Water temps and crappie

[red ranger]

O k the water temps are running around 54 - 56, it seems they are still scatterd after the turnover, at what temps do they start to bunch up again???? it seems you can catch more crappie off one tree or brush pile when the temps are in the upper 40's... what do you guys think???

[Little Skeeter]

It is still early fall at this point but it should be happening very soon. I think in some areas it is already happening. LOZ and Truman I have seen recently that brushpiles are doing very well right now.

[Jigging15]

I have found that they will stack up better on drop offs or ledges better than on trees no matter what the temp is. But temps in the mid 40's is when I notice them stacking/grouping up better. Seems most trees will only hold one or two fish. If you can find a big hardwood with limbs under water it will hold more fish. Same goes for a big cedar or brushpile. But in the winter I prefer to fish the ledges/dropoffs for faster action. Way up the creeks I can catch fish off of the trees close to the drop off in to the creek channel but can catch just as many bouncing a jig on the bottom until falls over the drop off even if there is no trees around. Just my past experiance. But I don't sit still very long if fish are inactive. If I would stay put longer they may produce more fish off of a single tree. But I like to stay moving and go after the more active fish.

[vic n]

I have found that they will stack up better on drop offs or ledges better than on trees no matter what the temp is. But temps in the mid 40's is when I notice them stacking/grouping up better. Seems most trees will only hold one or two fish. If you can find a big hardwood with limbs under water it will hold more fish. Same goes for a big cedar or brushpile. But in the winter I prefer to fish the ledges/dropoffs for faster action. Way up the creeks I can catch fish off of the trees close to the drop off in to the creek channel but can catch just as many bouncing a jig on the bottom until falls over the drop off even if there is no trees around. Just my past experiance. But I don't sit still very long if fish are inactive. If I would stay put longer they may produce more fish off of a single tree. But I like to stay moving and go after the more active fish.

But at what depth do you start your search? Are you graphing fish on or around the ledge? A favorite depth? I mean there are drops at 30' and drops at 10', how do you eliminate the unproductive water?

[Jigging15]

I start at the first drop off away from the bank. When way up the creeks it will be the only real drop off. So it may be 8 ft dropping off in to 10 ft or may be 14 in to 18. All breaklines will hold fish through out the year but they will really stack up on the shallow ones in late fall and early spring. The same ones I am fishing now produced real well this last spring. They move up to these break lines in the spring when the water gets above 45 degrees and will be good trough the spawn for big females. These defined drops or breaklines can be found on a good map. Look for a sharp drop off mid way back in creeks or big coves. Don't be afraid of fishing to shallow this time of year.

[insuranceguy]

I start at the first drop off away from the bank. When way up the creeks it will be the only real drop off. So it may be 8 ft dropping off in to 10 ft or may be 14 in to 18. All breaklines will hold fish through out the year but they will really stack up on the shallow ones in late fall and early spring. The same ones I am fishing now produced real well this last spring. They move up to these break lines in the spring when the water gets above 45 degrees and will be good trough the spawn for big females. These defined drops or breaklines can be found on a good map. Look for a sharp drop off mid way back in creeks or big coves. Don't be afraid of fishing to shallow this time of year.

Im just curious where you get those maps. Ive looked all over for a LOZ map that shows the creek channels and the drop offs but haven't had any luck.

[Just Jiggin]

I fished sat & sun on the Grand & caught most fish on bluffs...any indifference I saw on the bank I would fish what ever type of cover that was in 15-10 fow. Water temp was 54-58 deg & all was wind blown bluffs..Got in calm water no bites. When ever I caught one fish on a tree or bush & would catch several on the same tree..Not all trees had fish on them..

[vic n]

I start at the first drop off away from the bank. When way up the creeks it will be the only real drop off. So it may be 8 ft dropping off in to 10 ft or may be 14 in to 18. All breaklines will hold fish through out the year but they will really stack up on the shallow ones in late fall and early spring. The same ones I am fishing now produced real well this last spring. They move up to these break lines in the spring when the water gets above 45 degrees and will be good trough the spawn for big females. These defined drops or breaklines can be found on a good map. Look for a sharp drop off mid way back in creeks or big coves. Don't be afraid of fishing to shallow this time of year.

This is similar to advice I've heard before, but I've never had any success (because I never gave it any time to succeed!!Doh)

[Jigging15]

Here is some pics of the maps I use. One is the outside of it. They fold up and have a plastic clear sleeve they go in. They are on some type of wax paper that is water proof. I can not get a very good picture of it to show the contours real good. But they are in 6 ft increaments. Where the lines get real close together means that it is a quick drop off. That is what I have been fishing the last few weeks for numbers of fish. The bigger fish are still not there yet from what I have seen. I am still catching the better fish on the flats in the larger creeks. Hope this helps. The last picture has the contact info the maps.

[vic n]

Im just curious where you get those maps. Ive looked all over for a LOZ map that shows the creek channels and the drop offs but haven't had any luck.

I would think Bass Pro would carry these maps, I know Roger's in Liberty carries them (only a 3 hr drive!!). They have them at the Bucksaw Marina, also.