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Thread: When fish stop biting

  1. #1
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    Default When fish stop biting


    Have you ever had the bite just shut off like clockwork? Do they just quit biting? Do they move? Do they go deeper? Should I change baits?

    Example: today I was catching them by the dozen in one spot, then at 11:15 they stopped. Nothing. Couldn't get a nibble. I gave up and went home.
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    Happens all the time. Below is one of many examples:

    During ice fishing season fish tend to bite mainly during the morning or evening. The reason for this rests solely on the zooplankton in the water. In the morning, the zooplankton go towards the bottom. The fish move towards the bottom and become less active. During the evening, the zooplankton rise towards the top thus the fish move up to feed on the zooplankton. This is the main reason why, when the morning bite tapers off, you fish lower in the water column. It is the reverse in the evening.

    Obviously this is one example of many as to why fish will "shut off". Other factors are sunlight, water tempurature, etc... The spot you are fishing might get a certain portion of sunlight at 11:15, or tempurature change. Like I said, one example of many.

    When they shut off, I go looking for other fish that are still biting. I also look for a different area where the sunlight/wind, temp might not affect the water the same as the previous spot.
    I have OCD "Obsessive Crappie Disorder"
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    Wow nice reply. Never thought of it that way. To summarize when the morning bite stops, go deeper and as the sunsets go shallower. Thanks!
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    If you see me launching my boat the bite is about to stop.

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    Crappie also relate to shade ... whether they get under something, get behind something, or simply go deeper in the water.

    If the bite stops suddenly ... any number of things could have caused it : noise, movement, no fish left at that spot, you caught all those in a feeding mood, presence of a large predator, or even a passing school of baitfish pulled them away from the spot.

    ... cp
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    Got it. So what is your tactic when they stop biting?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tracker22 View Post
    Got it. So what is your tactic when they stop biting?
    I head home jump on the never ending honey do list.............Like I have been hard at it all day.........
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    Crappie are notorious for being always on the move and this is especially true during what I've always called "transitional periods" between seasons or during changing seasons. I can't speak to Illinois so much, but around here crappies are likely being found relatively shallow on wood or other cover or structure features in about 8 to 10 feet of water during prime times and then will tend to move deeper as the sun gets higher and (later) will return to the same areas later in the day as they were found in the morning when the sun is lower. Later in the fall, as the water continues to cool down... they will tend to go deeper and stay deeper longer... until in the dead of winter they will tend to stay pasted to the bottom in very deep water.
    "Just Like Iron Sharpens Iron... So it is that One Man Sharpens Another Man." Proverbs 27:17
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    LOL.....the reasons for this are endless. I was able to put a camera down after the bite quit at a spot I fish and there was a crappie behind every rock....LOL. I needed 2 to get my limit that day....and I got them but it took 4 hours for them to turn back on.

    Regards

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tracker22 View Post
    Got it. So what is your tactic when they stop biting?
    I do one or more of the following :

    Move to another location where the conditions are the same or similar to what they were when the fish were biting.

    Change tactics & methods & even baits ... when those same/similar conditions can't be found.

    Fish for another species that's more inclined to bite under the prevailing conditions.

    Use this method to try and coax a few more fish to bite: Crappie Pappy Article

    They don't ALL quit biting, all over the lake, at the same time, so when the spot I'm fishing stops producing ... I consider the possible reasons & change location, tactics, and/or bait, and start hunting for them again. I also don't go looking for "obvious" spots, or community honey holes, but look for spots that may not be well known. How much time I'll devote to "searching" for them depends on how many I've already caught, or how long I've already spent on the water. Most lakes that I fish are a 1.5 to 2hr drive each way, so that can be a deciding factor in how long I stay on the hunt.

    ... cp
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