Gonna try dippin

[steve in so la]

Back in Arizona where I recently came from, believe it or not, there are no trees near or around the water. Not much water either. So I have never tried dipping a jig among the trees. I'll try it tomorrow - any advice to give me about this technique? Thanks, Steve in so la

[crappiemax]

Just be sure to work all the water shallow to deep and very your depth. Sometimes we find em 2' deep over 20 fow. Next time we find them 6' deep and we can't buy a hit in water over 15' deep. Then 2 days later they're sitting on the bottom in 10-12 fow.

Good luck I hope this helps.
Oh yeah, don't forget your crappie nibbles.

[Cmj]

Man, there are so many variables when it comes to this a 300 page book could be written on it. I think the biggest challenge is finding the fish and the patten that works on that particular day. My best advice would be to keep moving and try different presentations until you start getting bit. Also, get to know the locals and pick their brains every chance you get.

[CrappiePappy]

Back in Arizona where I recently came from, believe it or not, there are no trees near or around the water. Not much water either. So I have never tried dipping a jig among the trees. I'll try it tomorrow - any advice to give me about this technique? Thanks, Steve in so la

Steve .... I don't do a lot of vertical jigging, but I do "Vertical Casting" ( Crappie Pappy Article ) but that's usually in water over 10-15' deep, so I don't know if that presentation would help in your case.

On the very shallow water situations, I would try dropping the jig down until it was out of sight ... then just hold it dead still. If no bites, barely shake the rod tip for a half second, then hold still again ... repeat a few times over a minute or so, then move the jig to another area of the brush or to another tree trunk. You can also drop the jig down & very slowly "swim" it around the tree trunk, or slowly lift & drop it among the extended branches.
I'd also key on shaded banks, and even the shaded side of the standing timber. Seeing as how your water is probably over the mid 80 degree mark, the fish are probably a little stressed ... so they're not likely in the mood to chase anything, which is why I would key on shade & move my baits as slow as possible.

Expect only the slightest "tic", or even having the line suddenly go slack, to be a bite !!

... cp

[Bronson]

Some good tips already given. Pull you knot back toward the point of the hook so your jig will ride level and try tipping with crappie nibbles. This time of year the bluegill, yellow bass might drive you crazy but most of the year they can really make a difference. I like a shorter rod and point it down towards the water. This also allows me a stronger hook set.

The better fishermen tend to move after several minutes if they haven't caught anything. This is one of my biggest faults as I have a tendency to keep working them area until I finally get one to hit. I'm hoping to do a little better this year about moving to another brushpile or stakebed.

My two favorite ways to catch them are casting and tightlining. If you catch them deep, they will need to be fizzed so they don't die. (you can look this up on you tube) Put your catch on ice as soon as possible, especially if you see they are struggling.

[LBM]

Back in Arizona where I recently came from, believe it or not, there are no trees near or around the water. Not much water either. So I have never tried dipping a jig among the trees. I'll try it tomorrow - any advice to give me about this technique? Thanks, Steve in so la

Like Cmj said I think there could be more than 300 pages covering dipping trees. You could find a bunch by typing in "dipping trees" in the Google custom search box at the top of any page on CdotC and find a lot of good info postings here.

You did ask about dipping a jig around trees but I really like summer time dipping around trees with minnows hooked through the lips using a 10 ft rod with yellow Power Pro braid and a 1/16th or 1/32nd oz jig and work water depths as shallow as 3 or 4 feet around standing timber.

Like crappiepappy said this can be a very different type of bite where most of the time one applies a very smart hook set with the slightest tics or twitchs we are used to the rest of the year crappie fishing with jigs.

The reason for the high vis yellow line is to more easily see the slightest changes in the line while slowly lowering the minnow watching for the line to go slack before it gets to the bottom or seeing the line move off or to feel extra weight or heaviness while moving the minnow and only then after one of those three signs is the hook set. Admittedly it does take some time getting switched over to not setting the hook with the slightest tick or twitch like done the rest of the year fishing with jigs.

I sure get a lot of enjoyment fishing with a couple of guys dipping trees from the front of the boat where one prematurely hook sets and misses a fish this will reveal to the other fisher there is a fish down there for the other fisher to lower his bait into the water where the other fisher who just missed is now probably re baiting his hook. Wished I could say I was always the one that was dipping back into the other fellows spot where a hook set came up empty but it works both ways very frequently.

