How would you fish this?

[Ranger690]

How would you fish this? I am new to crappie fishing so I am interested even in the basic stuff.

Here on the James river is a electrical power plant. Its cooling water is discharged in the back of a canal, about ¼ mile long, that leads to the main river. Right now the main river temp is about 45-47°. The canal water runs about 58-63°. From the discharge to about half way out, one bank is almost completely covered with fallen trees laying half way in the water. Canal averages about 50 yards wide, at least half of which is flat/mud. The laydowns are on the deep side, average 9-10’. The tide rises and falls as normal. Fair current on outgoing, light current on incoming. There is so much wood it is overwhelming to me. I don’t even know where or how to start.

Trolling motor along pitching minnow/corks to wood edges? Pitching into cover? If so, how do I not spend 95% of time hung up? Jigs? Drift with multiple rods out, trying to find fish off of the wood? I just don’t know.

The James holds some nice crappie. I would think they would stay in this warm canal/creek. There is lots of shad (large gizzards) there most of the time. This is where all the catfishermen get their daily bait.

Right next to this canal is a old “pit” (large bay) that is littered with old, abandoned decaying barges. That is a whole nother story. So much wood and metal it makes you head spin.

Where do I start?

Thanks,

Dayton

[fiddlefarter]

In all them laydowns I would try tossing a slider grub either with a float or just casting around the brush. Or I would try a slider fished verticle with long pole and just dropped in holes around the brush. If theres current, with a minnow and float you gonna get hung a lot. No current: drop minnows around the brush. Same goes with drifting with a lot of rods unless the fish aren't necessarily right in the cover, and they are suspending out in open water which is pretty likely with all the bait that the warm water will attract. I'd actually probably try spider rigging the open water first. The more active fish might be out from the cover chasing shad in the open water. If that ain't getting it done after a while work the brush. Just what I'd try and I'm no expert by any means, but I can catch 'em every now and then.

[dave]

try fishing in front of the laydowns where you pole just misses the front of the tree do this with the spider rig,then try depending on the water color a tube jig tipped with a minnow do it with the drop shot set up that way you wont hang as bad just pull up with end reach of the lay down and work the lay down good from front to back.if you have any ? just email me and i will try and help more.

[Barnacle Bill]

Dayton, I know the area you are talking about. Its the old "catch the fish around the Surrey hot ditch trick". To answer you question as to how to fish it - I wouldn't. Unless I was cat fishing. And good grief, there are some biggins around there. I'm like you, it seems it would hold a lot of crappie but for some reason I've never had any luck there. We have caught some nice ones in some of the creeks off the James in that area. Gray's, Morris and Gordon creeks. But it seems like the bite is too dependant on the tide. When it shifts, they quit biting. Its my opinion that every body of water is different and one has to adapt to it. It could very well be that I don't know how to adapt to that particular area. I will be watching closely to see how you do.

[Ranger690]

Bill, I am farther west and I am talking about the Dutch Gap power plant just below Richmond. I think you need to come up here and lets fish it. I can go during the week or weekends. What do you think?

Dayton