Calling All Slabmasters

[mighty]

I WAS READING THE ARTICLES AND NOTICED THERE IS NOTHING REALLY ON THERE ABOUT SUMMER TIME CRAPPIE FISHING OR I MISSED IT. I WAS HOPING SOMEONE COULD SCHOOL US ON FISHING FOR SUMMER CRAPPIE. IT WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED.

HAVE A BLESSED AND SAFE WEEKEND.
MIGHTY: eek:

[Speck]

I almost exclusively troll either crank baits or jigs after the spawn until almost October. The only exception is the few times I get to night stalk each summer. Good Luck. Speck

[crappiencali]

I go from one extreme to the other. Right after the spawn I'll fish deep water where most of the fish suspend. Then after they have had time to relax after the spawn I actually will hit timber at around 15-25 foot of water or I go back to the shallows and hit the stumps and road beds with a small arsenal. Normally a 1/16 oz jig does the trick.

[Mo'nBack]

Right now everything I'm catching is just over brushtops. As the days get hotter, I find them down in the brush (the thicker the better!). Alot of times they will be on the shady side of brush, logs, trees, or anything that throws a shadow. Depth depends on each waterway, but for me fishing 6-14 feet is where I catch the most (in any depth water). Sometimes they're deeper or shallower, but this is a good average. Usually if I work it thru brush and get a bite, I can usually catch several fish there. I work a spot over real good and then move on. I will come back and try it again later (I can't sit and wait 1-2 hours between bites) and most of the time will catch a few more at every spot. I strictly vertical jig, so some trollers and casters should be able to help you out on how they catch fish thru the summer. Hope this gives you some ideas.

[fish.on]

Depends on water clarity. If it's clear water and you can fish some boat slips find the darkest looking water, (usually around a big boat), and jig fish. I like a finesse approach. If it's dingy or murky water I like to fish ripraff or brush usually 10 to 16 foot deep. If it's green looking water I like Bridge Pillars about 12 to 18 foot deep. Sometimes you just have to put in the time. Three C's of Crappie fishing. Confidence, Concentration and Cocking that jig.

[CrappiePappy]

at the lake by O-Dark thirty (1/2hr before first light). I'll cast to blowdowns and sunken timber, on shaded banks, until the Sun gets on the water above them. I make a "milk run" of these areas, knowing about when each area will be sun-struck, and hit them while they're still shaded. By about 11AM or so, I'm out of shaded banks (or, at least, banks with enough shade to cover the deeper timber). I'll then go to a few places with dense standing timber, and do a little Vertical Casting or just casting to the shaded side of the trees. Once I've done that to my satisfaction (or not), I'll assess whether or not it's worth staying around for much longer. If I stay, I'll probably troll a crankbait with jig trailing ... mainly for White Bass or Hybrid Stripers, but still having the possibility of adding a Crappie or two to the pot. Usually, from 11AM and on, the water traffic is starting to get heavy. Trolling amongst the boat traffic isn't too bad, but trying to cast (and line watch) while bouncing around like a cork ... that's not so much fun :D If it's excessively hot, or the traffic starts to get too heavy to do any serious trolling in ........ I head to the house. ... cp

[NIMROD]

My home lake is shallow by most standards. We are vertically jigging brush piles in 5 to 8 ft water and limiting out every day. The trollers are catching them similar depths with crank baits. Some guys use a minnow with a cork and large sinker to hold correct depth while trolling. When we used minnows to troll ,the larger bass minnows ( 3'' ) worked best. They troll flats and channel drops. Here the crappie will follow the shad on to the flats extemely shallow at times.:D Trolling works good then. Here we do best on larger baits as the crappie eat mostly good size shad. Good luck!:D