Do Bass drive off the Crappie in an area?

[Moose1am]

Last Winter I put in a couple of PVC crappie trees that I built. I went fishing a week later and caught some nice crappie from these newly installed PVC trees. But this spring they seemed empty of crappie. I fished them yesterday and I was catching small 12" bass from these trees. They were put in 15ft to 20ft deep water along a dropoff.

I am wondering if the bass have taken over my crappie trees and driven off the crappies?

[Bob G]

Last Winter I put in a couple of PVC crappie trees that I built. I went fishing a week later and caught some nice crappie from these newly installed PVC trees. But this spring they seemed empty of crappie. I fished them yesterday and I was catching small 12" bass from these trees. They were put in 15ft to 20ft deep water along a dropoff.

I am wondering if the bass have taken over my crappie trees and driven off the crappies?

Moose, I wouldn't think bass that size would drive them off, but, those 5lb and larger might. It might be that the weather or pressure may have made the fish move off and suspend in open water. Just my thoughts on the subject.

[big "E"]

Moose Ive caught bass and crappie in the same spot on occassion.That dont really amount to a hill of beans but they seemed to be coinciding.

[chaunc]

Moose, a couple of weeks ago i caught a 4# 23" largemouth from the same brushpile i was catching crappies and the crappies never did stop biting that day. So i dont think the bass chase the crappies from the cover. Like Bob G said, maybe they just were suspended and you were fishing under them..... It's happened to me many times. Next time try fishing shallower over the same pile and see if that helps.

[CrappiePappy]

Crappie aren't going to "stay" on one spot forever .... they will move for a variety of reasons (temp, water clarity, light penetration, moving foodsource). The "unoccupied" PVC tree has been found by a school of roaming Bass, and offers them a "Staging" point to hold on. This too will change ... and the Crappie will be back again.
Take pride in the fact that your "trees" are obviously in a good spot, and are working to draw fish to them ! ................cp

[sparky]

Moose, I found the same thing. I have a hump that I fish and when the smallmouth move up on it the crappie move out.
I don't know if the time of the spawn effects it or not. Is the water clear or dingy? In my situation when the water is clear the bass move off and the reverse when it is dingy.

[Crappie Chaser]

Moose, I've been catching bass and crappies from the same structures. In clearer water though, I do see bigger bass chasing really small crappies and bluegills to eat, but they don't seem to bother the bigger crappies. Like CP said, the crappies roam from place to place and from what I see from my home lake, the crappies are done spawning and moved out while the bass are beginning to spawn and moved in.