Winter Fishing

[fishinxpress]

Hey guys. I am not new to Crappie fishing, as I have done it since I was a small boy with my father. However, I have only vertical fished from docks and boats in the winter with a single pole. Let lure fall to bottom with slow retrieve. I am also fairly decent with a single rod casting towards the bank during spring, summer, fall. I have never spider rigged and don't know anyone personally who does. Can anyone give me any pointers as to how I would go about finding crappie in the winter or what techniques work well? I wouldn't mind learning how to spider rig but I just don't really have the money to invest in the rod holders and all the poles and equipment it takes to get started. I figured maybe I would catch you guys when you are bored and cooped up in the house waiting on warmer weather. Thanks in advance.

[thebowdoctor]

Not an expert in any area, but sure do enjoy doing it. Best bet would be to hook up with someone for a trip, shoot me a PM and we can hook up...(if Truman is close) and see if we can catch some winter crappie,,,,this is the best time of the year IMO!

[sliles]

Find the baitfish stacked up in the creeks.

[vic n]

Hi, and welcome! Read, read, read!!! These guys know where the fish are, and they willingly share any pattern. If you have specific questions about someone's technique, you can ask in a thread or send them a p.m. When you read what people are catching them on at their home lakes, try that technique on your own lake. Tell us your home lake and chances are there will be someone who will take you out for a while or point you in the right direction as to areas to try out. I don't know much by any means, but I sure have learned a ton from here, met new friends, ran into OLD friends, and even gotten to fish with some of them. Until I joined here, I put my boat away after spawn, but I have fished more this fall/winter than even fishing the spawn.

[fishinxpress]

Thanks everyone for the advice. My home lake is LOZ. I have been really wanting to get out this year and fish other lakes like Truman and Pomme but I guess I need to learn to fish before I go into uncharted waters. I love the spawn and it really spoils a person but I run out of fish by late summer and crave those delicious slabs all winter long. I've been out a few times this winter but only caught dinks and that was a chore in itself. I look forward to learning from everyone on this site.

[beagle man]

learn as many different was as possible,,, I two pole slow troll a lot, not so much spider rigging, I found out I am not just the best spider rigging person out there,,, takes to much corrdination for me... and it is to intense for my lazy way of fishing,,,, like they said before read and read somemore,,, and If you happen to see someone doing it on the lake stay back and watch it is pretty neat watching them work the 8 or more poles,,,, especially it they happen to come accross a big school of hungry fish.... yea intense .....

[bwillaub]

It's all fun. Doesn't matter if you're pitching a jig to a bank and working it back towards you, fishing a minnow under a bobber, two pole slowtrolling with a rod in each hand, dipping trees, or spiderrigging with 8 poles around your boat. It's all fishing and time spent on the water.

[fishinxpress]

Gonna take my daughter out tomorrow and give it a try. She has been begging me to go so I figured why not. Will try to give update tomorrow.

[billd2626]

Good luck .. I hope you guys find some.

[vic n]

If you're sticking with LOZ from a boat, look for docks with rod holders, fish cleaning stations, etc. Those docks usually have brush somewhere around them and deeper water close by. Drop down pretty deep or all the way and bring your bait up slooooow.