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Thread: Where would you fish?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
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    Default Where would you fish?


    Hey all, I'm new to Crappie.com and am lacking experience in targeting Crappie in the summer so I'm hoping to pick the brains of you more experience Crappie anglers.

    Up until a couple of years ago I had never fished Crappie before. Not because I didn't want to but because there aren't any lakes in my area with Crappie. One day, I was talking with some other anglers and one of them told me he had heard about a lake about 100km south of us that supposedly held Black Crappie so I promptly decided I would fish it and find out if it was true. I took my first trip down to the lake in February when there was over 3 feet of ice. Luckily for me I caught 3 Crappie that day and and from then forward I was completely hooked on these fish. Since then, I've gone down to this lake another 20-30 times. I've been very successful in the winter months but not in the summer.

    I've attached a marked up map hoping you might be able to advise me as to what areas you would try targeting them and what technique I should try. There aren't any brush piles or brush pile-like cover on the lake. The north end (in red) is a weedbed with about 3 feet of water between the surface and the weeds. I've caught a handful of them in this section while working the shoreline for bass. In the winter, I targetted them in the small yellow section marked 12-16ft and done well but have yet to connect with them there in the summer. The south end of the lake is rocky and deeper than the rest of the lake. Last weekend, I trolled with cranks but didn't connect with any Crappie. There is an abundance of Northern Pike, Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass and Bowfin in the lake.

    Looking forward to any feedback you might be able to give me.
    CW

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Weedsport NY
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    I go for crappie mostly from iceout thru june, I like to find the warmest water I can looking first in the n-nw end of lake. around docks and in marinas are good. when spawn starts I have good luck fishing the lily pads, when they start growing. less than 7' where there are other types of grass growing and beaver houses.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
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    Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
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    Great advice Frank, thanks! There aren't any docks on the lake but I will definitely look for them around the lily pads and beaver houses. What type of presentation do you find works best at that time of year?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    Miamitown, Ohio
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    Newbie at Crappie too, but they say that in the Summer months Crappie will use the original creek bed as a highway especally during the heat of the day, I think I would try fishing deep at that SE point where both yellow (deep) meet the shallower blue and yellow waters.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Choudrant,Louisiana
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    3,240
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    From way down here in Louisiana. The area at 12 to 16 feet. but closer towards the bank, use the depth finder looking for areas that drops quicker and contours off those steeper banks. Find the baitfish schools and expect the Crappie to be on the bottom looking up. They will be in the comfort zone looking for that easy meal. The next area is at the top Right, where it drops into the deep hole. Fish anything that looks like a channel edge. Let your depth finder be your guide

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Albany, LA
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    You are trying to catch a pretty tough fish to catch...summer time crappie. This is why a lot of guys don't fish for them after the spawn. But rest assured, they are still there and still eating every day. Not sure about where you are (I assume a crappie is a crappie) but here they tend to suspend over deeper water 6-8ft down in say 12-14' foot or so. They don't hold to anything in specific (except bait...and that moves) I have had good luck just drifting over them titelining one jig pole straight down fishing slow. (spider rigging will work too, I just like to feel that thump!) Cover water, pay attention to your depthfinder (if you don't have one, go home and get one) watch for balls of shad and bait with fish under them. Start there.

    Good luck

    PS..if you still have any blue wing teal up there, please shoo them south for me!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
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    Great advice guys, thanks! Can't wait to get back out there and give them another shot. Looks like I'll have to change up my tactics a bit.

    Unfortunately, there aren't any shad up here so working the bait balls is out of the question. We have minnows that school but nothing like shad. Mostly dace and creek chubs in these parts.

    I'd love to try spider rigging, but we have a 1 rod per person limit in the summer. It's probably best that way, I'd hate to have to deal with pike on multiple lines at once.

    Would I be right in saying it wouldn't be worth trying for them in the really deep water where it's over 30 feet?

    Thanks and tight lines all!

    PS. No teal here yet. We don't start seeing them til around the beginning of October. Plenty of Canada geese, red headed mergansers and mallards though. Just over 3 weeks til grouse season opens. And a month til migratory bird.

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