Anyone?
Hi guys, I'm from South Louisiana and we are experiencing extremely low water levels with surface temps. right at 40 degrees. Crappie fishing has been real tough. I usually fish with slip cork and jigs and do pretty good but this year it is hard to locate fish. The series of man made canals and natural bayous that I have always fished are about 3 feet below normal. The middle of the canals are normally 6 ft. deep. Now they are only 3 to 4 ft. deep. With the Low water and 40 degree water temp. do you think the Crappie are still there? If not do you think they will return to spawn when the water warms in a few weeks? Any other techniques beside slip corks and jig you would suggest? This is the first cold winter and extremely low water in many years here in south Louisiana. Any input would be appreciated.
i think things will improve a lot once the water starts to warm . if they are not their now they will be when the water temp. gets in the50s.
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Find the deepest water available and use the slip bobber to slow down your presentation. Use very small jigs and fish them very slow. Adding a wax worm to your jig won't hurt anything either. EB
DO-GOODER EXTRADINAR :p
Make long cast and fish the middle, as close to the bottom/grass as you can. Use a 1/16 jig head/small plastic (no more than 2" long), and put a small silver or gold spinner on. Any variations in depth due to drains and trenasses from the marsh should hold some fish. The higher the sun gets on a cloudless day, the closer to the grass they are gonna be. Also, fish the same bait (take the spinner off), put on a small un-weighted cork set deep enough to keep the lure out of the grass or maybe about 6" or so above the grass. Don't jerk it like you would for speckled trout or reds, just kind of pull it a foot or so at a time. Let it sink and repeat.
This is best advice I can give you.
"... run with patience
the race that is set before us ..." Heb. 12:1-3
eel,
I'm somewhat in the same boat. If the inlets to those areas aren't getting deep enough water, I'm thinking you won't see the same action you've had in previous years. I'm experiencing the same thing and having to search diff. areas I'm not used to fishing.
I think all of that comes in to play during the stage for the spawn. I'm catching a dozen fish, fishing hard, in the same areas I've caught messes of fish in prior years at the same time period.
Differences:
water temp - to the day, I'm 8 degrees lower, at peak daylight than last year
&
water depth - to the day, I'm 3' lower, and that's after a gooooood rain
But I'm a river rat on low horsepower, there's always somewhere better to go.
And someone smarter to ask.
G'luck
Adam
i noticed that minnows werent mentioned here.... i think they might outfish plastics....
Son of Racoon, Friend of whiskerwhipper, FHB to all.