Confused But Excited

[ELBERT]

As you folks can tell I'm new on here but have enjoyed the different points made so far. I'm just an old Missouri boy thats very excited about catching crappie. Hate to admit though I feel more confused each time I go out on the lake. I fish on TableRock Lake and can alwayse catch plenty of crappie in the spring months but afterwards cant seem to find them. Right now the water tempature is about 42 to 44 degrees.I have spent several days fishing along several bluffs in about 35 to 50 ft. and in some flats with some brush about the same depth.There are alwayse a lot of fish on the fish finder but still have not been successful.Me and my son fishes around the Eaglerock area and would like to find someone familar with the area or if anyone can give some suggestions to try that would be great . Thanks!!!!

[TAE73]

Elbert, glad to see you come aboard. I cant give you any information on table rock. But I will tell you how we are finding them on Lake Ozarks. They have been around brush piles 12-18 feet deep. Last time I was out water temp was 42, but heard monday the temp was lower than that in the 30's. And some ice had formed in the coves around the 39 mile marker. We have been catchin mostly on jigs and some on minnows also.

[duane]

As you folks can tell I'm new on here but have enjoyed the different points made so far. I'm just an old Missouri boy thats very excited about catching crappie. Hate to admit though I feel more confused each time I go out on the lake. I fish on TableRock Lake and can alwayse catch plenty of crappie in the spring months but afterwards cant seem to find them. Right now the water tempature is about 42 to 44 degrees.I have spent several days fishing along several bluffs in about 35 to 50 ft. and in some flats with some brush about the same depth.There are alwayse a lot of fish on the fish finder but still have not been successful.Me and my son fishes around the Eaglerock area and would like to find someone familar with the area or if anyone can give some suggestions to try that would be great . Thanks!!!!

Welcome to crappie.com and the Missouri board.

I have not fished Table Rock in 35-40 years, the lake was new then and I was a kid. But I do fish Bull Shoals Lake and is about the same as TableRock. I would look at the bluff area's that has timber. The river channels follow these bluffs. Ok now look for coves beween or at the end of the bluffs. Most of the time these are creeks channels coming into the old river. Look for trees or brush that would hold crappie this time of the year. I might try trolling the creek and river channel here the ends of the bluffs real SLOW with as many rods as you can handle set at different deepth. Troll out from the bluff in to the outer edge of the river channel. The slower you can fish this time of the year the better, have you tried fishing at night this time of the year? This weekend should be good for night fishing at the ends of the bluffs, they are calling for a little warmer temps at night. The bite this time of the year maybe very light.
Have you tired setting out your own brush piles in places like this?

Duane

[ELBERT]

Elbert, glad to see you come aboard. I cant give you any information on table rock. But I will tell you how we are finding them on Lake Ozarks. They have been around brush piles 12-18 feet deep. Last time I was out water temp was 42, but heard monday the temp was lower than that in the 30's. And some ice had formed in the coves around the 39 mile marker. We have been catchin mostly on jigs and some on minnows also.

Ted, thanks for the information, just curious if your fishing brush that has been placed or jus natural brush piles.Also was woundering if your fishing 12 to 18 ft. in deeper water or if the water is 12 to 18 ft. deep.Thanks again!!

[ELBERT]

Welcome to crappie.com and the Missouri board.

I have not fished Table Rock in 35-40 years, the lake was new then and I was a kid. But I do fish Bull Shoals Lake and is about the same as TableRock. I would look at the bluff area's that has timber. The river channels follow these bluffs. Ok now look for coves beween or at the end of the bluffs. Most of the time these are creeks channels coming into the old river. Look for trees or brush that would hold crappie this time of the year. I might try trolling the creek and river channel here the ends of the bluffs real SLOW with as many rods as you can handle set at different deepth. Troll out from the bluff in to the outer edge of the river channel. The slower you can fish this time of the year the better, have you tried fishing at night this time of the year? This weekend should be good for night fishing at the ends of the bluffs, they are calling for a little warmer temps at night. The bite this time of the year maybe very light.
Have you tired setting out your own brush piles in places like this?

Duane

Duane, appreciate the welcome and responce. We for sure are interested in setting our own brush piles. Should we set several in one area to create a large spot of set smaller ones in several areas.Was also woundering what the best thing to use for the brush, we were going to take some cedars with us each time we went fishing and drop them with some cement blocks in different water depths.Dont want to ask stupid questions but about the coves at the end of the bluffs. There are several that are smaller coves and some larger coves.Is one better than the other? We love night fishing but have never been successful after the spring fishing was over. Figured this was due to the fact we didnt know where to fish. When you fish at night do you have a preference as to the light you use, we usu a headlight surrounded in foam that floats and runs off 12 volt battery.

