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When the fish leave my brushpiles , my success rate falls :)
Other than spend more time on the water, How do I find the fish in open water?
Some times I find fish on deeper ledges 28-30 ft. But it is really hit and miss.
I see lots of boats that sit out in 35-40 ft and never seem to move , but I don't see them
catch many either.
I appreciate any advice.
MO
Do you have livescope?
Electronics work well for scouting fish
I see the same type of Anglers on Ross Barnett. There will be boats out for a hour or two sitting on the ledges but I never see them catch anything. They kinda just appear and disappear, I have never figured out the pattern they are working on. I fish deep wood structure only, it works for me.
We catch them on the river channel edge in open water. We fish off the points where the flat is about 20' and the Chanel is about 30'. Scanning with 2D/DI and SI is the best way to find the big schools. Once we find them then spot lock and vertical jig dropping to the bottom and start a very very slow lift. A lot of time all you fill is the rod get heavy.
This is actually a school of wipers that was feeding on smaller crappie.Attachment 477561Attachment 477562Attachment 477563
Sent from my moto g(7) power using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
this time of year they sit flat on the bottom under the big bridge out there sometimes, might not be able to see many , but boy howdy years back we would just hammer under that entire bridge along with 100 other boats on those columns.....just saying
My boat dock is about 6 miles from the big bridge, I have not fished it in years, Too loud , too many people , it is always more cold and windyQuote:
Originally Posted by Ketchn
under the bridge. But yes , it does hold fish. When I first started fishing here , that was about the only place I could catch fish consistantly.
Yes I have livescope, and side imaging, I have seen pictures of open water schools of crappie , just not on my machine. :)
thanks for the replys
MO
We can find them but tons and tons of dinks. The big fish are nowhere to be found. :scratchhead
Over brush, multiple fish (schools) on single trees and around bridge pillars. Schools and Schools of crappie but Dinks. :dono
Also yesterday surface water temp at 42 to 43 and fish will be from 5ft to 15ft deep.
I use my Hbrid Mega SI to find open water schools it may take a couple of hours scanning the lake looking for schools, then zero in with Mega Live. I set up my SI different then most I don`t care about a pretty picture or what is on the bottom I am looking for fish. My scroll speed will be way faster then boat speed as this will elongate the fish making them and there shadow much easier to see.
In my neck of the woods you will either find them deep under bridge columns or they will chase the shad up in the creeks. I prefer fishing the creeks this time of year because I don't have to fight the wind. I use my sidescan to find them and livescope to stay on them. Find the creek that feeds into your lake and you will find the crappie. Shad can't survive cold water so they go up the creeks and the crappie follow them.
maybe watch ole fishingkens version of open water crappie on his home lake ....?Quote:
Originally Posted by mozingo1952
he is targeting roamers on deep open water flats .....are you up by the lil er bridge or down by the dam btw ?
I am just north of the mouth of Stone Chimney Creek. It is about 2 miles to the dam , about 6 miles to the big bridge.
In the past , I have just fished areas where they have been caught historically. As I say it is hit or miss,
This year I am going to make more of an effort to use electronics to locate schools , rather than just fishing blind.
I may even resort to dunking minnows, as much as I hate to.
Mo
Not all lakes are the same. We see them follow Shad up the creeks here in winter. Some shallow lakes they will be shallow and big deep lakes not usual for them to be 30' or deeper on stumps.
you need to talk to TackleBoat from the SC forum
he uses livescope to locate schools and targets them with great success
On my end of the lake , the river channel is 40 + with lots of 35 ft water, lots of water less than 20. In a few weeks , I will be able to eliminate all the 20 ft water For some reason , I can only seem to catch them down to around 28-30. I hope to do better this winter.
Thanks for all the replies and tips
MO
My thought, ledges that fall in that sweet spot depth can hold ‘em. If there’s no bait nearby, they aren’t gonna be there. I’ve done well on standing timber and deeper brush. Find em and then switch to DI and hammer em. I also don’t use spot lock on low wind days. I do better drifting off of them or the structure and re approaching, usually from downwind. Extra slow. I fished some standing timber in 50’ and caught em about 35’. Caught em good enough that I still smile when I think about those trips. Also, dead stick. You can’t hold the jig still and the fish don’t exert much energy for anything.,
Can’t really speak of Texas fishing but here up north, when the water temps drop below 40, the shad move towards the shallower warmer water around our shorelines. Not uncommon for us to catch crappies in 3-5 ft water using a small bait under a bobber set just above bottom. Wouldn’t hurt to check these area with your livescope. Find the wood and your chances increase.