* * Tournament Fisherman * *

[Creamlevel Kennels]

This may not apply only to Tournament Fisherman, but looking for the "How To" on Locating Structure & Crappie Habitat when going to a new lake.

I figure that Crappie Tournament Fisherman have the intel or a working opinion, on how to work out a lake that they have never been on or rarely any way.

Using my electronics, how can I maximize my minimal time on my home lake, and help to find crappie strong holds. I am aware of where (Depths) I expect the crappie to be a given time of the year.

How do you guys go to a new lake with 1 day to practice, and increase your chance for the following day. Just trying to upgrade my intelligence on how to use my Boat & Electronics, and find a few fish on my home lake...

keith

[MePreach]

I will be interested in hearing responses on this also!

[crappieseeker]

A good lake map is helpfull

[GCD]

The best way to minimize your time on your home lake is to build your own structure and drop it in good spots! The fish will come to you!

As CS said, a good map helps... but maps are usually just general. I found a nice spot that holds crappie on my home lake that isn't on the map, a hump that comes up from 30' of water to 14'.

Hiring a guide may help, some tourney fishermen do that.

There's really no real substitute for putting the hours in on your home lake, and sacrificing your time to build and drop structure. The fishing gods like that kinda stuff and will reward you eventually.

Here's some structures I built and put out back in the spring.
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/crapp...structure.html
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/crapp...ck-jungle.html

[sparkie51]

TIME,TIME and TIME. The more time you put in the more fish you will catch and the better you will become at figuring out the how and where to catching fish.

Turn that fish finder-depth finder on when you leave the docks and watch it when your moving. A lot of people by-pass spots that hold fish by not using their electronics when moving from place to place.

Maps will generally get you in the right area BUT check when the map was made. Many lakes will have have bottom features that have changed since the maps were first made. A prime example is my local lake. The maps say the channel through one part of the lake is 15-18 feet deep. With all the run off and sediment that is brought into the lake over the years the channel is now 10 feet deep. Rock piles that were once there are now covered with a few feet of muck. Stump fields are no longer there. The lake is always changing.

Check the state fish commission sites or the lake web site some times they will post where state placed cribs are. Check web sites people like to brag. Talk to people at docks, don't be asking where they caught the fish but how (what colors were hot ,methods they were using and how deep). If they tell you that they are catching them down 20 feet that will give you a starting point. Then same with a shallow pattern. If you see slip floats you can bet they are fishing deep. Fixed floats shallow. Just jigs on the poles than either they are trolling or casting jigs to cover. See hard baits they are trolling. Try to notice what type of hard bait, large lips or small (will give you the depth they are fishing). Floats with hooks and weights they are using live bait.

Get a map and 45 minutes at the boat launch watching people come off the water will give you all the clues you need.

[Creamlevel Kennels]

I do understand the "Put In You Time Concept", and I have a stand of Bamboo, and working on getting some structure in place. But I know that guys that move from lake tro lake fishing Tournament's have some kind of plan that they use to be competitive with just 1-2 practice days before the Tournament's.

I would like to know what types of things they look for to decide if they are going to be searching structure in a certain area. I have a detailed Lake Mapping Program on my Electronics.

But these guys don't have the time to spend just cruising around, although that is the back bone to finding spots. They must have things, signs, images, etc. that they feel put their crusing time at a better advantage of turning up possible structures.

In Texas Tournament's they have a Friday Practice Day, then fish the Tournament's on Saturday. They have a Game Plan for locating structures, and possible habit. And although they may have fished the lake in 2-3 Tournament's before, it is not like home lake. Just wondering what they mind set is on locating fish in the short term.

Thanks for all the responds so far, and we are working most of them. Not looking for a short cut, as much as I am trying to improve my Crappie Knowledge & Education. By getting information from you guys that know this information, might keep me from following into some of the Trial & Error Method.

Mainly trying to be smarter, so thanks for the information, I am taking it in.

keith

[beagle man]

study the maps, then study them again, also a lot of tournament guys know locals everywhere they fish, they seek these people out and use the knowledge they have to help them find fish, some of them eaven prefish for the pro. to help out. google earth is a great help, you can see the creek channels comming off the land real well, anything that is fish related no matter how small will help, so like your doing now will help good luck, I dont tour. fish and wish there were no tour. allowed but I still help when I can cause just because I don't like em don't mean there bad.

[CrappiePappy]

If I were going to a completely strange & new lake, that I'd never fished before, and only had one day to "pre-fish" it & learn as much as I could about it .... I'd pick an area of the lake that looked as much like my "home" lake, as possible. I'd fish it much the same as I would my home lake, given similar conditions ... taking the recent weather, water levels, and available depths & cover into consideration.
I'd look for a thermocline, to determine the max depth penetration I'd need to consider ... then I'd look for cover (wood, primarily) that was above or rose above the thermocline level. Then I'd eliminate any areas that did not have those conditions (looking at a map for general references) ... and concentrate my efforts on the "prime" areas.
Then I'd look for shaded banks within those areas, for the early day probing. As the day wore on, and the shade disappeared, I'd seek deeper water areas, close by ... with dense brushpiles, standing timber, deep water docks (if present), bridges over deep creeks or the river end (whichever I was closest to), that were above the known thermocline (or extended up thru/above it).
I wouldn't rule out bumping bottom, with a jig/minnow rig or drop-shot rig, or even a Ky Lake rig ... working along channel edges. And if shallow enough, even casting jigs to, or trolling along those ledges. In other words, I'd choose my method of presentation, depending on depth/cover being used by the fish. I may even choose what bait I'd use, on those same parameters.

The presence of baitfish, and the depth they're running, is always a factor to consider (as is the type of baitfish present). Know your quarry's food, preferred habitat, normal habits (given the current conditions), and species preferences (White vs Black Crappie habits/behavior) ... and you're halfway to success. Factor in all the other things, and apply the proper presentation of the preferred bait (or reasonable facimile) ... and you're on your way thru the second half of a successful trip.

... luck2ya ... cp

[bttmline]

Hey Sparkie, I like your ideas. So simple but it will work. Not a boat goes by that I am not eyeballing the rods trying to see what hangin on the business end.

[slabsrus]

Hey Sparkie, I like your ideas. So simple but it will work. Not a boat goes by that I am not eyeballing the rods trying to see what hangin on the business end.

I have been known to do the same, watch for what others are using, but you must take that with a grain of salt. The reason I say that is because I personally have been known to change my lures/baits prior to coming to the launch if it is busy and I have a good stringer of fish. I do not mind sharing, but prefer not to share that kind of info to a whole lot of strangers on any of my home lakes. Good advice and hot tips are always nice but might not always be relieable.