This is only conjecture on our part but we tend to think that these are just solitary inactive and hopefully a very large crappie just hanging out in their own established area wanting to be left alone and what we are doing is just hanging this minnow in their face until they decide to nudge it away or eat it.

Some folks do quite well fishing this way in the summer using only jigs but I think that a minnow on the small jig will tell me something a jig will never do if perhaps it is hanging in the face of that solitary crappie just wanting to not be bothered. Before I was shown this summer pattern using minnows I used to think I just had a very active minnow when I felt it's tic tic activity and continue on. Now when I feel any minnow activity I try to hold that minnow in that position hoping it is in the face of a big ol crappie.

It's almost endless the variety of ideas us fishermen can come up with on what is actually happening down there. It sure is a hoot having our confidence increase when we start seeing a pattern develop with our questionable ideas.

Anyhow good luck dipping those trees.

[steve in so la]

Thanks for all the good tips. I am well aware of those tics & twitches - caught lots that way this last 50 years fishing. I'll remember all the tips & will try them tomorrow. Think I'll try Lake Palourde near Morgan City. Anyone fish there ? Thanks a lot, Steve in so la

[Locator79]

This is my favorite way to fish. A lot of good advice has already been given. I always work out to in, and top to bottom. If you find an area holding a few fish, catch what you can, back out, change colors and start over. You'd be surprised how many fish are still there. And if its holding fish, once you move on, it will usually be holding fish again in an hour or two.

[Spoonminnow]

Since you want the slowest presentation possible, consider the following techniques. Crappie in the northeast are in transition considering the nights that are in the 50's, lowering the average water temperature eight degrees in just a few days. The presentations I've found that work involves dipping using a long 10' crappie rod or light action 7' rod, light line (4#), 1/16 oz or 1/32 oz jig heads and finesse tail lures. The other presentation that works even when the water temps was maxed over 80 was using a float and the above tackle.

Vertical jigging is an option but as was stated above, sometimes less imparted action is best, especially when the tail of a bait quivers from the involuntary muscle twitches caused by holding a rod still. My bait of choice is:


There are many others, but it's crucial that the tail quivers most of the time. (note: the 2" real minnow is shown for size comparison.)

Once I experiment and drop the lure to different depths alongside various attractors such as long pad stems in 6', into pad pockets or along well defined weed edges, I raise the rod tip to bring the lure high enough out of the water so it splashes as it goes back down. I believe fish take notice more so from the surface commotion and ripple as the bait descends and then hovers.

My light line of choice is fluorocarbon for the action it allows light jigs and not because fish are line shy (a big myth probably started by a line company).

Tip: file the sides of your ball head jigs a bit to create shiny 'eyes' on either side. A bit of flash never hurts.

The other technique involves dragging a float & jig slowly past targets, with many pauses and rod twitches along the retrieve path. When I first used this idea, I was amazed how many crappy hit the lure from one small area. It's better if there's a ripple on the water, but just the slow glide of a lure with a quivering tail is all it takes for a crappy's bully attitude to backfire when it attacks what appears to be defenseless and slow moving. Cast beyond the vertical structure and use the rod tip to drag the float a foot before pausing. When the bait is struck, the float will twitch and then descend slowly down. Crappy won't let go - that's how convinced they are that there's nothing to fear, even from the float's buoyant back pressure! It works!

Note: pulling the float fast and then stopping, makes the bait rise a few inches and then glide back down - another choice using a float.

I used to think high water temps stress fish of all species, but I now know different in that if I can find fish, shallow or deeper, I can usually finesse them into biting with more vertical or steeper/ slower presentations. After all, they are cold blooded and adapt to any water temp changes high or low, maintaining a depth that has adequate oxygen. They bite no matter the temperature because they have no choice when a small lure with a finesse tail is put right in front of their noses and higher temps equate to feeding more often due to a higher metabolism.

(note: Leave the curl tail, soft plastics home - useless with slow & steady presentations.)

Frank

[NIMROD]

That type fishing is my favorite except I target non visable structure. Keep your jig in contact with the rod and lift anytime it does'nt feel right. Most times they thump it , but they can just stop it on a fall. Concentration on your jig can never be stressed enough.

Don't know what weight or type jig you use but I favor larger jigs in 1/8 to help maintain line contact. MEATGETTER on here sells some good hand tied jigs and I love Southern Pro Umbrella tubes for fishing verticle.