Spring Time Scouting

[trsteele]

I am looking at potential Spring Crappie areas. I am thinking about fishing the area in the top left of the picture where the 2 arrows are pointing. Does that look like a good Pre-Spawn and Post-Spawn area to fish? Any suggestions on areas to explore would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[england]

If the water level is just like the map and I was forced to fish that area, I would head up past that road following the creek channel and start looking in around all the timber up in there. I guess thats what all them little dots are in there. Then I would start working my way back out untill I found fish. I do it backwards from some folks. Should be some warmer water up in there. The water will be warmest in the north ends of the creek arms. This is just a starting point. Warm water and creek channels are key in early spring .

[Songdog]

I agree with England they're likely to bunch up back in the timber and the way the water depth is they have a place to move out to deeper water close by so they shouldn't be too hard to find That bank on the opp side of the boat ramp on the other side of the road where that little creek is looks awful good too

[SpeckWick]

Looks like a good place to try trolling. I like to troll creek channel edges and drop offs during prespawn and postspawn. I would try around that submerged road bed also. I have pretty good success with roadbeds here on my home lake, especially where they cross other structure, like creekbeds or flats. Like england said, that timber area would be hard to resist, too.

[caseydrew]

The bay just beneath Pecann Creek Access Area. Looks like it has an old pond that has an old levee splitting the bay. If the levee has good cover on it who knows???

[CrappiePappy]

I am looking at potential Spring Crappie areas. I am thinking about fishing the area in the top left of the picture where the 2 arrows are pointing. Does that look like a good Pre-Spawn and Post-Spawn area to fish? Any suggestions on areas to explore would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

(besides your chosen spot)

If that picture is set with North being the top of the picture --- I'd be looking at that bridge & "poles", that crosses the creek just above your "two arrow" spot. (you've gottem comin & goin, thru there)
I'd also be trolling the creek channel and deep road beds, out in front of your chosen area (Pre-spawn). I'd be checking on the road bed directly across from the "two arrow" spot (opposite bank), for "spawning grounds" (from the bridge to the little island). And I'd be on that road bed from the island to the main creek channel, for the post spawn migration.
I even see some potential in the spots where the submerged roads cross the channels ... of the feeder creek (between the island and bridge), and where it crosses Spring Creek's channel (out in front of your chosen area).
The water drops off real quick, along the bridge levee (opposite of Pecan Creek Access Area Ramp) ... and those road beds, going right into that levee, may deserve some investigation (esp if there's rip rap along the levee).

What are the "red stars" supposed to represent ... fish attractor spots ??

Hehe ... the more I look at that map, the more "potential" places I find. But, all maps do me that way :rolleyes: .... LOL!! Finding that magic depth, and the "not so well known" cover in that creek arm ... now that's going to be the trick :p .... luck2ya ... cp

[trsteele]

Thanks for all the advice. This is an area of the lake I have never fished but have been told it is very productive in the spring if you can locate the fish.

Crappiepappy according to the map the "red stars" are confirmed position submerged brush piles.

I went out a few weeks back to try and find the brush piles to mark them on my GPS and was able to locate the 2 to the left of the island.

The poles shown in the top left of the map, when I explored that area I discovered there is only 1 pole standing above water in 15 feet of water with several brush piles near it.

The reason I chose the area where the 2 arrows are pointing is when I drove over the area it has a long ledge in 5 feet of water then it drops to 12 feet then it drops straight down to 20 feet. I figured when the cold fronts hit in March the crappie would drop down to the 12 to 20 foot area.

[Darryl Morris]

Can you take some digital pics and post them of the different areas on the lake?

Like what has already been stated, the crappie are going to be looking for the warmers water. They will stage in deeper water near where the shallow warmer water is for their spawn. Having a primary or secondary creek channel near by is key too.

[NIMROD]

What works here is the ''North West Factor'' That is the north west part of a lake gets the most sunlght so warms first. Pick shallow coves with creek channels and start there. We catch fish from prespawn (staging fish) through post spawn on the channel drops with cover. They are the fish's trail or highways sorta speaking.:D

[mrwillis]

You should keep following the creek channel up. I am not one that likes to troll. I like to get up in the little fingers, following the creek channels, and jig around the cover on the shores. This is what I have found works best. I fish a situation very much like this with my dad, and we follow a creek channel to the point that it isn't even on the map before we start fishing, and we slay some monster slabs around the edges with cover.