Hartwell Crappie Fishing - HELP

[lakehartwellcrappie]

I was out fishing on lake hartwell today in the little beaver creek area and caught about 6 crappie. Problem is, all of them were very small. Can anyone tell me why I would have found the small crappie, but couldnt find the keepers?

I was fishing around the rocks at red rail bridge in about 16 feet of water using an ugly green fish stalker jig with 1/32 jig head and 4lb test and a vertical presentation.

I have a feeling I wasnt deep enough or fishing the right structure, but I was hoping for some of the more experienced members could chime in. Im new and learning and want to have better luck next time out.

Thoughts?

Thanks

[gabowman]

Wished I could give some advice but I never fish Hartwell except when chasing stripers. I can tell ya in the past month or so ALOT of big slab crappie have been coming from brush piles in @ 15'-20' of water. If you can locate brush in Hartwell that's where I'd try vertical fishing. Welcome to the boards.

[skeetbum]

Welcome from Middle Tennessee. Use your electronics to snoop around and look for some brush near a dropoff that shows fish, and pay close attention to how deep the fish you see here and there are. This might help start a pattern. Slow will produce good fish lately, Some deep, others as shallow as 3 feet. Bobber used to control depth might get it done if you fish over snaggy stuff.
If you want to try something that works well for me at times, try the "pitch and glide". It works best with hi vis line, I use yellow or chartreuse. Pitch toward the cover in question, close the bail and take a half or a full turn on the reel. Keep the tip at about 10 o'clock to create a bow in the line and don't take your eyes off the line. Some hits will be no more than the line going slack, others with authority, and some just a wiggle. As this falls it covers the water column, and if you count as it falls you can repeat the depth of presentation. It can be hot at times, cost a few jigs hung in the brush, and you can look for other structure in the same depth range to try it again. Good luck, no dumb questions here so ask away.

[STUMP HUNTER]

I have been using an 1/8 jig on Hartwell this week longlining. The crappie have not been holding at the same depths but were on or close to brush. Like Skeetbum said look close to drops or flats near deeper water for brush or standing timber. If you can find bait, fish near it or in the bait ball. White, yellow and any combo with chartreuse has worked. Black head with gray feathers have caught fish this week also.