The Crappie Report

Crappie Report 06/06/06:

SUMMER CRAPPIE PATTERNS

Many fishermen consider the spring as primetime for crappie fishing. Quality fish and good numbers of fish are easily caught during this period of time in and around the traditionally shallow spawning beds. Although it is a great time to catch fish, what about the summer months and the fish leave these spawning areas? Once the spawn begins to wind down, water temperatures continue to climb, daylight hours get longer, and feeding habits of the crappie dictate how you must fish for them and be successful. Locating fish and getting them to respond to baits is the key to catching the summer crappie. Several considerations I look at include:

Deep water fishing vs. shallow water
Daytime vs. nighttime fishing
Structure fishing
Minnows vs. jigs
Bait presentation
Crank Baits
Looking for the bite

Deep Water vs. Shallow Water
Once the crappie have finished the spawn, they will migrate back to cover areas that attract bait fish to satisfy their feeding habits. The depth of that cover may vary from lake to lake depending upon the overall depth of the lake and the type of available cover it has. Whatever attracts the baitfish will determine where you fish and how you fish the body of water. I like to start out in 18-20 feet of water fishing brush piles, stump fields, or rock structures. I do not rule out shallow water cover. I recall pre-fishing a tournament a few years back and found fish in 17 feet of water and felt they would hold that pattern due to constant lake temperatures and depth. The day of the tournament the fish had moved. I fished in depths as shallow as 6 feet where the clarity of the water had become very clear and did not go shallower. Consequently, the fish had moved into the clear shallow water and the difference was clear at the weigh-in. The winning team had fished the same area I had fished but in 4 feet of water around stumps. The lesson learned is that water clarity does not necessarily dictate what depth the fish will feed in. I believe it is easier to catch the fish in shallow water if the water is dingy and more turbid but if caution is taken not to spook the fish in clear water, they can be caught there also. Many fishermen consider the thermo cline as an indicator as to how deep to fish. Although it is a factor to consider, it is not necessarily always true. I have caught crappie at night in 50+ feet of water in the middle of the summer when the thermo cline was hovering around 24 feet. A good rule of thumb is to find the areas that are holding good concentrations of bait fish and fish the different depths in that location. Be versatile and willing to make a change in depth if the fish are not there.

Daytime vs. Nighttime Fishing
When a person fishes is a matter of preference or convenience. I like the early morning hours because I like to see the new day open up as well as to escape the summer heat. The early morning hour are generally not as windy and allows me to fish structure without fighting that factor. I have been known to fish the middle of the day when it is hot to avoid crowds and fish areas that are holding big fish without disclosing my location. Plenty of water and a wet towel to wrap around your neck are essential to combat the elements. Night fishing requires a little more equipment such as bug repellant, an anchor, and lights. I like to find a spot where there is some type of cover and mark it with a buoy. I will then move out in deeper water and drop an anchor attached to a long rope or cord. I will attach the long end of the rope or cord to the bank and then pull the boat along the cord back to my buoy. Once at the buoy, I will tie off the cord on the cleats of the boat to stabilize my position. This anchoring technique allows me to move the boat in or out of deeper water if the fish go deep during the low light conditions and if there is a lot of wave action from other boats or wind the boat will move some but will always recover to the spot over my structure. Minnows are probably the bait of choice for night fishing. I have used both jigs and minnows during night time hours and found that the minnow will produce more consistently than the jig. I mount my lights at an angle off the boat so the light shines out away from the boat rather than straight down into the water. This technique allows different levels of light to shine into the water but still attracts the bait fish into the fishing area. I will set lines at different depths and in different areas of the light pattern. I will also pay close attention to my graph and watch fish appear at certain depths and adjust my lines accordingly. Night fishing for crappie unlike bass fishing is more stationary and draws the fish in rather than moving from place to place.

Structure Fishing
Different types of structure may dictate how you fish and present the bait to the fish. Brush piles are my favorite type of cover to fish. I like the feel of a jig coming through the limbs of the brush pile and many of the fish I catch are down in the brush and will strike the jig as it passes over a limb or drops into the brush. Boat control is essential for fishing this type of structure in order to not disturb the cover or get hung up in the cover. I employ a tap-tap on the trolling motor to keep me stationary over the cover. Always keep the bow of the boat into the wind and learn to engage the trolling motor when it is necessary and not overuse it. I will fish the brush pile from bottom to top. Many times the fish are suspended above the cover and the bait must come above them before they will bite. I also like to fish standing timber by easing my boat up to the tree being careful not to bang around on it and either drop straight down beside the tree or flip the jig out beyond the tree and allow it to pendulum swing back towards the tree trunk. I look for trees that have a double trunk or spread out under the water. The more cover it has the better in most cases. Another type of structure I like to fish is rock piles or what I call rock outcroppings under the water. I will drop straight down into this type of structure and slowly retrieve the jig upward or slightly drag it across the bottom bumping and feeling the rocks. The subspecies Black Crappie like to hang out in these areas and provide a hefty fight.

