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I'm new to crappie fishing in a river, so I got to ask if crappie will spawn in the river or will they move up into backwater creeks.
I know certain species of fish will make a run for the dam and some will move up in creeks. Not sure which way they roll.
As long as the current isn't heavy, they will. But, if there are creeks running off the river and there's shallows and cover, plus a low current, they'll go up in the creeks, as well. Even in moderate current, if there's an area of slack water (eddy) that's suitable for spawning, they're likely to use it. Mostly it all depends on where they were spawned, as they'll generally go right back to that same area when they're old enough to spawn.
That's based on what I've read, not what I "know" firsthand ... because I haven't fished rivers very much. I'm referring to "rivers" as like the KY River, which doesn't flow into a lake at any point .... and not like the Salt River (Taylorsville Lake), Tenn River (Watts Bar Lake), or Green River (Green River Lake), where I have caught lots of Crappie "in the main river" portion of the lake.
I've been reading up on it but that's where I got confused.
I normally fish small lakes and ponds where it's fairly easy to find them but my buddy wants to try the river. I've fished big rivers for white bass and big lakes for striped bass but crappie seems like a whole new thing to learn. I have nice backwater creeks near me so I'll start there, and see what I come up with.
Thanks...
Tell us something about the waters that you fish....are they mainly white crappie ? or black crappie ? We don't know much about fishing in Mayberry.
I saw several episodes where Andy and Barney caught trout. Howard Sprague caught a huge carp. I don’t remember any of them catching crappie. Otis saw one, but I think he had been drinking.Quote:
Originally Posted by "G"
Yeh...and that lake was not in NC like the show made out....it was at a reservoir in CA.
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Well, thanks for ruining one of my all time favorite shows!:RoflQuote:
Originally Posted by G";3600938]Yeh...and that lake was not in NC like the show made out....it was at a reservoir in CA.
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Maybe Earnest T. Bass caught a crappie
:dono:RoflQuote:
Originally Posted by "G"
I ain’t talkin, I ain’t talkin. The more you’re askin, the more I’m balkin! Best show ever!Quote:
Originally Posted by "G"
I fish TN river and while I'm not anywhere close to a lot of the fishermen on here, I find spawn in the creeks around cover.
Yep.... river crappie like creeks...sloughs....and oxbow water to spawn
The lakes I fish have both but as far as the river I'm not sure. Never really fished a river for crappie. That's why I'm asking. The river we are gonna try out doesn't flow into/thru lakes. Flows straight into a bigger river. But there's plenty of backwater creeks.
I know about fishing bridge pilings and sunken trees and such. Was just trying to figure out how they would spawn.
Big rivers or little. They are looking for a bottom with the right composition of sand,gravel,mud,something they can fan out right the way they want. They want a flat to slight incline on the bottom. Not too steep. They want protection from heavy wave action. And what you see on the surface is not what's always happening on the bottom. Sometimes there is a bar or rise in the bottom that breaks the wave action at the bottom. . And the right amount of sunlight to reach the eggs. They will also want some wood close by whether its just a branch on the bottom or an old stump or they will use weed beds. Where ever they find that regardless if it's on the main river or up a creek ,behind a bar or dike or other natural break,a cut back in the bank.They will use. The higher the population the more places they will use because of competition for spawning places. The fewer the fish the more only the very best spots will be used. The higher the population the more places they will use that otherwise that might not just because of competition.
About the same deal as in a lake. It's just takes a while to learn to read the water on a river. Now with all this super sonar guys can find them with that.
Before that...and still yet for me cause I just have old stuff, I just found them by covering water and many, hours,days and years of searching.
The only thing Ernest T caught...Quote:
Originally Posted by "G"
Attachment 295866
Lots of creeks in Owen County
Where's that?Quote:
Originally Posted by "G"
:popcorn
All I know about fishing crappie in rivers and current (in Kansas) is if your jig isn't hanging straight down vertically (they don't bite) your better off going somewhere else. They are dumping main lake.
Crappie will spawn anywhere water temp and bottom composition is right...
I have found out over the years if I'm fishing rivers whether in Oklahoma or Arkansas and there's any current, you will be more successful on the downstream side of structure. Crappie doesn't like current so they will school up on the downstream side and feed on baitfish that come by. The structure will break the current enough for them to hold there. If you are fortunate enough to find structure in an eddy that's a bonus. Crappie use rivers for travel corridor's. Probably one of the most overlooked places to fish especially during pre-spawn and again in the fall.
Aunt Bee caught Andy and Helen neckin' on the porch.Quote:
Originally Posted by "G"