next crappie pattern

[SLARUE]

So when and what will be the next pattern for the crappie. We have them located now,but being new to this,just wondering where and when they will move on.

[river scum]

depends on the body of water. in the fall i fish deep wood, on the channel edge, close to shore. but thats where they are now too. lol our water temps never got above 80 this year. we have been catching black males and females with eggs in them, and hear it is august! not a normal year up north here.

[skiptomylu]

I am with him, it's been a really unusual year even down here! All I know is they will come back more shallow in the fall to feed up for winter. Would look at creeks inside coves and any place that had maybe a ridge where the top of the ridge is say 12' to 15' and deeper all around that? However you will need to fond what they are doing in fall in your water, but it should be shallower than they are now.

[CrappiePappy]

So when and what will be the next pattern for the crappie. We have them located now,but being new to this,just wondering where and when they will move on.

I've only fished TN waters in the Fall (Oct/Nov) ... specifically at Watts Bar ... and generally speaking, it's been the Black Crappie that have followed the Shad back into the creeks, while the White Crappie have stayed out in deeper water (channels, deep creek drops, deep wood).

They both will likely stay where they are, now ... and start any movement when the water temps start dropping below the 70deg mark.

... cp

[Rdrunner]

In the lakes here the fish seem to be in a early fall pattern because of the water temps .I am seeing shad pushed up on the banks even later in the day if cloudy.Caught nice fish this past weekend in 8 -10 ft of water pitching shad type baits on 1/32 jigs next to wood.

[buffalo13]

Just stay with them by this i mean follow them and keep records of it and you will have a good idea from year to year

[chaunc]

Read as much as you can about crappie migration patterns. They will basically be doing the same thing on every lake they inhabit, just at diffrent times. The changes always start from the north and head south as the waters cool quicker in the colder areas of the country. From my experiences, i can follow them year round and so can a lot of the members here.

[BigRiverMarine]

When the days get shorter, and the water temp starts dropping, they will move to their fall and winter feeding areas preparing for next springs spawn. It's about the water temps. Each area of the country changes at different times according to the weather patterns. They usually start feeding up during this period, and makes for some great fishing. Follow the creeks, channels, drops, etc.

Down here, don't be afraid to go shallow during the colder months, even when fishing in deeper water. The surface temps are usually warmer and that's where the baitfish hang out. Follow the food source, and you'll find fish.

[Crappitier]

From my experiences, i can follow them year round and so can a lot of the members here.

chaunc,

Me too! I'm a new guy here, but I have a lot of crappie under my belt. Crappie bite all year long. I have pix of me catchin' crappie while it is snowing ...... in Feb! standing on the shoreline LOL

Up here in PA, the water temp dropped to 75 today. Beautiful "fall like" weather with cool nights.

Today, I was bailin' in the crappie in 12' to 15' of water. They were suspended about three feet off the bottom? Last month I was "drop shotin" them in deep water, 40'. Today, at the weed edge or structure in normal depths.

A 14"er from today. Kinda big for PA (well maybe not for chaunc, but OK with me). The big female didn't have any eggs.

1/64 oz home tied hair jigs seem to work best for me. 6:30 pm until dark 8:30 pm, and the crappie go wild up here in God's Country!

[kickingback]

Wow! You were using a 1/64 oz jig in 40' of water! You must have had to wait forever for that jig to fall each time. Nice slab there!

The crappie are easier to catch for me in the fall and winter. It's spring and summer that are difficult for me sometimes. But I am still learning all the time.