A couple of questions

[Trihull]

This is my first attempt at winter time fishing and have a couple of questions for you guys who have been crappie fishing a lot longer than I have. First, I have heard that crappie migrate up river during the winter, therefore is it a waste of time to fish the lower half of the lake. I fish primarily Percy Priest near Nashville, TN. Second, from what I have read ledges and drop offs on the river channel and primary creeks seems to be the ticket. I mainly fish brush piles and this would be new to me.

There may be posts that talk about these two things, but I have not done a search. If anybody can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.

[Jerry Blake]

Hey Tryhull:

If anything the crappie in our deep reservoirs move back out of the creek arms closer to the main channel and deeper water in the winter, compared to where they are in the fall. We fish for them about the same depth in the winter - after the Fall Feeding Frenzy is over - as we do in the hot summer time after the post spawn is over. Even if they aren't all that deep they seem to like to be close to deep water in the winter and summer here.

[Crappie Reaper]

Well said Jerry. I bet you could find alot of Crappie on Percy Priest within a 3/4 mile of the dam off steep points, steep dropoff banks, ie-deep water. They should be somewhere in the 17'-30' range. Lakes don't have much of a current if the flood gates aren't open and generators are slow. Windy days will create a current which will depend on the wind direction. if the wind is out of the south, current should be from the north. All it is, is the surface water being blown is recirculating back towards where it came from. I have caught crappie in a strong river current quite a ways down below the dam letting out the water. Not sure I would take too much stock in someone saying the crappie always swim upstream. All fish face the current so as to hold their position. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. I say all this from experience only.

[whizkids]

I have bass fished Priest several times but don't remember if there is a dam upstream. In some of our NC and SC lakes fish will congregate in the mouth of the upper one or two major creeks and in the main river near those creeks in December. In our cases there is a power generating dam upstream. Whether that makes a difference or not I do not know. It is also not a hard and fast rule. In other reservoirs here crappie do just as Jerry said. It may depend on how large the lake is, how deep it is or how much the crappie are disbursed throughout the lake year round. Tne main thing is IF THE SHAD GO THERE the crappie will follow. It doesn't sound reasonable that all the crappie would go to the upper 25% of a lake. I don't know about that, but if you fish a tournament in December or Jan. on those lakes most of the fish and all the money will be won in that upper 25% of those lakes.

[fishin3]

Have you tried fishing up in Stones River like around Smyra or Murfreesboro. I did good there in college. Usually you can find a blow down of ledge away from people if you are willing to do some walking or paddling down the river.

[Trihull]

Thanks Guys for the info.

[Jerry Blake]

I have heard of folks catching crappie in the winter on the upper end of Hamilton where there is a dam for a deep reservoir above - Lake Ouachita.

The water coming through the turbines there is a constant temperature year around - I think around 56-degrees if I remember right. I suspect that when the rest of the lake gets below that temperature crappie in the upper part of the lake may move upstream towards the dam to find relatively warmer water.

[DENNIS BOWERS]

Trihull, Here I look for structure in deep water{like jerry said].I fih the same type of areas that I do in summer.Can't imagine it being much different there!Good Luck!!