what am i doing wrong?

[fish-wva]

went fishing this week on tuesday, wednesday, and thursday. i fished shallow i fished deep and in between i caught only 2 fish per day mostly spider rigging. i used minnows tubes and grubs. i juse cant figure out what i am doing wrong. i fish yatesville lake in eastern ky. the lake has plenty of standing timber, laydowns and stumps and i fished them all. where should i be looking? i seem to do my best nightstalking in the summer but i need some help for this time of year. please help!!

[slabbandit]

Hi fishwva, believe it or not I find the spring spawn to be some of the most challenging fishing of the year. The daily weather patterns play such an important role on how the crappie locate each day. As a rule, when I can't spidderrig and catch them 5 feet or deeper I go real shallow. I'm talking 2 feet or less. I've caught big black colored males in water that I thought was too shallow to even hold fish.
My favorite month would have to be June. They move back out to the 8 foot brushpiles here and haven't been pushed deep by the heat of summer yet.

[stinkies daddy]

Hi fishwva, believe it or not I find the spring spawn to be some of the most challenging fishing of the year. The daily weather patterns play such an important role on how the crappie locate each day. As a rule, when I can't spidderrig and catch them 5 feet or deeper I go real shallow. I'm talking 2 feet or less. I've caught big black colored males in water that I thought was too shallow to even hold fish.
My favorite month would have to be June. They move back out to the 8 foot brushpiles here and haven't been pushed deep by the heat of summer yet.

Agreed, i think its better to fish the rest of the year! went out today and got skunked, i catch more fish on average when its not spring

[BigSandyRookie]

Also got skunked today. Well...I accidentally caught one!

[sticko]

try shallow flats 7 foot and less close to deep water channels.

[Crappie Reaper]

try shallow flats 7 foot and less close to deep water channels.

Also when in this type of area, work every twig, stump, and bit of brush you can see and try to do it as quiet as possible. I have found in the last few years that during the spawn, the Crappie tend to be on their beds from about midnight till around 9:30 a.m. After that, they seem to disappear into deeper waters UNLESS it's a shady area. I have tried all the regular haunts that I can normally catch fish throughout the rest of the year, but had the same results as you. I do know that I have been catching fewer fish during the daylight hours than past spawns.
If I just want to build the freezer stash, there are certain places that I can hit early and catch 10-12" fish one after another, but after 9:30, it's over. I have taken one of my young twins out at 3 a.m. to the same spot and flat tore them up until.....you got it.....9:30.
So, consider the time of day you're on the water, if they are not in the shallows, they will be very close in deeper water.
Good Luck!

[SpeckWick]

Are there any decent sized feeder creeks that you can get up into? I don't know your lake, but on the ones I fish most, they all have a couple of creeks or small rivers that empty into them. That's where I find the most consistent spring fishing. The water stays a lot more constant in the creeks and more fertile, and the bait is usually somewhere in them. Start shallow and work deeper as you go. I always seem to find at least some fish tight this time of year, even as shallow as a foot of water in thick cover. Also, thanks to some info from Darryl Morris, I have found that when a cold front hits, the crappie up in the creeks don't really go far. A lot of them stay shallow and tight to cover, but the good thing about the creeks is that the ones who do go deeper usually can only go to the creek channel itself, which is not all that deep or far from where you found 'em the day before. Sorry for rambling, I guess what I am saying is that a lot of times creek arms make the search easier in the spring, and most other times of the year, from my experience anyway.

[GRIZZ]

went fishing this week on tuesday, wednesday, and thursday. i fished shallow i fished deep and in between i caught only 2 fish per day mostly spider rigging. i used minnows tubes and grubs. i juse cant figure out what i am doing wrong. i fish yatesville lake in eastern ky. the lake has plenty of standing timber, laydowns and stumps and i fished them all. where should i be looking? i seem to do my best nightstalking in the summer but i need some help for this time of year. please help!!

1. Be a monkey till you know for yourself. As in monkey see monkey do. Find the guys that are getting them and ask, watch, spy, whatever it takes to learn what works where you are.

