Sun comes out, or wind stops blowing>> fish quit biting; How to adjust?

[BleuGhill]

It seems that whether fishing in February or May there are a couple of real changes that affect the bite, and I would like to hear some opinions on what is going on - and what adjustments you make to continue catching fish:

Example 1. There's a light wind in the morning and fishing is good until the wind stops >> fish stop biting
Example 2. It's nice and gray/cloudy in the morning and fishing is good until say 10:00 or 11:00 and the sun comes out bright >>fish stop biting.

I've noticed this so many times where I've had good luck until one of the above happens, then it's time to make adjustments! Sometimes I've found they go to the bottom (25' deep!!), and if I've been longlining, I switch to vertical fishing with heavy sinkers and can still pick up fish. Many times they're smaller though. Other times, no matter how much I look with the big motor and graph, I can't even find them!! It always seems that small fish hit no matter what the condition!

How do you guys cope with the two changes I mentioned? Do you think they just quit feeding, have they just relocated into tighter cover (but still willing to hit a minnow or jig)?

The sun is a big mystery to me: during Janurary & February crappie seem to love the sun....rising up the water column to warmer temps as the day progresses, but by March-May they seem to despise it and run to docks & cover!

In any event, you plan a nice all-day outing on the lake, but so many times I've seen it come to end by ten, eleven or twelve o'clock!! Even for seasoned guides on the best crappie lakes!

[Jignjim]

I understand that crappie are very light sensitive. The brighter the sun, the deeper they go , depending on the clarity of the water. I have had some similiar experiences with the bright sun and I have moved up into a creek that has a lot of shade or moved to the other side of the lake or river where more shade is and continued to catch fish. Not to say that this will work every time, crappie are a lot like our wives-----you never what kind of a mood they are in that day.

Jim

[beagle man]

when the sun get's hot I fish lots of shade, bluff's, bridge piers, and back of coves 1to 2ft. deep in the coves pitching or dipping a jig. learned this from Bugman and the Mississippi guy's. the bluff's on the south side of the lake cools faster I also dip trees out in the middle of the coves and the edges of the deep water. most of the time I dont get on the water till 9 or 10. so I have learned to adapt to the fish seems like some where on the lake they will be biting and I love bridge piers in the summer...