Would you stop to fish this?

I'm trying to get more confident identifying what I need to be fishing on my fish finder. I've seen images like this 3 or 4 times and alway think I'm on top of a huge school of crappie. But I've never caught anything. I'm single poling casting and retrieving, or using a slip bobber. (Don't own a livescope yet so I can only look at them on down, side and 2D). I know you can't tell for sure if they're crappie until you catch one, but would you experts stop and fish this and expect it to be crappie if you saw this on your graph? I'm not sure if they've just been inactive when I see this or if there's something wrong with my technique or they're just not crappie. I hate to pass this up though my gut tells me this is a school of crappie. I keep hearing and reading about suspended crappie, surely that's what this is!?

This is a drop off into the river channel in the lake.

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Hard to say for sure but I don’t think I’d bother with it. Looks to me like baitfish but don’t know unless you try.

Goo schools like that as well as little Catfish on The Rez. I have fallen for 2D sonar like that before and Goo & Catfish is all I pulled up.

Poplar bluff Missouri?and if so what lake are you fishing?The reason i ask is that i'm from Mo and fish lake of the ozarks and catch fish yearound in those depths even right now under 10fow of water has been very good but as a rule i never see crappie schooled in those numbers until winter time dec-mar where you can find schools of thousands of fish together,when the water is hot like it is now you can find schools but they are very small in comparison much like a wolfpack so my best guess as to what you have on your graph is shad they usually school in tighter balls but i have seen them spread out like that when they're not pressured.

I would probably move on, looks like baitfish to me…:popcorn

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

I would probably move on, looks like baitfish to me…:popcorn

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yup

I too do not have a "trained eye". However, I agree with most, most likely bait fish. Certainly, will not hurt to give it a go. Never know what might be feeding on them.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the feedback!

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Originally Posted by bugman

Poplar bluff Missouri?and if so what lake are you fishing?The reason i ask is that i'm from Mo and fish lake of the ozarks and catch fish yearound in those depths even right now under 10fow of water has been very good but as a rule i never see crappie schooled in those numbers until winter time dec-mar where you can find schools of thousands of fish together,when the water is hot like it is now you can find schools but they are very small in comparison much like a wolfpack so my best guess as to what you have on your graph is shad they usually school in tighter balls but i have seen them spread out like that when they're not pressured.

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Yes sir. This is Wappapello, known for it's many, many 6 inch fish:)(there are some decent ones in there too though). It's about 30 minutes from the house. Ironically, the previous times I saw an image like this on my fish finder was back in late Feb and early March. This time I thought I'd post it here and ask the experts. I appreciate your reply, that kind of information is exactly what I was hoping for. (Look for this in the winter but look for smaller groups in the summer).
I'm basically trying to figure out crappie fishing by applying what I learn on the internet while I'm out on the water. But it's slow going. I've had just enough success to get me hooked and want to learn more.

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Originally Posted by MikeDC

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I'm basically trying to figure out crappie fishing by applying what I learn on the internet while I'm out on the water. But it's slow going. I've had just enough success to get me hooked and want to learn more.

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Exactly, nearly word for word, how I started out; reading and trying to apply the tips and tricks I read about right here on CdC. One day you'll be out there, something will happen and you'll recognize it from something you read here. LIGHT BULB!!!!!!

As has been said many times, time on the water is your best teacher. Good luck on your journey to a cooler full of crappie.

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Originally Posted by Rojo

Goo schools like that as well as little Catfish on The Rez. I have fallen for 2D sonar like that before and Goo & Catfish is all I pulled up.

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If you cook the Goos with a strong flavor like the sea bass dishes at the Chinese restaurant, they actually taste pretty good.


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Like the others, I’ve seen images like that before that were just catfish and baitfish, although I’d still probably fish it for a few minutes to see if I can get anything to bite anyway. You never know if you don’t try it.


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the fish hugging the drop off close to the actual bottom in some of those images are likely some sort of predators waiting to ambush the baitfish traveling along the channel .
the open water stuff who knows , but I would drop on them hugging the bottom along the drop off ....
you would be amazed at how close to something a crappie can hang tight to and blend into the surrounding cover .....
and I would be rather definitive on how deep I dropped said jig .....
pretty obviously not very .....8 foot or so ....maybe 10 .....

Not even close to being an expert but based on but based on what I see I'd pass. Schooled up crappie are usually more oval or triangle shaped as opposed to horizontal.

I'd say it's some sort of bait. But if you have time and want to try it out please do so. I'd also pass on relying on my opinion as I might be wrong.

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Originally Posted by MikeDC

Yes sir. This is Wappapello, known for it's many, many 6 inch fish:)(there are some decent ones in there too though). It's about 30 minutes from the house. Ironically, the previous times I saw an image like this on my fish finder was back in late Feb and early March. This time I thought I'd post it here and ask the experts. I appreciate your reply, that kind of information is exactly what I was hoping for. (Look for this in the winter but look for smaller groups in the summer).
I'm basically trying to figure out crappie fishing by applying what I learn on the internet while I'm out on the water. But it's slow going. I've had just enough success to get me hooked and want to learn more.

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I fished it once and thats about i could find that day...if you know Joe Guiling he fishes wapp and is dang good on it i'm sure he would be happy to help you out he is a good guy if you happen to run into him tell him to give me a holler.

I’m no expert but if you do find any crappie of size they’ll be under or outside the big wads. Fishing in big schools hasn’t produced for me but sometimes you’ll get a few. I found a school on the Lee of a drop off and unde r the current. I spent about 30 minutes working those with all the smarts I had at the time. 8” catfish is what they were and I’d have sworn they were crappie. To my way of thinking, any school on the graph is worth some time to see what they are. At the worst you’ll learn something along the way.