2. This time of year fish shallower and closer to shore or in canals. Depending on your water clarity in your water you may even be able to spot the fish especially at night when they tend to come out in the open more and closer to the surface to feed.

3. Go to the local tackle shops and find a gabby owner. These people hear everything and are usually willing to spread the news. Be sure and buy something even if its a couple bobbers to loosen up their tongues. Even after 30+ years fishing Chautauqua I still do this to find out where the action is even though I know the lake blindfolded.

[fleagle]

if there are boating channels or feeder creeks (property front channels) try there.Also vary your depth on every rod, and also vary your bait presentation. I would also try live bait with your artificial s. here's some crappie live bait suggestions, along with some old school tips.
Crappie Live bait
As new or experienced crappie fisherman we are always looking for new information that can help us be better crappie fisherman. I am always trying to make a decision whether to use live bait or artificial bait when fishing for crappie. Well the answer everyone should tell them selves to be effective you are going to use both. In fact, on many fishing trips both artificial and live baits are on the same crappie rigs. This is the best of both techniques. My article is going to concentrate on what crappie live baits are best for different situations.

Crappie minnows you will get a lot of controversy here so I am going to tell you what crappie minnows work best for me, but I will also identify other types because every fishing location is different when it comes to crappie live bait.

The “shiner minnow” is my favorite minnow to use, the smaller the better. Use 1 ½” length or smaller minnows. Many crappie anglers would argue that bigger is better, but the truth is I like to catch fish and I am not interested in only fishing for the large slabs. If you were in the large slab categories of fisherman then I would say bigger the minnow bigger the crappie (but much less on the crappie bite) I just love to catch fish. Know the reason I like the shiners whether using small or large minnows is they reflect light like small mirror in the water. Crappies are easily attracted to changes in light patterns and these little babies will do if for you. Many times, they are attracted more to the light changes then the bait it’s self. I also do a little doctoring to live bait and artificial baits for crappies. Another good minnow to use is commonly called the “Missouri minnow”.


Chop an onion into very small pieces and put them in a small container, (something like a little pill bottle) tip the end of your hook with a small piece of onion after you hook your minnow thru both the lower and upper lip. You will be surprised how this helps you out attracting the crappie to your bait. Not to get off the subject if you are using jigs put them in the small container with the onions and shake it up, then use your jigs.


These are the best crappie live bait Worms that I have used. I am not much for using worms to catch crappie, but one worm I have had good luck using has been “what is commonly called an “angle worm” You know those little critters that crawl all over your sidewalk when it rains.

One of the most disgusting but most effective live baits for crappie is the “maggot” Don’t let your wife tell you about the following little tip she might throw you out of the house!) Catch your self a mudfish or carp and cut out a large piece from behind his head. Burry the carcass an inch under the ground. 7 days later dig him up. (Know here’s the disgusting part pick the maggots off the carcass and place them in a glass jar. And some white cornmeal into the jar. Now place the jar in the freezer for three weeks. (Don’t let your wife know what’s in it or it will be gone! Just kidding.) After three weeks take the maggots out of the freezer the maggots will be huge! Fish the maggots using a #4 gold hook with no bobber. Let the bait fall to the bottom slowly and wait for the fun! It won’t take long. Maggots are one of the best crappie live baits I have ever used but I don’t use them much because of obvious reasons.

Well, that about does it for my crappie fishing live bait tips. Have fun and good fishing! And GOOD Luck!

[skiptomylu]

Don't know that I can help much since I don't know the lake, but here on Toledo Bend things are really strange. I have fished yesterday afternoon and this morning after it warmed up. Wen out about 11:00 or so and can't catch them where I was last week in that 8'-11' of water. I can't believe it, but I was trolling a Roadrunner with marabou tail in water 14'-20' deep and that is where I got all mine.

Going later again and back to the same spot in that deep water. Usually I can catch crappie almost to June in 6'-10' of water, but this year is different for sure.

The one thing I can say all my fish this year or almost all have come on a marabou tail jig and have been using Chart/Blue/Chart or Chart/Blue/White. Try trolling something like a Roadrunner and if your water is pretty clear do with a Blue body & White Marabou tail.

Here is one (1/32 oz.)...


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