Fishing Bridges for Crappie and other panfish

[panfish_angler_17]

I fish under a bridge for bluegills and crappie. The bluegills are easy to catch, so now I'm after crappie. I fish the pilings using redworms and have gotten a few bites. I thingk i'll toss a jig to them pilings for crappie. I'll go buy some slip bobbers to fish the deeper water.

[crappieseeker]

Bridges are an excellent area to catch crappie. I have found that most all bridges hold crappie at some point in time. Some bridges are alot better than others, and then some barely hold fish at all but will generally have atleast a few crappie if they are in the waterway.

I have caught crappie on things such as worms and crickets before, however the go to thing is minnows and jigs. There are so many different variables to catching them around bridges. I generally cast without a float. Sometimes I use a float with a jig but mostly I do not. If I do use minnows, and that is a big if, I will use a float. Some people tightline a minnow at night.

Spend some time studying it and you should be able to catch some crappie there.

[Fatman]

The older the bridge the better

Fatman

[panfish_angler_17]

The bridge is around fifty years old. They put up iron girders for extra support so I fish those too.The first set of pilings are in two-three feet of water and I've caught plenty of 'gills near them. The second set are in around ten feet of water. Between the first and second set of pilings there are submerged weeds and brushpile in around five to seven feet of water. I caught my first crappie from the submerged weeds so I'm confident that there are more close by.

[CrappiePappy]

The bridge is around fifty years old. They put up iron girders for extra support so I fish those too.The first set of pilings are in two-three feet of water and I've caught plenty of 'gills near them. The second set are in around ten feet of water. Between the first and second set of pilings there are submerged weeds and brushpile in around five to seven feet of water. I caught my first crappie from the submerged weeds so I'm confident that there are more close by.

Most of the bridges I've fished, were in deeper water than that ... but, here's my take on it, and some things to consider, all the same :

If there's any current ... fish the down current sides. The heavier the current, the more likely the Crappie will be in the eddy water of the down current side of the pilings. Also important, is the shade ... look for & use the shade as a "corral" of sorts. Stay out of the shade, with your boat, and cast to the "corralled" fish. Always assume that the fish will be "looking" (facing) into the current .. so present your bait to them by casting towards the way the water is coming from, and letting it pass by them slightly overhead.

Check around the immediate area ... and look for deeper holes. Crappie will move back & forth between the two, if they're close ... esp if there's some wood washed into the hole.

If the water is no deeper than 10ft at the deepest ... casting jigs &/or Roadrunners, and running them over the weeds/brush, should put you into the fish. If the weeds are relatively short, a jig, or minnow, or a minnow on a jig ... under a float, should work well. If the weeds are relatively tall ... you might try the "drop-shot" method.

If the water were somewhat deeper, I'd tell you to try Vertical Casting a jig down the sides of the pilings. If the water isn't gin clear, or if you lose sight of a chartreuse jig in less than 2ft of water depth ... it may still work. However, I'd only use it after I'd exhausted all other possibilities, since it would require you to position your boat directly overhead of where the fish are holding. Here's the "how to" on this method : Vertical Casting

... luck2ya ... cp

[boat49]

Around bridges is where I learned to catch crappie when I decided to take up fishing! I had the most luck on the pilings that were closest to where the big drop off occured. Some bridges thats the end pilings other bridges its the second from the ends. As CP said the shade is a major factor also. Experiment with different setups and methods and you will figure out what works best.........thats the fun part I think!

[Pomoxist]

At a bridge I look for extra cover, such as sunken brush, near a piling, one that's not in too shallow water. If the sun is out, I always fish the shade--if it's during the warmer half of the year. However, after the water cools down to about 55 degrees or colder, look for bridge crappie to be out of the shade. Then, you'll often catch them in the brighter, warmer water.

[shipahoy41]

Bridges are an excellent area to catch crappie. I have found that most all bridges hold crappie at some point in time. Some bridges are alot better than others, and then some barely hold fish at all but will generally have atleast a few crappie if they are in the waterway.


Spend some time studying it and you should be able to catch some crappie there.

Ditto. Also Crappie Pappy gave you some excellent advice. I had to learn some of that the hard way. Listen to him.

[JBledsoe]

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Are live minnows legal bait in Calif.? Many western state do not allow minnows as bait.

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[crappiekiller2]

Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations - Bait Regulations for Inland Waters