West Texas CREEK Crappie

[Mud-Dabber]

After several zero trips, I finally found fish in the creeks feeding into Lake O.H. Ivie. Depth was 8-11 feet adjacent to deep creek channel. Lots of throwbacks and the fish are very concentrated in only a very few natural brushpiles. When you find the right one, it is not unusual to catch 30 fish with maybe 1/3 being small keepers. (10.5 to 11.0 inches). Fish were caught on jigs and minnows. Jig color that was Hot was unpainted head, pink body, chartruce tail. Jig heads from Jeff Schiller. Fish are heavy with eggs, but still a long way off from spawning. Water temp. 53 degrees.

Good Fishing,
Mud-Dabber

[Darryl Morris]

Sounds like to me they might be staging themselves. Guess they could go either way depending on conditions. Deeper channel nearby or on up into shallower water to spawn. Keep an eye on them and see if they don't start stacking up more and on more of the brushpiles as the water temp gets into the upper 50's. Don't make the same mistake I did several years back watching the surface temp in the main body and around the staging areas and not checking the skinny water. It may only be in the upper 50's at the deeper staging areas when it is already well into the 60's in the skinny water spawning areas. It won't be long.

[Mud-Dabber]

Darryl
Good idea, I went back today and WOW, I found some skinny water with 59 degree temps. where within 50 yards the water in the 11 foot brush was 53 degrees. You are right about the skinny water warming faster, although I tried, but could not catch any yet moving that shallow just to warm up. Good idea however and I will watch it for movement. I tried trolling (minnows, cannot get any hits on jigs while trolling) in the main creek right beside the brush they move into and caught 8 pretty decent fish, then like clockwork, around 10:00 a.m. they moved into the 8-11 foot brush. Still lots of throwbacks, but more quaility fish today. Hot color today was unpainted head, orange chenille and chartruce tail. Feel better about my first attempts at jig tying now after catching a few on the ones I tied.

Regards,
Mud-Dabber

[Darryl Morris]

Especially watch the skinny water in northwest corners. The rising sun will shine on them first and longer and they will warm faster than any of the shallow spawning water.