A huge Crappie Bank fishing Noob

[MustangJimmy816]

Hey my name is Jimmy. I often fish Smithville alot with very little sucess. I only fish from bank. Can you guys tell/show me any good spots for crappie fishing. The only spot I fish at is where there is a boat ramp, and a little ahead is a bridge, past that bridge about 1/3 of a mile is another bridge. That is the bridge i fish at but i do not know what it is called. Most i ever caught are 2 crappies. If you can please show me on a map where the best crappie spots are, i will highly apreciate it. Btw, what is a bluff and a cove? What months do crappie usually come in to shore to spawn for me to fish? people are talking about fishing at west bridge, but when i pull it up on google maps. i see 2 bridges with the letter W on it. Thank you so much if you are able to help. I wanna catch fish like everyone does!

[vic n]

First...welcome to the site. Next, the bridge furthest West on W is probably the one they are talking about. There is also a boat ramp there and lots of area to fish from the bank. This isn't really a good time of year to catch crappies from the bank, but if you can find some underwater brush sitting off the bank in 10-15 feet of water(fow), you can throw out a minnow under a bobber and you might get some that way. By your description of the spot you fish, I'm not even sure where that is located. You won't find bluffs at Smithville....it just isn't that kind of lake. A cove is any place on the lake where a creek channel or low spot comes into the lake. In other words, every opening created along the shoreline is more or less a cove. If you want a map marked with fishing spots, you should go up to the town of Smithville, right on 169 hiway and find Burton's Bait shop. They sell a paper map with all kinds of brushpiles and fishing areas marked on it. Crappies come to the bank in April and May to spawn and that's the time for bank fishermen to really shine. Good luck!

[MustangJimmy816]

Thanks! do you have any idea when the crappies will move back into the bank for spawning? I plan on going this friday with my dad. we want some action ofcourse and hopefully a meal to bring home after 50 minutes of driving.

[vic n]

They mostly spawn in the spring, but later in the year when the water cools down, they will move in closer chasing shad. April and May are the prime time months for catching spawning fish

[MustangJimmy816]

hmmm, is it true that fish tend to bite more when the full moon is out? my dad says october should be the month where fish start moving in to spawn again, what do you think?

[vic n]

The fish will come in shallow some time in the fall. They come in to chase and eat shad, but not to spawn. Spawning is mainly done in the spring, altho when you do catch fish in the fall, they will have eggs in them (these eggs are forming for the springtime spawn)

Some people swear that a full moon and a new moon are good times to catch all species of fish.

[Birddogs54]

If you're driving 50 minutes....if you don't mind me asking, where do you live? For bank fishing some of your best bets can be smaller public lakes and ponds. They are often overlooked and have excellent fishing for most sunfish species.

[sevenfiftynine]

And if a guy named "Keeferfish" or "Joedog" try to give you advise on where exactly "W" Highway is, do yourself a favor and just start a new thread. Something like...."How to fish and keep your jig dry way up high in a tree" or maybe, "How to give a fellow fisherman a gps path to head up north in his boat where he will be assured to hit a stump"!!!!

Both are inside jokes, I'm afraid, but you are on the right site for information!

Check back on past posts and you can learn a lot from this group of great guys. As far as a good bank fishing spot, check out the bridge closest to Camp Branch Marina. I know they have placed brush piles within casting distance on each side of that bridge that usually hold fish. Cast until you get hung up and you have found the right spot!!!

Regarding fishing line, I prefer 6' Redline or some braided line because I am old, my eyesight is poor and I hate to retie!!!!