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Thread: Crappie behavior in creeks that empty into the big lakes

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    Default Crappie behavior in creeks that empty into the big lakes


    this may be a stupid question.

    in our area we have many small creeks most of which at some point or the other empty into pickwick or bay springs lake.

    do crappie behave the same way in these small creeks as they do in the lakes?

    can you catch crappie using the same techniques as you would use in the lakes?

    if you were to fish these creeks for specifically for crappie, would you find them in the deeper sections or how would you go about finding them?

    brad

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    i would try the mouths of the creeks where they empty into the lakes or fish tree tops in the creeks just my 2cents

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    Creeks are going to have current. Look for eddy water areas, and any structure/cover that blunts the current flow (fish the slack water !). If the creeks have clear water ... I'd expect the Crappie to use deeper holes. If the creeks have stained to murky waters ... they may be found shallower.
    They will, & do, behave much the same as Crappie in rivers or lakes ... as far as their general behavior. Subtle differences in their behavior/habits are as much a possibility as they would be from comparing a lowland lake to a highland lake to a strip pit to a oxbow. But, chances are, they're going to follow their instinctual behavior patterns ... just like they would in most any body of water.

    Catching them "using the same techniques as you would use in the lakes" ... hmmm ?? For the most part, I'd say yes. But, I'd probably clarify that with ... you're probably going to find that casting, jigging, or minnow fishing techniques are probably going to be easier to accomplish than some of the other "lake fishing" techniques.

    Hollar at KyCreekBoy (by PM or over on the KY State Forum) ... he might be able to add some of his experience/expertise.

    ... cp

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    Expertise & Kycreekboy should never ever be used in ther same sentence. But here goes.... IMO Pappy is right, casting, jigging or minnow fishing would be what I'd try. If the water is clear I'd be fishing deeper water. But I, most likely would be all up in whatever natural cover there is. Slip bobbers/minnow/jig combinations no doubt. Slack water and shade just as Pappy said. The thought of crappie fishing in those Mississippi creeks has my mouth watering. You just know there's some BIG slabs down there. Up here in the Ohio river area we had frozen water for 2.5 months and now the river is at flood stage. I think buying Yike's boat has cursed me. Did manage to get out once and busted ice to do that, just to take a boat ride. But, my times a coming. Good Luck in those creeks, and let us know the results. Love to see pics of those southern slabs.

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    thanks for all the replies ! i love this forum.

    i have a fishing kayak ordered. i am going to use it to float these creeks. i plan to mark all the deep holes using a GPS all the way from the AL/MS line to where bear creek crosses HWY 72. i know there are many virgin spots on that route because of the remote nature of that creek.

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    Quote Originally Posted by crappiepappy View Post
    Creeks are going to have current. Look for eddy water areas, and any structure/cover that blunts the current flow (fish the slack water !). If the creeks have clear water ... I'd expect the Crappie to use deeper holes. If the creeks have stained to murky waters ... they may be found shallower.
    They will, & do, behave much the same as Crappie in rivers or lakes ... as far as their general behavior. Subtle differences in their behavior/habits are as much a possibility as they would be from comparing a lowland lake to a highland lake to a strip pit to a oxbow. But, chances are, they're going to follow their instinctual behavior patterns ... just like they would in most any body of water.

    Catching them "using the same techniques as you would use in the lakes" ... hmmm ?? For the most part, I'd say yes. But, I'd probably clarify that with ... you're probably going to find that casting, jigging, or minnow fishing techniques are probably going to be easier to accomplish than some of the other "lake fishing" techniques.

    Hollar at KyCreekBoy (by PM or over on the KY State Forum) ... he might be able to add some of his experience/expertise.

    ... cp


    Thanks for the good info. Pappy
    PROUD MEMBER OF TEAM GEEZER

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    I used to fish the creeks a little down river from you mainly around Saltillo. These creeks empty into Tn river/Ky lake. What CP is exactly right. The trick I found was to find the deeper holes in these creeks THEN find some form of cover that breaks the current. From my experience it takes a lot of run-n-gun fishing to find where there is a concentration of larger feeding fish but once found 'its on'. I exclusively tightlined tube jigs often dropping RIGHT behind objects breaking the current. Once found it is like they are lined up behind that object where when one is pulled out the next in line moves up into the 'spot', which sometimes is no larger than a 4" circle. Once the spot goes cold go find another then return 30-45mins later and catch a few more. I have had a few days where I could catch a limit off one spot but I usually spoil it by hangin up or drifting the boat into it spooking them.

    I also found where the river was rising there would be a 'slack line', essentially no in/out, in the current back in the creek. Any structure/cover found in these locations were sometimes very productive.

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