I'm need some help here

[EddieRod]

OK here it is, Northern NY Crappies ? The lake I fish is about 1-1/2 mile long and 1/2th wide , weedy on both ends and rocks on the sides, and where I can get Craps only from say 7PM to 8:30PM then Gone!!! Where do they go in the nite or day? The lake is like a oblong bowl, in the middle mud and 20 depth, where we get them is about 8-10 depth. Are the going in the weeds or back out to the deep water? Questions or Comments on anything?? Thanks to all..

[skeetbum]

Message Grizz, he's another New Yorker and knows his stuff.

[GRIZZ]

What a wonderful problem you have. I LOVE small lakes like that. Why don't you PM me the name of the lake and I'll take a look at the satellite pics of it and give some suggestions. I may even have to come up and help you in person. :D Learning what you ask is basically learning summer crappie fishing. A fish finder would help. Cover is a big factor and time of day. On the other hand some days they hit all day long and some days just dusk and dawn. Weather matters. Do you ever fish after dark? Are you using lures or bait?

Here is the 5 cent speech. Emeralds or shiners under a float will almost always work. Find out the minnows that are in the lake and use them. You can also use plastic tubes or grubs. Have both natural colors like smoke glitter, and chartreuse combos. Red, black, green, yellow head with chart or white tails, and get some blue/clear sparkle too. Use jigs under floats or cast them and retrieve very slowly and evenly. Use 1/16 and 1/32 oz heads. I prefer unpainted but suit yourself. Use light line, 4 or 6 lb, and no clips or swivels. Crappies are very spooky with hardware. Just tie on jigheads especially in clear water. Try different depths. They are surprisingly shallow sometimes especially after sunset and dark.

If you want to make it real simple just get 1.5 and 2 inch smoke glitter or clear glitter and plain chart or red/chart tubes. Get glitter tails as much as possible, clear, smoke or chart. Cast or floats. Have minnows and use them alone or tipped on the jigs. Add green/chart tubes and that'll pretty much work anywhere. Have a look at 2.5 inch berkley gulp minnows in the packages, not the tubs.

Is the lake clear? Look for crappies feeding. Fish weed edges and gaps, fallen trees/structure. In the weeds or around them is almost always good.

Sometimes they just turn off and you just have to wait till they turn back on. Try at night.

There is just too much for me to cover it all in a response like this, but nothing beats time on the water.

Do other people fish this lake much for crappies? Find someone in the know and pick their brains. That's what I do.

Good luck!

[bwillaub]

You didn't mention water clarity? When the sun is up and bright, crappie will seek shade. Weeds and grasses would be ideal places to look for them. Any wood or brush would be good also. If there is no cover readily available, they will go deep. Hope this helps. Good luck.

[EddieRod]

What a wonderful problem you have. I LOVE small lakes like that. Why don't you PM me the name of the lake and I'll take a look at the satellite pics of it and give some suggestions. I may even have to come up and help you in person. :D Learning what you ask is basically learning summer crappie fishing. A fish finder would help. Cover is a big factor and time of day. On the other hand some days they hit all day long and some days just dusk and dawn. Weather matters. Do you ever fish after dark? Are you using lures or bait?

Here is the 5 cent speech. Emeralds or shiners under a float will almost always work. Find out the minnows that are in the lake and use them. You can also use plastic tubes or grubs. Have both natural colors like smoke glitter, and chartreuse combos. Red, black, green, yellow head with chart or white tails, and get some blue/clear sparkle too. Use jigs under floats or cast them and retrieve very slowly and evenly. Use 1/16 and 1/32 oz heads. I prefer unpainted but suit yourself. Use light line, 4 or 6 lb, and no clips or swivels. Crappies are very spooky with hardware. Just tie on jigheads especially in clear water. Try different depths. They are surprisingly shallow sometimes especially after sunset and dark.

