Where did they go?

[Bronson]

Big COLD rain fell on Kentucky & Barkley Lakes yesterday. Lake was already over summer pool so expect it to go up another 1-3 feet, possibly more.

Crappie caught close to the bank two days ago were nowhere to be found. Normally, I would think water coming up would send them to the bank but temperatures dropping may have down the opposite or simply given them lockjaw.

My son fished a bass tournament and we thought bass might have moved into the bushes but he didn't have any luck either.

Any idea of where they went or ways to catch them when a cold rain sends water level up but lake temperatures down?

[swamp rat]

Same thing going on Arkansas! Fish get close to bank,then another cold front pushes them back out.try moving out away from bank 10 to 30 ft and fish slow.

[Cmj]

X2, same in Ar. My guess is that your lock jaw theory is probably the most accurate. We have had the same conditions here and I have found them both shallow and suspended in deep water, pretty much scattered all over. The trick has been getting them to bite.

[Bronson]

Thanks for replying. I watched a guy a couple of hundred yards off the bank fishing brushpiles or stakebeds and never saw him catch anything either. They had been doing pretty good 2-3 days before. Fish still had a lot of eggs. Changes w/water coming up and falling temps must have shut them down. That makes it hard on weekend anglers when better weather falls in the middle of the week. Thanks again.

[Hanr3]

Surface temps went up. Crappie are still there and still eat after cold fronts. Trouble is finding them. They are going to find less turbulent water near the baitfish. Look where the wind blows into coves, that is where the bait fish will go. Plus the North West side of the lake should get the early sun and warm up faster. See if you can find coves out of the wind with cover that the bait fish were pushed into, and gets the morning sun. That's where I would start. To narrow it down more, look for deeper water right outside of those coves, bays or even better in those coves.

The Crappie will push bait fish up on flats at night, and stay in the deep water below the flats, then go up on the flat to feed.

[offdahook]

Yep, same in some of the lakes in AR, especially Wapanocca, Last year this time we were catching 25-40 a trip. I have been to that lake 4 times this year and not one nibble

[Bronson]

Surface temps went up. Crappie are still there and still eat after cold fronts. Trouble is finding them. They are going to find less turbulent water near the baitfish. Look where the wind blows into coves, that is where the bait fish will go. Plus the North West side of the lake should get the early sun and warm up faster. See if you can find coves out of the wind with cover that the bait fish were pushed into, and gets the morning sun. That's where I would start. To narrow it down more, look for deeper water right outside of those coves, bays or even better in those coves.

The Crappie will push bait fish up on flats at night, and stay in the deep water below the flats, then go up on the flat to feed.

You make some good points but I was fishing off the bank and a storm blew through, so that ended it. I do have a bad habit of staying in an area I've caught them before regardless of the conditions. I've got to learn to fish like the pro's and adjust quickly to conditions and change when things slow down.