Where do you suppose the big crappie are hanging out?

[TapOut64]

With the heat of summer upon us, any idea as to where the bigger crappie are? I'm having good luck spider rigging structure (caught 51 Sunday) but I'm not catching any 13" or bigger. I got a few over 14" this spring and I'm itching to catch me another 2lber. (got my first two last Fall) I'm catching plenty in the 9"-11" range but I'm all about the monsters. I'm fishing a 1,265 acre lake with the channel running 30'-35' at it's deepest. The flats are only around 12' as the lake is 6' low. Any input appreciated.

[David Waters]

Well, here in north Alabama, the big fish are in the deeper water. The big fish around here get finicky toward small slow baits during this time of year and seem to want a big bait, such as a crankbait. And, they want it going fast. A reaction bite. At times, I have caught big fish on days where I caught only a few fish. The big fish seem to be by themselves and not with the smaller fish. I guess they are feeding on different size minnows. This of course is generalizing, you still will catch big fish in with the little fish, but I know I seem to catch the big fish often by itself.

I would suggest going to deeper water, trolling deep diving crankbaits about 1.5 mile an hour and see if you can catch a big one.

[TapOut64]

I have been playing around with crank baits but not till late in the afternoon. I haven't had much luck catching crappie with them. I've been thinking of pulling them at sunrise. I have lots of Bandit 300's, some 200's and 100's. I think your reply has motivated me to do just that.

[joejv4]

They sure ain't hanging out in the spots where I went fishing last week!!!!
Biggest was 11" and we didn't find them in any of the spots that had been working up until 2 weeks ago. The water level is down about a foot on the small (255 acre) lake we fish, so now the deepest area is only maybe 8' - 9' deep. I'm starting to wonder if maybe they might have moved shallow on us - into the edges of the weed beds - more oxygen and shade. The ones we did manage to catch were really scattered, like they're not schooling at all. Get one, then nothing until you move.

I tried a little crank bait this weekend and caught a pike - no crappie. gonna have to do some serious reconn next time out to figure out where they're hiding - but they sure as heck ain't in their usual haunts!