If you want to make it real simple just get 1.5 and 2 inch smoke glitter or clear glitter and plain chart or red/chart tubes. Get glitter tails as much as possible, clear, smoke or chart. Cast or floats. Have minnows and use them alone or tipped on the jigs. Add green/chart tubes and that'll pretty much work anywhere. Have a look at 2.5 inch berkley gulp minnows in the packages, not the tubs.

Is the lake clear? Look for crappies feeding. Fish weed edges and gaps, fallen trees/structure. In the weeds or around them is almost always good.

Sometimes they just turn off and you just have to wait till they turn back on. Try at night.

There is just too much for me to cover it all in a response like this, but nothing beats time on the water.

Do other people fish this lake much for crappies? Find someone in the know and pick their brains. That's what I do.

Good luck!

Where do I start, I dont have a fish finder but looking to change that with a Lowrance that I can use in the winter also. The cover in the lake would be weed beds or rocks, or could be heading the deeper water... I've fished during the day around all and ended up with Bass or rock bass... I've been doing this for a few years and always use tubes or beetle spins/road runners, etc. I never use swivels, alway tie directly on .. 4 lb mono. 1/8 jigs watch it float down and watch a change in the line or retrive and they hit it.
During the time of nite when we are catching fish you have shiners jumping out of the water like crazy, sometimes even catching them, 6-8" long. but when filleting never anything in the Crappies bellys. Really nothing for minnows in this lake. Lake is mainly clear, you can see your jig 6 ft. down.
Only a few places for tree structure and I have the lost jigs to prove it !! The only real structure is large rocks or weeds. So I really never use minnows, or fish after dark. Use Black/Chartruse Crappie Beavers or the best is Pink/Chartruse. Chartruse/Black Road Runners. Also no-one else fishes for Craps... that I've seen.. Also I throw more back than I keep due to size. Not enough bait fish or over population?? LIke I said in the PM welcome anytime just need a date..It's a long haul from where you live but anytime is usually good for me.. Thanks guys...Ed Rod...

[crappiemax]

Ever try crappie tubes or stingers. They have a smaller profile than the Beaver tails. Also, try lighter jig heads like 1/32 or 1/16, they have a much slower fall rate. Crappie hit jigs on the fall alot. You can alsoadd a small float above the jig (jig & cork) and work this set up sloooow. Of course you can add crappie nibbles to add a little scent.
If all else fails, try slow trolling jigs with your TM. This is a good way to locate crappie if they moved away from the bank. If you catch something, drop a marker bouy and rework the area.
Good luck. I hope this helps

[GRIZZ]

Sounds like you already have a decent handle on what to do. With a lake as clear as that structure, probably weeds is your best bet. They may be going deep into the weeds during the day especially if the lake has large predators like muskie, walleye or northern.

I fish a lake exactly like that called Quaker lake at Allegany state park. Clear, deep in the middle and some weeds. I almost always get em there in the weeds except dusk and dawn when they stray into the clear or shallows or chase baitfish. Only difference you have there are the rocks. If there is steep shoreline with downed trees in the water, try there.

How big do they get in there?

[EddieRod]

Thanks guys, I need to maybe try at night or after they cool off, go deeper in the weeds or into the shallows. Will keep you posted , thanks again....

[EddieRod]

Sounds like you already have a decent handle on what to do. With a lake as clear as that structure, probably weeds is your best bet. They may be going deep into the weeds during the day especially if the lake has large predators like muskie, walleye or northern.

I fish a lake exactly like that called Quaker lake at Allegany state park. Clear, deep in the middle and some weeds. I almost always get em there in the weeds except dusk and dawn when they stray into the clear or shallows or chase baitfish. Only difference you have there are the rocks. If there is steep shoreline with downed trees in the water, try there.

How big do they get in there?

Anywhere from 4" to 12" mostly 8-11

[skeetbum]

I knew you wouldn't let me down Grizz. Good job. Eddierod, it has just begun. The addiction will now demand to be fed on a regular basis(hehe).