Minnows vs. Jigs
Minnows and jigs are effective for catching crappie. They can be used by themselves or together. Minnows can be drifted in and around structure or over the top of it. They can be tipped on a jig to give the jig more action and a live look. The main diet of the crappie is bait fish which is what the minnow is. It does not take a great scholar to figure out why they are so effective. Jigs are designed to imitate bait fish. There are so many sizes, shapes, colors, etc. to choose from, that it becomes any ones guess as to which one is the best. Some baits that have been very successful for me are the Bass Pro squirmin’ squirts, crappie beaver, roadrunners or stump jumpers, crappie ringers, and Bailey’s magnet. Colors come in almost any color combination imaginable to man. I prefer colors that have chartreuse in some combination or by itself. I am also partial to electric blue with a clear glitter tail. The thing I believe about which jig and what color you use is what you have confidence in. I have had people tell me the only color they could catch fish on was one color and another person would testify to another. I do believe there is a lot to be said about your confidence in color and type of jig you use. If you have confidence in one particular color, use it. It goes with the old saying “if you have a good horse, ride it.

Bait Presentation
Bait presentation can be a deciding factor whether you catch the fish or not. I am typically a straight up and down fisherman. What I mean by that is that I drop my jig into cover straight up and down. I use a “very” slow retrieve straight up through brush or whatever the cover may be. The most common mistake of many fishermen is that they get in a hurry and retrieve the bait too fast. Probably the most valuable tool I have learned to use is patience. People I take fishing will hear me constantly remind them to slow down their retrieve. I also use a drift technique that can be deadly at catching fish. I locate fish on the graph suspended generally over some type of cover. I will back the boat off the cover and cast or flip the bait across and beyond the structure, allow the bait to sink at the same depth I saw fish, and slowly retrieve and let the bait fall in and around the fish. Once the technique is mastered, it is productive. Size and shape of the jig head will determine how the bait falls and presents itself to the fish. I prefer 1/16th ounce jigs as an all around crappie catcher. I will use as small as a 1/64th ounce jig. Keep in mind the smaller the bait, the slower the fall. Jigging the bait is another little trick that can prove productive. I jig it downward rather than flip it upward. I figure if the fish is looking at the bait and can’t be enticed to hit it then I will drop it in his face to make it strike. Pay attention to the presentation and try to perfect a method that works for you.

Crank Baits
Crank baits will catch crappie. Trolling crank baits across a mud flat or over a submerged hump can be deadly and productive. The old “hellbender” crank bait has caught a lot of fish for this fisherman. In addition, you never know what you might catch on the crank bait. I have caught almost every species of fish in the lake on a crank bait. Other productive crank baits for me have been the Wally Marshall crappie crank bait, Deep Wee “R”, and rattle traps. Try this if you haven’t already, you will be surprised at how effective it can be. Throwing or trolling crank baits on flats and following creek channel swings seem to produce the best results and quality fish.

Looking for the Bite
As I had said earlier, patience was most important but the other success factor is concentration. I am firmly convinced that the majority of the Crappie bites go undetected. Much like a trout, the crappie will mouth the bait without the fisherman knowing anything was going on. I concentrate not only on the feel of the rod but also watching the line. If the line stops on a drop, why did it stop? If the line twitches, why did it twitch? If it moves right or left, why did it move? These questions can generally be answered by saying a fish bit it. The ability to concentrate is an action that you have to condition yourself too. I find that I can concentrate intently for about fifteen minutes and then I have to give my eyes a break. I feel safe to say that I will catch well over fifty percent of my fish by seeing the bite and never feeling it. The rod is important. Good sensitivity contributes to seeing and feeling the bite. If I can’t clearly see the line I watch the tip of the rod for a slight bounce or dip. G. Loomis, Bass Pro’s Mighty lite, and the Micro lite rods are pretty sensitive. The G. Loomis rods is expensive where as the Bass Pro models are more affordable but are of good quality.

Summer crappie fishing can be a productive, fun time to fish. Good luck and good fishing. Hope to see you on the water.

Submitted by Rick Flint- Bass pro Crappie pro staff.