I spent two weeks building bamboo brush piles on Rayburn. Went back last week and caught only three crappie. I spoke with a friend in Tulsa and he said the same thing. The crappie are nowhere to be found on the lakes in his area. I've tried every legacy crappie hole I know of, every community crappie hole I know of too. I've tried the bridge pilings. Nada. Can't even draw crappie with the downscan or sidescan. The old crappie salts that live on Rayburn are not even bothering to go out and try. I spoke to three of the best crappie gurus on Rayburn and they do not have a clue as to what is up with the crappie. Some think that with the cold winter end and the sudden and sustained warm-up that the crappie bypassed the normal pre-spawn holding places like the bridge pilings and brushpiles and went straight to the bank to spawn. I've dabbled minnows under a cork along long stretches of bank and have not got bit once. That bank is moving backwards as the lake has come up five feet since March 7th. Some think the lake rise has them still out in open water chasing the shad, but we are seeing shad in the back of coves and creeks. DOES ANYONE HAVE A CLUE WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE CRAPPIE AT RAYBURN?
I live on Toledo Bend and did hear some caught on the bank on the South end, but all second hand stuff. I know the few time I have looked, nothing much maybe one or two. I think over here its the flood gates being open, they are not use to that and we have 9 gates open 3 feet each and the lake was still rising until yesterday and finally it's back under 173, but barely. I don't think they are use to having so much current here, but don't know what Rayburn is doing about the water though! I will try again in the next few days, but just don't have a clue now. I know the cold weather got them started really late and my neighbor got some before the gates opened (only for 2 days), but once they opened the gates they were not biting any longer.