[TAE73]

Elbert,

This brush is was placed by someone, lake ozarks was stripped bare of all standing timber except for trees that would be under 30 feet of water there were left standing. We are fishing water that is 12-18 feet deep. We have been making our own beds either the stake bed type or pvc tree. The stake beds we take a 5 gallon bucket place 40 lb of concrete then stick lumber in the bucket at various lengths. The pvc tree, I have been taking a 4"x10' piece of pipe putting it in a 5 gallon bucket with concrete, then drill through the pipe with a 1 3/8" hole saw and stick 1"X10' pvc pipe to make the limbs. I have been leaving the pieces 10' long which make a big tree, but the cost of the tree is more. I would stick 5-10 limbs on each pvc tree. The pvc trees have been put out by themselfs, but when we put out stake beds we put 3 to 4 buckets in a group.

On your question about the bluffs, look for pockets along the bluff or ledges with the depth finder. Fish like this setup, with shallow water next to deep water. Say the water is 15-20 feet and then drops off to 30-40 feet. If you do find some and find no brush, I would recommend sinking some there. Always hit the points of bluffs also, tree rows going from shallow water or deep, if it has a creek channel near by helps. Keep track where you find them, where you find them in the spring they will be in the fall and where you find them in the winter they will be there in the summer and vise versa. And look between those spots as they transition from spot to spot.

(That felt like one of the a moose's messages)

[adamr]

hey elbert, welcome to the board. i've not had much luck on table rock either. i fished out of cape fair three or four times back in the late summer/early fall and never managed more the 4 or 5 crappie per trip. granted, the crappie were nice ones but i just couldn't find any numbers. i actually caught twice as many bass than crappie. the only structure i could catch fish on was standing timber in around 25 ft of water(this was when the water was 70 degrees), but then again i didn't take the time to try and find brushpiles. have you ever fished the brushpiles put out by the core? let me know if you catch on to something and i'll do the same.

[duane]

Elbert,

This brush is was placed by someone, lake ozarks was stripped bare of all standing timber except for trees that would be under 30 feet of water there were left standing. We are fishing water that is 12-18 feet deep. We have been making our own beds either the stake bed type or pvc tree. The stake beds we take a 5 gallon bucket place 40 lb of concrete then stick lumber in the bucket at various lengths. The pvc tree, I have been taking a 4"x10' piece of pipe putting it in a 5 gallon bucket with concrete, then drill through the pipe with a 1 3/8" hole saw and stick 1"X10' pvc pipe to make the limbs. I have been leaving the pieces 10' long which make a big tree, but the cost of the tree is more. I would stick 5-10 limbs on each pvc tree. The pvc trees have been put out by themselfs, but when we put out stake beds we put 3 to 4 buckets in a group.

On your question about the bluffs, look for pockets along the bluff or ledges with the depth finder. Fish like this setup, with shallow water next to deep water. Say the water is 15-20 feet and then drops off to 30-40 feet. If you do find some and find no brush, I would recommend sinking some there. Always hit the points of bluffs also, tree rows going from shallow water or deep, if it has a creek channel near by helps. Keep track where you find them, where you find them in the spring they will be in the fall and where you find them in the winter they will be there in the summer and vise versa. And look between those spots as they transition from spot to spot.

(That felt like one of the a moose's messages)

Ted will you be out this weekend fishing? I am hoping to run down to Bull Shoals Sunday morning and Monday. I have a few Christmas trees to put out for brush piles and do some fishing. I will bring a couple of rods and my tackle home with me.

Duane

[duane]

Duane, appreciate the welcome and responce. We for sure are interested in setting our own brush piles. Should we set several in one area to create a large spot of set smaller ones in several areas.Was also woundering what the best thing to use for the brush, we were going to take some cedars with us each time we went fishing and drop them with some cement blocks in different water depths.Dont want to ask stupid questions but about the coves at the end of the bluffs. There are several that are smaller coves and some larger coves.Is one better than the other? We love night fishing but have never been successful after the spring fishing was over. Figured this was due to the fact we didnt know where to fish. When you fish at night do you have a preference as to the light you use, we usu a headlight surrounded in foam that floats and runs off 12 volt battery.

Elbert
I do not know if you would have any interest but I will be at Bull Shoals Lake later this weekend Sunday late morning through later Monday afternoon. If you would to come join me and fish for a while please do. I look to do a little night fishing Sunday night. I will be fishing out of Pontaic, MO, I have a boat stall there during the winter. Will not know if I am going till Friday.

Duane

[TAE73]

Duane,

At the looks of things right now, I will be on LOZ friday. Myself and Crappieoutlaw, are going to into some mass production of crappie beds sat or sunday. I am renting a cement mixer and he is buying the cement bags. We have been doing some scrounging for 5 gallon buckets. Hoping to build a good chunk of beds to be put out at later dates. I called the home depot in Osage Beach, they where selling the left over tree's for a penny a piece, yes a penny. I thought about jumping all over on that but didnt. Bring some poles and tackle back and we can hit it one weekend or several.