Any Newyork Fall Crappie tactics?

[Big Jay]

I might not be able to hunt this season, so im looking into getting as much fall info as possable on crappie. I'm going to be fishing lake chautauqua, most likely from shore.And here at home small water ponds about 3 to 10 foot deep staind ,Some bush along shore for cover. Also i have alot of inland marineas to fish around the docks as well.......I would guess that the sping tactics are probly around the same as fall. But im not shure so i come to the NY Forum, any info would help.

[Frank C]

I fish laydown trees, bridges, marinas, with a very small jig and bobber. and minnows

[Big Jay]

Are crappie patterns in the fall the same as spring'without the spawning"? And is time of year is less of a effect as water temp. I have found some info on fall crappie but it is from down south and there fall is nothing like our fall so im kind of staying in the ny forum for this one.

[no1son]

Fall is one of the best times for catching crappies. Around here in Minnesota crappies are definitely starting to show up in fall locations which are similar to pre- and post-spawn feeding spots, sometimes the same sometimes not quite, although generally not including the shallowest of spring haunts.

In my opinion in the north day length has a lot to do with these patterns as does concentrations of young of the year forage such as shiner, sunnie and perch balls, several of which are moving back into the weed beds about now and with those weed beds going into seasonal declines as it cools off towards winter they will be getting increasingly vulnerable to predation. All kinds of fish show up to gorge both on the new fry and on the smaller fish that are also preying on them.

Also late season insect hatches can point to spots often with crappies feeding around and under surface or near surface foraging sunfish.

Light intensity IMO is more important that water temperature unless it gets extreme. Up here in the north country day length is already rapidly decreasing and the sun has less and less power once we pass the solstice.

From now until freeze up and for the ice fishermen for a while shortly after that there are crappies to catch and sometimes in huge numbers. You will also find that crappie size will vary from place to place on the same lake, since the fish have had all summer to sort out to common sized schools. This time of the year and on into fall, the smaller pods of larger crappies begin to show up in those spots along with the more average fish; sometimes a bit mixed but generally not.

[Big Jay]

Well im at about the 43parelle Mn is between around 43 to 48 so we could share simalar season changes. I was told yesterday that some crappie have been showing up at night around a bridge in 10 foot of water. Im going to give it a shot in the next couple of day's . I'm going to use what yall have said and see what happens.

[REDBOAT]

I would say try mid to late afternoon and fish a minni a foot or two down under a bobber... I have even had them come up and hit the bobber itself...