New Crappie Fisherman, Need Your Advice
I am brand new to crappie fishing and would like to learn as much as possible. Looking to gain some knowledge from you seasoned vets out there. I would GREATLY appreciate it if you could take a minute to relay your most valuable piece of information.
Also, are there any good crappie holes on the Ohio or creeks of the Ohio in/around the Louisville area?
Thanks in advance!
Crappie fishing's #1 factor ...
IMHO -- it is the same as it is in real estate : Location, Location, Location ;)
IF you're not fishing where the Crappie are, won't matter what bait, depth, speed, method, or timeframe you're using. Learn the habits & habitats, and their differences for the different seasons ... and the movements the fish make, in regards to those different seasons.
Use the old "reporter's rule", of what questions to ask to get the whole story .... who, what, when, where, why, and how. You already know "who" ... that's the Crappie. The "what" ... that's locating them, in order to catch them. When ... that's when you can go, and/or the best time to go. Where ... is the body of water that you fish, the productive areas of that body of water (as it relates to season), and the type of cover (or depth) utilized by the fish (given the circumstances/conditions at hand). Why ... is not so much why you fish, but rather "why are they where they are". The How ... is the method, presentation, bait, depth, and speed that's used to put yourself in a position to give yourself the best chance of catching them.
You can just "go fishing" ... sit in a likely looking spot, and wait for them to come to you. Or you can formulate a game plan, and actively seek them out.
Creek & river fishing is a little different than lake fishing, due to one important factor .... creeks & rivers usually have more current. ANYTHING that deflects or slows that current, or creates an eddy, is worthy of taking into consideration ... whether it's a stump, fallen tree, root wad, wing dam, the direction a channel takes, inflowing creek, bridge pilon, or anything else that creates slack water. Crappie don't like to fight the current, so they'll find the eddy water/slack current spots ... and wait in ambush positions, to catch the disoriented prey that the current washes to them.
That brings me to another very important factor ... shade. Crappie like shade ;) It affords them camouflage (from predators, or their food/prey). They're ambush predators, not slash/dash predators. They're built for manuverability, not speed. They will give chase, but usually only for a short distance ... preferring instead, to slip up under/behind their prey, with stealth, and use their large mouth to suck in their victims. Shade can come from two different factors : an object that blocks the incoming light, and water depth (getting below the level of light penetration). Obviously, a solid object will block any amount of light, regardless of water clarity. But, clearer water situations will require greater depth, in order to diffuse the incoming light.
Crappie seek much the same things we do --- food, shelter, security, comfort. Find all those factors in one place, and you're very likely to find the fish.
Food - minnows/shad/worms/craws/bugs/fry of various fish species
Shelter - wood/weeds/docks/other submerged objects
Security - water clarity/depth/shade
Comfort - water temps
The two main species of Crappie ... the White Crappie & the Black Crappie ... have slightly different preferrences in the first two of those factors, if given a choice (I lumped them all together). But, they will adapt their behavior, as needed, to compensate for the lack of any of their preferred conditions. That's why you can, sometimes, catch both species from the same spot/area, on the same bait. Perfect conditions, and/or the presence of all four of those factors, is a rare occasion. That's why I named Food & Shelter as the first two factors ... that's because those two factors dictate "location". They are also factors that can be controlled by the fish. Security comes in third, because ... even though they can't control the water clarity, water temps, water depth, or location of shade ... they can seek out their preferred choice, given that the first two factors are present. Comfort comes in fourth, because they're cold blooded. They can't regulate their body temps, so they react to the temps present at the time/place. They do have preferred ranges of water temperature, but they can survive a much wider range.
... cp :cool: