Excellent article from a Pro

[Larry-Southern Indiana]

Crappie Migrations Through The Seasons


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By: 3 Time Classic Champion Ronnie Capps


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Beginning with Fall / Winter fishing: I consider this period to be from the end of the post-spawn migration in early summer until the pre-spawn migration begins during early spring. In the Southeast, this covers several months, from June through February, which is when most fishermen store their crappie rods and resort to some other type of angling. Actually there are predictable habits that Crappie have during this 9 month period that can keep the action HOT for Crappie anglers every time a boat is launched. This is known as the "Nine Month Disappearance" to many less devoted anglers, but can be some of the best Crappie action of the year.

To be successful during these months there are several factors to consider. The first being aware that conditions are very different on a reservoir system where there is no water flow. From my experience these systems will consistently present different conditions for finding fish.

In the reservoir system when Crappie conclude spawning there is a much more defined migration to deeper water as compared to an inland lake. In reservoirs, Crappie typically return via creek ledges to areas where "staging" occurred during the pre-spawn period. This is more often than not the first Substantial deep water along their return migration route. Crappie return to these areas a few at a time and some of the more preferred " staging" sites will accumulate crappie in numbers comparable to the numbers present at peak pre-spawn. The difference being that, these fish are generally " Worn Down" from the spawn and not as excited about expending energy to take a bait. It seems that "Spoon-feeding" appropriately describes the technique needed to sack slabs during this period of inactivity. This period only lasts a few weeks, typically beginning in the Southeast during mid-May and lasting until July.

Click to enlarge

Spoon-feeding requires that you down size your bait to 1/16th oz, 1/24th oz, or 1/32oz sizes depending on the depth as compared to the 1/8th oz. Larger sizes can be used more successfully during Winter and through the pre-spawn period. The addition of some proven scent is very important during this period. Crappie Nibbles or Power Grubs are my personal favorites. I also prefer monofilament line in the 4 to 6 pound strengths which has a moderate amount of stretch. Also, fishing speed is very important and should be decreased as compared to the speed that would be used during pre-spawn / spawn. By down sizing, this restricts you to a smaller coverage area and requires that you be more accurate in locating a specific area of fish and have patience with that particular area.

As the warmer weather continues into July, Crappie regain strength and activity, but disperse themselves into smaller secluded schools. These areas are typically in deeper waters of 17 to 28ft. and directly related to structure. These areas are generally referred to as "post-spawn hideouts." Areas such as this are typically found along secondary creek ledges near intersections with the deeper river in reservoirs. When Crappie congregate in these areas this can be some of the better activity of the year for devoted Crappie Anglers who explore the depths with quality electronics. This period typically lasts from late June through the end of August in the Southeast.

As water temperatures begin to cool in September, Crappie tend to make a second migration to shallow water, but skip the "staging" ritual. Many fish move out and scatter on flats, or humps with water depths of 10 to 16ft. and feed on the young of the year bait fish such as Threadfin, Shad, and Silversides. During this period, depending on water clarity, Crappie may move as shallow as 4ft. in significant numbers. Continued decreases in water temperatures as a result of fewer hours of daylight trigger bait fish to spend less and less time being surface active. This also directly affects Crappie in that they begin their very slow migration back into deeper waters. Through my experiences this period in the Southeast spans from mid- September through mid- November and typically comes to an end after the first frost. By the time the first "pond ice" arrives, Crappie have migrated to deeper water areas that may have been productive areas during the Summer / post-spawn.

As water cools even more, a deep water pattern of structure fishing remains in effect through the entire Winter with some of the best possibilities of sacking a lake record Crappie during the months of December, January, and February. Typically during this period a larger bait tends to attract more attention. Line sizes and bait weights can be increased, but the speed of presentation must remain slow. Another secret to catching Winter Crappie requires paying attention to weather. On overcast days, fish will remain deep near bottom or the structure they may be relating to, however a clear calm sunshiny day may cause Crappie to migrate vertically and suspend over deep water as shallow as 6ft. which is commonly ignored by many fishermen during Winter.

So the tell is that, Crappie is not a season sport but an all year sport for the devoted Crappie Angler. Those that go year around know what I am talking about and for those of you that just fish come Spawn time you are really missing out on the best of times.

Ronnie Capps


This article describes the conditions and places where I fish to a tee. It's good to know I'm fishing like this expert even if I didn't know what I was doing and why other than catching fish. :D :D It's snowing here right now. Stink'n stuff.

Larry

[Darryl Morris]

Nice article. Following the migration is what I've always called finding the fish. It's true that so many anglers miss out on good crappie fishing because they only look for them in shallow water during the spawn. But if you know where to look for them, you can catch them all year long.