I need help.

I have a small (500+/- acres) lake that is 10' deep at the deepest, behind my house that I fish from a few times a week. It's is maybe 30% covered in lilly and there is tons of spots with grasses and other plants submerged.

I seem to be able to catch an average of 2 crappie each day. They are always 12 to 13 inches so I know the population is good and they are clearly there.

I have tried to fish lake Griffin, ocklawaha river, orange, and locloosa to pretty much 0 fish.

I fish off a boat, I use a combo of minnows and jigs. Some under floats, some free line, and I have a 14 foot jig pole. I usually catch on a minnows under a bobber. I have never caught one on cast and retrieve. I this Richard Gene pays those fish.

I'm really looking for good advice on how to consistently catch a few more in my lake and littlerally anything in these others.

What are the best ways to fish based on month or water temperature? Should I be staying in the lillys or go to submerged grass and such? I'm just getting beat up spending 10 hours catching 2 keepers.

I wish I was satisfied just catching bass but I can never seem to like the easy thing.

Have you given thought to trolling jigs around the weed edges?

I have tried twice. 4 poles with double hook rigs. Artifical on one hook and a minnows on the other. I spent more time dealing with plant snaggs than anything. I get absolutely frustrated dealing with a snag. If that's how I have to catch them then I will stick to tilapia lol

I'm headed out to Harris. Maybe I'll try it again.

Watching videos of others such as Richard Gene can be informative, but not much else as far as your personal success is concerned unless you fish those exact same locations.
And the following day even he might not obtain the same results at those same places.
But bank on the fact that Richard has other places, and other methods, and when he is successful you will see another video.
Otherwise, you wont, and you can bank on that also.
Like you, i fish alone, primarily as a matter of choice, besides, when there is only me i only have me to satisfy, lol
The lake i primarily fish is less than 100 acres in size, with depths averaging 5 to 6 and about a 12 ft max in a very small area.
Its much too small for the pro types or any with the large fast boats.
There are a few kayakers but mostly they are bass guys.
No large trees surrounding the lake to fall into the water forming good habitat.
There are also no lilly pads at all.
What there is however are various types of weeds around the majority of the shorelines.
At least there was untill they killed them all by spraying heavily several times.
Since then ive stopped fishing, both for that and health issues.
But the weeds are slowly coming back, and when they do hopefully ill be ready.
Mind you now the fish didnt leave because of the spraying, but they left those areas, and it now requires a different method for catching them, like trolling, and id rather not go if i have to troll.
I never got skunked on the Crappies in that lake untill they killed all of the weeds
There were quite a few 25 or more fish days, all sizes and all released.
A 10 ft telescopic rod with about 6 ft of 6 pound mono tied to the tip with a 1/16 oz or lighter jig head unpainted with a variety of different grubs will do the job. But the painted ones work also. lol
Mind you i have and use many better rods, but they frankly arent necessary for that type of fishing.
Some of us need to feel the thump, whereas others only need the fish regardless as to how they catch them.

Minnows will of coarse also work, but i never use them because i have to go out of my way too far in order to get them.
The best videos i can recommend for that type of Crappie fishing would be the ones made by Brent Allen here in Florida.
I was personally always a salt water fisherman untill i moved from the Keys to Vero Beach.
At that point my age was a factor in switching to fresh water.
So untill about 10 years ago i had never fished for Crappies.
When i decided i wanted to try it, i talked to a guy who works at the Palm Bay Bass Pro about hiring a guy to go with me on my boat. I not only wanted to learn about Crappies, but i also wanted feedback on my boat.
He knew what he claimed would be the perfect guy, although a bit rough around the edges.
And he turned out to be just that, a real Florida born redneck whoes name was Henry. Henry knew the basics very well, and that was all he cared to know.
I met up with him in Palm Bay, where he took over the driving in my truck pulling my rig.
He brought with him two ten foot beat up BnM telescopic rods, and a small plastic box holding a few of those ten for three bucks Bass Pro jigs. And that was it except for some lunch.
He took me to a place west of Melbourne on rt 192 called Camp Holly, which is on the Saint Johns, and they had a pay a few bucks ramp on the river.
He ran the boat, which was good because you can get hung up if your unfamiliar with that area.
Anyway we ended up south of 192 at a place called Hell n Blazes on the river.
That was where he decided to stop and fish, and from there work our way back.
We didnt see another boat all day.
He used the trolling motor at a very low speed to troll right up close to the weed edges, keeping his rod pointed foreward tight against the weeds with the jig just a couple feet below the surface.
I sat in the back of the boat fishing the same side the same way.
Today i might have a second rod in a holder on the opposite side of the boat as well, but maybe not, depending upon the action.
Anyway we ended the day with 17 nice Crappies, mostly caught by him, and of coarse we had lost a few.
About a week later i took my then 15 year old grandson with me to the same place, this was his first time fishing for anything, and we ended up with 14 fish by fishing the same way.
A couple of weeks later Henry called me, and asked if id be interested in fishing with him on his boat.
Like lots of the Florida grown types, Henry owned an airboat.
I had never been on an airboat, and after that day with Henry its very doubtfull i ever will again.
Nothing stopped him, he ran right over everything including the low brush untill he got to where he wanted to stop and fish.
Then he would dig a few holes in whatever to drop his jig in.
Same setup as for tackle, nothing ever changed or needed to be changed in his opinion.
If he wasent catching them it was because they stopped biting, wait awhile and they will start again, and it no doubt worked for him.
Point of all this is that we spend so much time trying to out smart something with a brain about the size of a pea.
And when we cant its because we dont have the right stuff to do it with.
For me, the money i paid Henry for learning very little was the best thing i ever did as for Crappie fishing.
All i need do is to keep reminding myself of that.

The Brim and Shellcrackers should be on bed in the Harris chain of lakes. You may need to get some grass shrimp.

I actually went to Griffin and killed it. 9 big blues and two 13" crappie.

I need to find a Henry in my area.

Try something different every time you go and different locations on the lake . Down the edges of the grass or in the holes around the pads or even out in open water ! Try pulling jigs again but go lighter or faster if you’re hanging up a lot your jigs are too deep . Carry a couple extra poles put a jig under a float at different depths and drag them around as you ease around fishing just make sure they are secure so they don’t get drug in . Stay at it you will get figured .:twocents

If you are gonna try trolling, try some lighter jig heads, something like a 1/48, 1/32 or a 1/24. I have had very good luck on trying those.

You’re on the right track. I cast and retrieve with very light jigs. I probably don’t get as many fish as some but it’s almost always a mixed bag and I stay busy enough to make me happy. I somewhat power fish in that I turn on the tm very slow and ease my way down the bank within casting distance. If I hang up, I go back and get it. Beetle spins and rooster tails are good search baits and cover water pretty quick. Catch one on that and switch to a light jig to see who else is home. I found four bluegill beds a couple of years ago that kept me extra busy through the warmer month. I was fishing the lake Monroe and closer river areas at the time.