So with all the rain we have gotten here and it sounds like another washout Thursday/Friday what is your plan to find the crappies in all of this dirty high water this weekend? Clinton seems to be the place to go with it only being 3 ft high or so, but that could change with the rain coming later this week.

Plans are to be on Clinton..........that choice is being made for me by OPEC, not water quality

Went out yesterday evening to try my hand at spider rigging and did catch some crappie. Also found a way to locate brushpiles, a few more spider rigging trips and the GPS will be full

I have read a lot about spider rigging, but wondered if it could really be an effective method in KS. Unless there is some kind of exception for crappie fishing, there is a 2-pole limit per person, right? I know they are allowing people to buy a 3rd pole permit, but still...
The boats I see in magazines with spider rigs have at least 8 poles off the front. Maybe there are even more off the back.... Do you still call it a spider rig if you are only fishing with 2 or 3 rods each?

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ChadKU, when the lakes get screwed up like this, I start thinking about farm ponds and quarry ponds. Maybe they aren't too glamorous, but they are everywhere and you shouldn't have to worry about crashing your boat into floating trees and other garbage washed into a lake.

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go to the creeks and chase those channel cat lol its alot of fun

I would love to go pond hopping, but I just do not know anyone up here who has them and would let me get on em. I would just want to fish em for fun. No need to keep fish unless they need me to if it is getting overstocked some...I tend to go to the smaller community lakes and state lakes during times like this....They tend to have a run off area that will put the lake back to normal in a day or so...That may be the plan this weekend if we get hit hard the next couple days.

I'm doing what the spider riggers do, only with fewer rods.........don't know what else to call it? I'll be eating crappie tonight so I guess there are a few fish that don't mind the technique. I know it's not like some of those multi-rod rigs, but I get 6 productive baits in the water in a manner that presents the baits over a wider area. It ain't brushpile fishing, but then I'm not trying to make it that.

I've had it happen 3 times now, the fish will take the bottom minnow and then move up and take the top minnow(running a C&C rig). They do it real fast too, you see slack, grab the pole and drag in a twice hooked fish.......aggressive feeders I figure.

Center12, do you put them all off the front end of the boat, or do you put 3 off the front and 3 off the back? Either way, it sounds like it's working for you. Maybe I ought to get that 3rd pole permit and give it a try. I usually start trolling crankbaits after post-spawn, but spider-rigging seems like a good way keep your bait in their face longer. Thanks for the info!

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I've got a pair of driftmaster bars set up on the front of the boat and added a pair of side by side pedestal bases so I can fish 2 off the front. So far I've been working between the spawning area's and the channel, picking up scattered fish. If this wind ever dies down I really want to get out and work the open water channel edges, always fish there at Clinton at least. Even if I'm jigging a brushpile, I like to hang a "dead" rod or two out with a minnow dangling just above the brush.........get my moneys worth out of the 3rd rod permit and the rodholders!!

I use 1/2 oz. weights and #2 gold hooks(they bend easy, a good thing), will start playing with a jig on the bottom real soon. Holler if I can answer any questions.

Lots of boats on Clinton, but there are crappie to be had. Real close to a limit in about 3 hour's. Charlie