What are the best tactics for fishing receeding floodwaters?

[FalconSmitty]

The river system I fish is flooded. How does this affect the crappie? How much of a difference does the flood make on a backwater lake?
I know nothing about fishing in these conditions so any tips would be great.

[crappieseeker]

This is one of the only times that I do better on minnows sometimes than I do jigs. High water generally means muddy water. If I were fishing a jig, I would use a color that will show up better in the water than other jigs. Also I try to find a clear line if possible in the water. Sometimes there will be a small mudline break where the water is a little more clear than the rest, try fishing the break or close to it.

[FalconSmitty]

This is one of the only times that I do better on minnows sometimes than I do jigs. High water generally means muddy water. If I were fishing a jig, I would use a color that will show up better in the water than other jigs. Also I try to find a clear line if possible in the water. Sometimes there will be a small mudline break where the water is a little more clear than the rest, try fishing the break or close to it.

Just tried 2hrs in the mud. Caught 2 keepers. That was it. I will try it again all day weds. The water temp is 68/69 so They should be in full spawn. I'm going to the flats in the morning

[Billbob]

try putting a minnow or a jig 6 to 12 in. below a float and fish in the trees 2 to 3 ft. flood water they move shallow even in cold water

[FalconSmitty]

I admit it, I can't catch fish in muddy flood waters. I tried everything the past 2 days. I hate muddy water now. I caught fish in the same color water in January so it isn't just the stain. I think it is to do with the corps opening 6 flood gates feeding the lake I fish. Water is flowing backwards up into the creeks, then they let it down a few feet, and back it up again. This cycle has went on the last 3 days and nights. I even tried night. My floating white light was red from the mud. 4 hrs produced 0 bites, not even a catfish and they usually bite in the mud. I'm taking a shovel with me next trip. Maybe I can dig through the mud and find a crappie that needs a meal.
Tightlines to ya
Smitty

[FalconSmitty]

one more thing>> debris is floating all over the lake. A few sloughs were blocked by logjams and trash 100yds from the back of the cove. For this lake this is the worst I have seen in 30 years in the creeks. The main lake can get muddy and trashy but the creeks stay pretty clean.
At night I can hear and see fish splashing on top in every direction constantly. All this activity and I get 0 bites. Nothing sounded large but they were everywhere. What kind of fish do you think it was and have any of you noticed this type of thing in muddy trashy water.

[CrappiePappy]

what you were probably hearing were Carp or Buffalo rolling/feeding (did you hear any "sucking sounds" ??). They will come to the surface and roll in the debris - sucking in the "trash" floating on top. It's pretty safe to say that, if it was Carp or Buffalo, there were probably not any Crappie around.
Receding water generally pulls Crappie out away from the bank, and they suspend or head for deep cover. Cold & muddy water is the worst condition you can face, this time of year. Yo-yoing water levels only add to the negative side of things. Even warm & muddy water, that isn't stable, isn't all that good. A slowly rising or falling water level, even in flooded conditions, will afford you a chance at catching "some" Crappie ... I did it at Barkley Lake (many years back) by getting up amongst the "live" trees that were flooded (with 2-5ft of water up the trunks). I used a spinning outfit / minnow & float rig / 1.5ft depth (from float to minnow) ... I placed the minnow along side every good sized tree I could get to - right beside the tree and on all four "sides" of each tree. Seems the Crappie were nosed right up against the live trees, on the flooded banks (waiting for the water to stabilize ??). I don't know if they would do the same on your lake ... but, if you go, it may be worth a try (under similar conditions).
I've also heard that Crappie like to hide, real shallow, up under those floating mats of sticks & debris. Makes sense - they've got overhead cover, warmer surface water, and they'd be in the water that clears up first (upper surface level). Finding the clearer waters, like in the back of creeks & bays & pockets, is also an option ... esp. if the rains continue and they're warm rains (and not heavy downpours) - this will send clearer water from the incoming creeks, into the backs of these areas, and the fish should migrate towards that incoming warm water.
I know how you feel, brother ... my local Crappie lake was just starting to produce some catches, then we got some locally heavy rains - now the lake is 9ft above Summer Pool !! That effectively shuts down that lake for a week or more ... until it settles out, and if no more heavy rains occur. I haven't wet a line all year, and the Spring Fling tourney is slipping up on me, quick ! Between the weather and my changing work schedule ... looks like I may have to go into the tourney - cold turkey...luck2ya ...cp

[GABoy]

what you were probably hearing were Carp or Buffalo rolling/feeding (did you hear any "sucking sounds" ??). They will come to the surface and roll in the debris - sucking in the "trash" floating on top. It's pretty safe to say that, if it was Carp or Buffalo, there were probably not any Crappie around.
Receding water generally pulls Crappie out away from the bank, and they suspend or head for deep cover. Cold & muddy water is the worst condition you can face, this time of year. Yo-yoing water levels only add to the negative side of things. Even warm & muddy water, that isn't stable, isn't all that good. A slowly rising or falling water level, even in flooded conditions, will afford you a chance at catching "some" Crappie ... I did it at Barkley Lake (many years back) by getting up amongst the "live" trees that were flooded (with 2-5ft of water up the trunks). I used a spinning outfit / minnow & float rig / 1.5ft depth (from float to minnow) ... I placed the minnow along side every good sized tree I could get to - right beside the tree and on all four "sides" of each tree. Seems the Crappie were nosed right up against the live trees, on the flooded banks (waiting for the water to stabilize ??). I don't know if they would do the same on your lake ... but, if you go, it may be worth a try (under similar conditions).
I've also heard that Crappie like to hide, real shallow, up under those floating mats of sticks & debris. Makes sense - they've got overhead cover, warmer surface water, and they'd be in the water that clears up first (upper surface level). Finding the clearer waters, like in the back of creeks & bays & pockets, is also an option ... esp. if the rains continue and they're warm rains (and not heavy downpours) - this will send clearer water from the incoming creeks, into the backs of these areas, and the fish should migrate towards that incoming warm water.
I know how you feel, brother ... my local Crappie lake was just starting to produce some catches, then we got some locally heavy rains - now the lake is 9ft above Summer Pool !! That effectively shuts down that lake for a week or more ... until it settles out, and if no more heavy rains occur. I haven't wet a line all year, and the Spring Fling tourney is slipping up on me, quick ! Between the weather and my changing work schedule ... looks like I may have to go into the tourney - cold turkey...luck2ya ...cp

We have a tournament tomorrow at Lake Oconee....and I was hoping to pre-fish today, but with the looks of our weather I decided to come into work actually and head into that tourney cold turkey, and of course on Saturday the winds are supposed to be up around 24 MPH or better.....it is gonna be great!!