are. Preferably soft bottom and better still if there are sunken wood or stumps down there. They will still be in protected spots without sunken wood. If there are standing trees they will be around them but again deep. As already said, small and slow, many times verticle will out fish casts and soft plastics will out fish live bait.

Scan steep drop offs around points either visable or sunken until you see fish. Keep in mind when fish are that close to th. bottom and your moving slow the eturn will be noting more than a smear of color on the bottom line on th screen. With mine it shows up as yellow when right over them or red when they are off to the side of the cone.

Also, there is a chance that you are already getting bites but not feeling them. Use nothing over 6 pound mono, and jigs no heavier than 1/16 oz. I like straight tailed baits in the winter and not twisters. When in a likely spot drop the jig right to the bottom and give the reel 2 revolutions. Hop the jig up and down two or three times then let it sit completly still and wait for a tap, then set the hook. If your not feeling a tap a slow lift will often indicate a fish when you feel the weight.

One last thing I do. I use my jigging mode on the fish finder constantly to confirm fish. When i roll up to a spot I will drop a jig straight down and see if there ar any reactions. If you see a fish come up to look, at least you know there is so ething alive down there and it raiss your confidence a lot. Hope this helps.

Going to move this to Main Crappie board....so you can get more info. Welcome to C.C

Went the other day and fished some submerged trees visible on surface. Each were about 40 feet from each other. There were two other anglers on a couple of trees close by but I did not see them catching anything. They were moving around their jigs fast and popping them to much from what I could see. The water was 22 feet deep around trees and I could see some signs on the sonar that were faint.
I pulled up as quietly as possible to a lone tree and anchored without moving the tree one bit. Once in place I fished from the bottom up with a 1/32 jig head with a Bobby Garland baby shad in Lights Out color and tipped the jigs with crappie nibbles or a minnow. I let the jig hit the bottom and cranked up one or two reels and STOPPED. And WAITED. And WAITED. I moved as close as I could to the tree and BAM! They are tight and will not swim out, up or down to your bait when they are that cold. The water makes them lethargic and not want to move unless the food is dangled right in their face.
I jigged without the minnows and nibbles a bit as well but they wanted something to smell and taste it seemed to me.
My suggestion is to SLOW DOWN and go small and use live bait or attractant to help find them. If they hit the jig alone you are golden. If not just sit and wait and they will hit it.

Thanks to everybody who responded to my cold water crappie thread. I will definitely try all of the suggestions. I'm on a mission!!!!

Thanks "G"!

If I was you I would fish like I do. I use a short 5 ft rod and vertical jig using my fish finder / flasher to find them ad then watch the bite.

Get ahold of Grousefly, or another member that makes weedless heads and get some with a good sized hook, I like a 2, and get some braided line. The coil in mono will sometimes absorb the little things that braid will transmit to you. I used shad bodies of different styles, mostly 3" or 2 1/2" bodies, and find some standing timber or other structure near but not in current. I used 1/4oz heads to keep the jig straight down and full contact. Others will work, I have them as light as 1/32 all with brushguard like a toothbrush bristle. Mark the line at say 20' and figure out how to add or subtract line to that mark so you can return to the depth that worked best.
I fished 50 to 55 fow and the fish were at 30 to 35'. The jig had to be near motionless with a 2" lift of the jig every 15 to 30 seconds and no more. Too much activity and they wouldn't touch it. Calm winds worked best for me. Most of the fish were of size for the box without digging for the measure stick, lots over a pound. Work a depth for about 30 minutes and then raise or lower it 3 or 4' and work that for a while. When you find it you will know. Hit a calm warm day last January with a friend we did this and had over 50 keepers though the boat in just over 3 hours. Good luck and have fun figuring it out.....Skeet

Give the shallow water stumps and brush piles a try. I'm talking 8 ft deep. Put a 1/32 oz jig head with a fake minnow and crappie nibble about 5 ft deep under a small bobber and fish those spots. I added a very small shot about six inches above the jig. This method is producing very well for me right now in NW PA.
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been smoking them on the same ol 2" twister tail as summer. i just run it slower. its cold and ready to freeze here too. also using minnows and floats at the same time.

