Thread: cold water specks

Cold Weather Crappie
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To pattern wintertime crappie, look for cover along the thermocline where crappie will be holding. Many lakes "turnover" during the winter months, meaning the coldest water will be on top, and the warmest water will be on the bottom. Crappie will seek warmer, deeper water, preferably with cover. Check the edges of creek and river channels and along stump rows where the warmer water is close to the bottom in the winter.
When fishing during the winter, keep in mind that the metabolism of the crappie has slowed considerably. They won't be willing to chase bait far. So, fish your bait slowly and deep to get bites.

Try trolling very slowly (also called bumping) for crappie in the winter. When bumping, hit your motor just enough to move the boat forward a foot or two at a time. When you troll very slowly, you're dragging your bait right in front of the crappie. That slow-moving treat eventually will provoke the lethargic crappie into biting. If you find crappie, then troll very slowly back and forth over that area to catch more fish.





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Crappie in Wintertime
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For many anglers, the tasty crappie is only a springtime target. However, with some planning, you can catch crappie year-round. Locate beaver ponds, sloughs, cut-offs and bays in your favorite lake or river. That water will warm-up more quickly in the wintertime during a warm spell. Crappie often will move into these shallow pockets and hold on submerged trees, stumps and the roots of live trees.
Fishing for crappie will be productive in these pockets during a warm spell in the cold months. Then, as a cold front heads into the area, the fishing can be phenomenal. Both animals and fish tend to feed more aggressively ahead of a front. You may find that crappie go on a feeding spree when the cold front comes in, and you may catch some of the biggest crappie of the year. However, as soon as the temperature drops even a little, the crappie will stop feeding.

Great post!

Thanks Crazy...good info!

Great post and info.