Having trouble with hot weather crappie.

[NubJack]

I need a little guidance here in southern Indiana. In the last couple years I have started targeting crappie with good results. I have always been a hardcore bluegill and catfish guy, but have really grown to love catching crappie. In the spring my two boys and I can limit out on nice keeper slabs in no time, and are back on the gills by lunchtime.
problem is, hot weather. I can catch Gills in any condition, so I end up getting frustrated trying to catch the deeper crappie, and guess what? I end up bluegill fishing.
I can find all the places where fish are, (and even mark them on my finder), I can find cover, humps, channels, etc. but I cannot consistently catch them in this heat.
what am I doing wrong?

[Crestliner08]

I'm experiencing the same problem. Last season we did a lot better than this season so far. Weather last year was more moderate with a lot more rainfall. Not sure what the problem is, but this sustained heat, with temps in the 90's, is not helping. I'm sure the folks down south will laugh at me though. They're use to this kind of heat!

You might try picking a day that is breezy, say 10 - 15 mph predicted winds. And drift 1/16 & 1/8 oz. jigs with your favorite plastics. The wind seems to pick up their appetites and a drifting presentation is quite effective, in my opinion. Other presentations will work, as some of the southern folks, who are more experienced, can help you with. Good Luck!

[doggone]

If you have any grass beds in the waters you fish try them.They do not have to be that deep. In fact the most productive ones seem to be the ones around 6 to 15 ft deep.With 6 to 8 being the most common . They will bury in it for the shade,oxygen and for ambush cover.The grass collects plankton and plankton also seem to gather over it.The baitfish will move in over it to feed occasionally and the fish pop up out of that grass to nab them.

A friend and I took off last week from work on Monday and fished a Lake in Southern Illinois. It was a rare cool front with high pressure.I think the high that day was 80 or so...but this has been one of the hottest and most humid summers on record around here to this point.

We swam Strike King shadpole CT jigs on 1/16 oz lead heads over the tops of some grass beds on main lake points.This bait resembles the shad size,contour,and tail action of the ones they like to target. The brown with black specs and chartreuse tail was best...but some days the white and chartreuse tail or monkeyshine color or good. Truth is I catch em all year on this jig.

We caught about a hundred and they bit pretty good all day.

DO NOT tip them with chartreuse chromaglow crappie nibbles....them things don't work ain't you heard?

And that's all I got to say about that.

[M R Dux]

This has been the toughest summer crankbait bite I've seen in a dozen years of pulling cranks specifically for crappie. 90 degree water temps and very little current have killed us.

[fishbrain]

I need a little guidance here in southern Indiana. In the last couple years I have started targeting crappie with good results. I have always been a hardcore bluegill and catfish guy, but have really grown to love catching crappie. In the spring my two boys and I can limit out on nice keeper slabs in no time, and are back on the gills by lunchtime.
problem is, hot weather. I can catch Gills in any condition, so I end up getting frustrated trying to catch the deeper crappie, and guess what? I end up bluegill fishing.
I can find all the places where fish are, (and even mark them on my finder), I can find cover, humps, channels, etc. but I cannot consistently catch them in this heat.
what am I doing wrong?

Well if your marking fish and your positive there crappie and you cant get them to bite change
technique up. I have done well this summer slow slow trolling minnows. Been working well in central ind

[NubJack]

Thanks for the input guys. I appreciate hearing what is working for you. The more I can learn, the crappier I'll be.

Now the trouble will be trying to concentrate on work today...

[wicklundrh]

Similar experience this year. The lake I tarket a ton for crappies just seems to have been different. I'd mark a ton of fish and not get anything going (usuaing the tried and true techniques we normally use on this body of water). I switched a few things up (as Fishbrain mentioned) and that changed stuff for us.

Normally, casting lillies over 8 feet of water has done good for us in extreme heat on this lake. Unfortunately, this year not so much. The normal presentation is a 1/16oz jig tipped with a plastic shad minnow or twister tail of some sort. We started SLOW trolling over 16 feet of water outside of the lillies. Originally we tested jigs tipped with live minnows however we noticed something. It seemed the fish would pick it up and drop it once it felt the weight. Changed over to a size 6 aberdean hook and a split shot about 10 inches above it. Low and behold, the fish have been comming up, putting that minnow in their mouth, feeling no resistance and tacking off with a mouth full of hook. One night I caught 18 on this rig next to a jig and minnow that only caught 1. Funny how changing it up pays rewards. The fun is in the search, finding what they want, and then capitolizing on it. Keep throwing stuff at them until you get the right combo.

.3 and .4 has been a great speed for us this year. I use the TM when there is no wind and let the wind do the work (when there is any). Old habits die hard as I am still fishing the pads and picking up a few. Just love the feel when they hit it! Soon the water will turn over and the fish will be more active. Only a matter of time. Least you know you are not alone!

[NubJack]

Thanks for the advice.

[ad1974]

I've had to work alot harder to catch them this summer as well,it's also been hard to stay out very long in the boat with this heat and humidity we seem to constantly been having.I'm ready for some nice Fall weather up here for sure.

[NubJack]

It's been the same here hard to be outside all day.