We have similar water temps up here in MA as well. Winter just refuses to set up this year - not that I'm complaining mind you! I've been pretty successful slow rolling 1/16 oz. jigs with straight tailed plastic trailers. Count down one cast at 6....then 8.....then 10 and so-forth on each consecutive cast. Once you find the depth, vary your retrieve speed and you'll clock 'em eventually. Good Luck and welcome aboard! :)

Had another unsuccessful outing today. Same story as before. Fish all over the screen, none in the box. Tried every technique suggested and still came up empty. Very discouraged. Think I'll try a different lake next week. It's going to be a tough week at work.

Blieve it or not this warm water is making it more difficult. Fished today and caught 25 small ones. They were everywhere from suspending in deeper water 5 feet down to up in water 2-3 feet deep. Surface temps were 62 degrees which is nuts for this time of year. I was mostly unsuccessful finding a school of fish other than getting on one loose school of tiny ones as I left.

We use 1/8 to 1/4 oz jigs in winter . Most bait fish are larger at this time of year. We look for Shad schools in deep water and the Crappie should be close . Many times almost on the bottom near bait fish . But sometimes they do go shallow even in winter . I like the heavier jig to keep line tight to detect even lightest bites in deep water

Here is a youtube video explaining why to use big baits for Crappie in winter .. .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfAjyca6QN8

There is a great thread on Crappie.com related to water temp and crappie action. I don't have it saved as a link, hopefully someone will post the link to the thread.

Remember the basics, crappie are predators and hunt in low light conditions. They are also a food source, and they are prayed upon in low light conditions as well. Makes them skidish at times. Crappie also like an easy meal, find their food source and fish around it. At this time of year, with the unusual temps they could be just about anywhere. However, I would start about half way down a drop off. They will be facing the drop off, actually their nose will be so tight to the drop off you could pull your jig right past them and they wont even see it. Best way to fish them is from the lake side, cast up to the shore and bounce your jig down the drop off, slowly.

You already saw the technique for crappie holding tight to trees.

If the crappie are suspended, pulling cranks or spider rigging are your best options.

Realize, crappie move around the lake as the seasons change. They have preferred waters for spring, different waters for summer, different waters for winter, and they have preferred routes to get from one place to the next.

The only way to learn is to spend time on the water. We ALL went through the same thing. What works for me today may or may not work for you on your body of water.

waters here in Texas rarely get that chilly , but one thing i know for certain is i hit alot of different lakes with a huge amount of differences in them . some fish park on the bottom ,some fish suspend ,some run up creeks and it seems to me that for the most part the lakes vary greatly in what where and how when it comes to crappie in the winter . the scenario you are presenting might be suspended open water fish and even though i almost never try to ketch those . you might want to drop live bait about a foot above the suspended marks on multiple rods tandem and drift very slowly thru the marks.
hope you figure em out soon and good luck ......

I fish south jersey often and vertical jigging has been the ticket as of late. Once the jig is down to the desired depth hold it dead still. Less can be more this time of the year. Try minnows too sometimes they make all the difference. More times than not I'm using a double rig and tying a small jig on the top can help as well.

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Originally Posted by NJcrappie

I fish south jersey often and vertical jigging has been the ticket as of late. Once the jig is down to the desired depth hold it dead still. Less can be more this time of the year. Try minnows too sometimes they make all the difference. More times than not I'm using a double rig and tying a small jig on the top can help as well.

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Most folks just think they hold a jig dead still . I challenge you to use a long jig pole and hold that jig out in the air on a full pole length of line dead still . It ain't happening . I show folks this alot when they ask if I jig up and down alot . There is always some movement intentional or not .:biggrin

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Originally Posted by NIMROD

Most folks just think they hold a jig dead still . I challenge you to use a long jig pole and hold that jig out in the air on a full pole length of line dead still . It ain't happening . I show folks this alot when they ask if I jig up and down alot . There is always some movement intentional or not .:biggrin

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I agree 100%. I should of said no added movement. :)

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Originally Posted by NJcrappie

I agree 100%. I should of said no added movement. :)

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I really just wanted to make those people who don't know aware that there is always some movement . Sometimes the fish want little movement and will not chase or move far to take a bait .:highfive

From one Ladd to another check out some ice fishing videos and do that in your boat. Vertical is vertical. Sonar is sonar.

