We are the crappie? INput needed...

[bayoumonster]

Situation:

12 mile long bayou with steep clay sides, 10-16 foot deep in middle, 6-8 foot deep on sides, lots of trees and brush tops in 8 foot of water. One end of the bayou is Red River in NW Louisiana. The other end stops at the Caddo Lake dam. FOr about 1/4 mile below the dam, there are a multitude of shad schools with shad in the 1"-2" size range. They look extremely easy for any fish to pig out on. Yet I only see mainly gar hitting them, and not even that very often. I tried the crappie there with slip cork and jig in the brush tops, tiny spinner and jig (beetle spin style) slow rolling the bottom in between tops, and had no luck at all.
Where are the darned things. WHy wouldn't the crappie be stacked up in the area where all the shad are below the dam?? 89 degree water temperature at the surface.

I catch a lot of fish when they're easy in the winter and spring, and if shown where the fish are and what kind of lures they're biting on, can catch them as good as most any time of year (who can't, right? ) But in truth, I am horrible at finding fish and discovering what and how they're biting. I have horrible summer luck and it's rare when I catch a mess of crappie, although it does happen and I do find them sometimes. I don't have any friends or relatives that crappie fish in the summer and most of my local lakes are shallow.
I would have tho

Can you guys offer any clues as to where the fish might be? Are they just there and not biting? I would have thought the "deep" water would have been good this time of year.

[steve in so la]

At a huge impoundment out west the Game & Fish did an in depth (no pun) study on where the crappie were - as many people had complained about the lack of them. They concluded the fish were there all right, but they were mainly gathered under ledges & such to get out of the sunlight. I left the state shortly after the report was shown so didn't try a new approach. One would think the crappie had to come out to eat in the evening/night. steve in so la

[gregsayers2000]

If there is so much forage for them they may just be lazy and eat whenever they want, maybe after dark?

[feeshrman]

Try fishing shallow, most times crappie are not near as deep as you think. I would single pole lay downs and brush in 3-10 fow Keeping my jig 2-5 feet deep. Sometimes you've got to get into the thick stuff or fish just above it. Also try Berkeley crappie nibbles, I like yellow and the chanteuse ones best.

[shipahoy41]

Look for wood, grass, weeds, docks and points. If it is sunny, then fish the shade, I use a slip bobber or drop shot depending on the depth.

[bayoumonster]

THanks for all the responses, guys. I did actually try a slip cork with the jig about 2 foot under the cork with no success in the brush tops. No docks there.
That makes sense on the biting at night thing. I know some guys on the forum have caught fish on 12 mile before, so I know they're there. Will possibly make another attempt. I believe there was a definite thermocline showing up on my sonar at about 4 foot. DOes that mean the fish are likely above the thermocline?
BTW, I hate that avatar picture. THat crappie takes up the whole thing!
JBJ

[feeshrman]

The fish will definately be above the thermocline. I have much better luck tight lining a single jig in and above brush rather than under a cork. You can mimic baitfish by swimming the jig between sticks and next to logs they are using for shade. Experiment with colors and don't forget crappie nibbles. If you were referring to my avatar thanks, that one weighed 3.77lbs and was caught during a crappie.com tourney. It was spitting frozen rain that day and it and many more very large fish were caught 2' deep in less than 4' of water.

[river scum]

get them suspended over deep water now. night time is the rite time!

[bayoumonster]

The fish will definately be above the thermocline. I have much better luck tight lining a single jig in and above brush rather than under a cork. You can mimic baitfish by swimming the jig between sticks and next to logs they are using for shade. Experiment with colors and don't forget crappie nibbles. If you were referring to my avatar thanks, that one weighed 3.77lbs and was caught during a crappie.com tourney. It was spitting frozen rain that day and it and many more very large fish were caught 2' deep in less than 4' of water.

That's a fish of a lifetime for sure. And the circumstances it was caught in make it even more memorable. I would have it on the wall, myself. I very much appreciate your input!

[bayoumonster]

get them suspended over deep water now. night time is the rite time!

May try the night time bite soon----if I can withstand the skeeters!
THanks,
jbj