Tracking Fall Crappie Migration Route at the Lake of the Ozarks

By John Neporadny Jr.

Lake of the Ozarks crappie make a brief run for the shallows when the air cools and the leaves signal the end of summer by changing from green to brilliant colors.  Similar to the spring migration to the shallows, the autumn run triggers some of the best action of the year if you can follow the crappie's fall transition route. Some of the same techniques that worked in the spring  also will take fall crappie.  Unlike the spring spawning run though, the crappie's fall move to the shallows receives less fishing pressure. By this time  many anglers have put away their rods and reels and are concentrating on the good hunting  the lake area  also offers. During the early fall, Lake of the Ozarks  crappie move from their deep-water summertime haunts on the main channel into the coves and bays.  As the water temperature continues to cool, the fish move close to the bank where they might stay for  a week or two depending on the weather. By late fall, the fish start moving back to the main channel where they bunch up in large schools for the winter. You can start tracking the fall crappie migration when the water temperature dips into the low 70s or upper 60s. The best targets for early fall  will be deeper brush piles near the mouths of coves. You can  catch these fish by  casting a minnow hooked on a 1/16-ounce plastic skirted tube jig to the brush or vertical jigging the lure in the cover. A 1/16-ounce jig in various colors  and 4-pound test line will work for all Lake of the Ozarks'   fall crappie techniques. In clear water, try jigs with  white,  clear tails and sparkle hues;  the best dirty water choices include blacks, red and chartreuse. The fall turnover usually triggers a massive   exodus of fish from the main channel to the coves. Shad move into the coves  a couple of weeks after the turnover. Crappie follow, setting up ambush points in brush piles near docks along creek channels or secondary points.  The most productive brush piles are located in water 10 to 15 feet deep.  Depending on the weather, the crappie will   either suspend above the cover or burrow  into the brush. Docks that have fish-cleaning tables, benches and chairs, rod holders and minnow buckets  are prime spots to search for sunken brush.  When approaching a dock, fire off  a couple of long casts to catch any fish hanging near the top of the brush. Let  the lure sink and occasionally impart  some action to your jig by twitching your  rod tip. Keep your  boat a safe distance from the dock as long as you keep  catching fish.    When the action slows,  move closer  and present your  jig vertically into the brush for crappie buried in the cover. On windy days, crappie tend to suspend over the brush or even under the floating  foam of the docks, waiting  for the wave action to push shad near the cover.  You can catch  these suspended fish by placing a jig 6 feet below a cork and twitching this combination over the brush or next to the dock's foam. Pitching a 1/64-ounce jig next to the foam also takes plenty of crappie on windy days.  When the light jig falls, the wave action pushes it under the dock foam and into  the crappie's strike zone. Crappie move into any available cover 6 to 8 feet deep--and sometimes  as shallow as 3 to 4 feet--when the water temperature dips into the low 60s and upper 50s on Lake of the Ozarks.  A combination of tactics guarantees non-stop action.  You can  catch the first two or three fish with a jig-and-cork, then take off the cork and start casting to the same spot and work your jig  a little deeper. Weather determines how long the fish stay shallow during this time. If it's a 65-degree day with sunshine, the  fish will be right up in the shallows. The colder the weather, the deeper the crappie move  until they settle back into  the deep brush piles. Once the water temperature drops below 45 degrees, crappie vacate the shallows and move toward the main channel following  the same route they took into the coves. You can  continue to work a  jig around docks along deeper structure, such as creek channel bends,  until the fish have migrated to their wintertime sanctuaries (brush piles 15 to 20 feet deep on the main lake or in a creek channel). Take advantage of the fall crappie migration at the Lake of the  Ozarks this year  and fill your livewell with some tasty slabs.  For information on lodging and other facilities at the Lake of the Ozarks or to receive a free 152-page vacation guide, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-FUN-LAKE or visit the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitors Bureau web site at funlake.com Copies of John Neporadny's book "THE Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Guide" are available on this web site. Click here to order your copy today.