Matt, I've been fishing lakes in Orange C. N.Y., including West Point lakes and ponds and the water temperature is similar to what you've been fishing. What I've found is that most pan fish species are in a few locations that don't vary much.
They are:
1. shallow (4')
2. mid depth (5-7')
3. in 8' or more

The key to me catching over two dozen fish every outing I attribute to a few tackle and presentation factors:
1. light line 4# test (leader or main line) to reduce line bow retrieving small jigs
2. small jigs - mostly 1/32 oz but also 1/16 oz depending on depth. The deeper the heavier the jig head.
3. finesse action baits. I use my own hand pour designs - some with no tail, some with a thin straight tail but most definitely not a curl tail. The action must be slow and subtle on a slow retrieve IMO. Some even use floats with the lures I've suggested and do very very well - even from shore. Hair or feather jigs may do okay, but the idea is that near dead stop, they move just a bit to annoy fish into striking. Again my opinion.
4. a very slow retrieve horizontally, casting as far as possible to cover more water when in open water. I've also hopped the lures off clean bottom with success after letting the lure sit for 3-4 seconds, raising the rod tip and retrieving very slowly with pauses in the turns of the reel handle.

Know the location of the flats and their edges to deeper water. You may fish parallel to those edges. Stumps are nice anywhere but don't concentrate on fish being right next to them - fish near them. Stumps are habit forming for some fish and they seem to attract some fish regardless of season.

Again - finesse in lure action and retrieve will get far more strikes even slowly drift trolling - but in all cases find out where in the water column fish are hitting. I use sonar only to find structure patterns - not fish seen on the screen regardless of depth. Granted it's always nice to see schools of bait fish but only to see how close they are to the bottom or surface. Once location patterns are found, depend on them for the near future. Usually fish devoid in certain areas of a water will stay clear of them for a short period and then possibly visit those areas temporarily, so ever so often cast a few to see what's what.

Because of the very warm season, fishing has been the best I've ever encountered in December and hopefully won't vary much even if snow falls (like today) and lowers the water temp to the upper 30's. Thank G they're cold blooded and the strike is solid - even casting to the same spot after a miss !

Just some ideas that may fit where you fish.

Thanks again to everybody for their support. I got rained out at work today so I checked out a lake further south of me where I got some nice crappie in the spring. Although it had rained pretty hard, the water in the lake was still very clean so I'll be giving it a shot there on New Year's Day.
As you know from my previous posts, I have been unsuccessful fishing in a reservoir close to home. I did not mention however that the water level there is extremely low from drought and public usage and that presently the water quality is,in my opinion, poor (green algae-like material on surface and very low visibility). Hopefully this southern lake will be better for me. Wish me luck and thanks again to everybody.

we sure hope to see some pics of a full live well come first of the year then! good luck

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the water level there is extremely low from drought

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Believe it or not, that should be a good thing. Most surface algae should be gone by now with suspended algae at a minimum. I haven't found algae to be a deterrent unless an area is low in oxygen and 40 degree water should fish like 60 degree water when fish are found that can be provoked into striking. For some reason where I've been fishing, yellow perch have been caught in better numbers than all the other species combined. Crappie account for less than 1/4, but 12" fish are always part of the daily creel. (12" crappie are considered large for a few of the small waters I've been fishing.)

In any case, keep at it and report how you do.

I've caught them pulling cranks October through December in the past can't hurt to try it up there

I am a northern NJ crappie addict and luckily I have been getting out a couple of days a week. On dec 30 I did real well but only with gulp jigheads and a slipfloat. The fast action fall fishing with my homemade roadrunners, small spinnerbaits and Charlie b. sliders has come to an end. For weeks they would chase and come up a foot or two and now as expected they want it still and in their face.
I have been learning from this site for two years and am greatfull to all who have shared their knowledge and I hope that some one finds my observations and info useful.
Happy New Year
Marc

Also....people have always sought out info for any body of water around that may have "turned on". People who fish a lot around here follow the bite if there is one going on.If no specific word is out then you pick one and go see what you can figure out.But if one of your reliable sources says " hey,fish are bitin' over on lake X heard they were catchin em shallow on stump flats on XXXX jigs or whatever" then that's where you go.

Sometimes lakes just turn on and sometimes to a specific pattern and they always have. You have to use mostly local people that our in your "circle of trust" because people can't always broadcast it over the internet without a hoard of people descending on them.