Crappie winter fishing

[Ken Jones]

Hi, guys Crappie are still bitting. There much deeper now than they were in December. Found the fish around 60 foot of water. They were off bottum between 5 and 10 foot. I guess that was there comfort zone. Still using same techniques as during the summer with one exception no bobbers to deep. We can't use live bait in Idaho. Using now 1/32 crappie tube jigs. Yellow, red & white, all white, black & chartruse. We caught 29 crappie and a 10 inch yellow perch. Surfice temperature was 41 Degrees. Foggy most of day. Barometer reading was 30.58degrees. If barometer reads below 30 I never go out fishing. Forgot air temperture was 30degrees but warmed up to 45.

[PawPaw Gene]

Hey Ken glad to hear you're still hitting them. I wish they were that predictable down here, but I've really been too busy to fish anyway. Hoping to go catch a few next weekend at a gathering we're having. A bunch of good o'boys getting together for some fishing, eating, and visiting.

"gene"

[TapOut64]

If barometer reads below 30 I never go out fishing.

Wow, if I did that it would cut out half my fishing days. I've been following the barometer closely for almost two years now and have yet figured out what, if any, difference it makes. I've caught plenty of nice crappie with a barometer below 30.00. Perhaps this is something isolated to Idaho crappie?

In SE Virginia the surface water temp is around 47 but should drop lower this week as the cold weather moves in. The deepest spots in my lake is 40' with most of the channel running 25'-30'. I'm catching them off the bottom as well.

[frank lawhead]

Hi, guys Crappie are still bitting. There much deeper now than they were in December. Found the fish around 60 foot of water. They were off bottum between 5 and 10 foot. I guess that was there comfort zone. Still using same techniques as during the summer with one exception no bobbers to deep. We can't use live bait in Idaho. Using now 1/32 crappie tube jigs. Yellow, red & white, all white, black & chartruse. We caught 29 crappie and a 10 inch yellow perch. Surfice temperature was 41 Degrees. Foggy most of day. Barometer reading was 30.58degrees. If barometer reads below 30 I never go out fishing. Forgot air temperture was 30degrees but warmed up to 45.

WOW--1/32 jigs--what lb. test line are you using ??

[bugman]

1/32 50' deep wow it must take forever to get that little jig that deep......more patience than i've got.

[Ken Jones]

WOW--1/32 jigs--what lb. test line are you using ??

Frank I'm using 6lb. Stern line. I use a number 7 or number 4 split shot about a foot above my jig to make it sink a little faster. Yes, it takes a little time to get down but its worth the wait. The fish aren't hitting jig very hard. I have not felt a bit yet. What I do feel is when I'm realing in very slowly watching my tip of my rod, I feel a little resistance while reeling in and I see end of pole bend to word water. I jerk and fish on. Had crappie for breakfast this morning and in the morning have some more. Going out again tuesday of next week. Will let you guys know how I did. I kind of cheated a little bit. I use berkley crappie niblets on my hook.

[LouisianaFishNut]

I kind of cheated a little bit. I use berkley crappie niblets on my hook.

That's not cheating....that's strategy! :D

[Ken Jones]

That's not cheating....that's strategy! :D

Thank you, Ken. Going out again 1/18/09 Much colder outside in the upper twenties. Will post how I do when I get home. Having problems posting pictures. I screwed something up.