Techniques for Summer Crappie

[jfraley]

Hi guys/gals,

I was wondering how many of you change your tactics during the summer? I know that a lot of folks troll for crappie in the spring, but when you get to the lake at day break in the summer, what is your perferred method of fishing. Do you troll, tight line over brush/other breaks, or shoot docks?

I have been mainly night fishing, but I have been wondering if a fellow might have some luck early in the morning trolling around some condos. I guess I should just try it, but it would be interesting to see peoples perferred method during the summer.

[CrappiePappy]

Crappie fishing - from mid May thru the Summer months - I have mostly fished in the early AM til mid-day hours. Casting & "vertical casting" jigs, to laydowns/standing timber on shaded banks, has been my usual method. There are no docks to shoot, on my local Crappie lake, and the pontoons moored at the Marina are "off limits" to fishing ... so that leaves only the timber (on that lake). I do all my "dock shooting" in TN, during the Spring & Fall ... but, I do have one local lake that may change that, just a bit I know it has Slabs in it ... I've caught them, up to 2lbs, from there. It's just been more of a Bass lake, to me, over the years. I think I'm going to start back, Crappie fishing it, and see if some of the tricks I've learned work there.
So, to answer your question, no ....... I don't really change tactics so much as I change time frames. I still cast jigs about 90% of the time ... with a small percentage of the time devoted to using minnows. I get to go so infrequently, I play to my strengths whenever possible ...LOL!! ....cp

[Mississippi Slab]

I love the summer time pattern on my home lake Ross Barnett Rez. There are lots of old lakes in the Rez that were there before they made the Rez. There are stick-ups/stumps in 20-30 foot of water. I start early jig fishing them 10' deep and then move deeper as the sun gets up. I usally never fish deeper than my 12' jig pole. This pattern works well for me. Last Saturday caught 23 and Monday had 20. I plan to be out there at sunrise tomorrow to catch some more!

[unknown 5]

I "drop shot" minnows along old creek channel ledges in the lake I fish. I often catch other fish like channel cats and/or green carp, but I usually come home with several nice crappie. The depth depends on where I am fishing.

[Eager Beaver]

I change tactics from the spawn when summer fishing gets here. For the spawn I fish boat docks and coves where the Crappie spawn in. I throw jigs most of the time, but when I have someone with me that isn't to accurate of a caster then I will go to a cove that they can use a bobber and a minnow to fish with, but I will still cast a jig. When the fish move out to the summer patterns I switch to Minnows mostly and fish anywheres from 12 to 22 ft over brush and planted xmas trees, along breaks. I can catch fish with a jig but the bigger Crappie always come on the minnows. I tight line or cast a minnow out and let it go to the bottom and then reel it in slowly. This is a private lake that I have a lot on, just to be able to fish it. The state of Ne. dosn't have any control over it so is a very nice lake for fishing. I live on the east end of the state and The State has screwed up all the local lakes around here for fishing and they are mostly catch and release lake for the most part here now. They put such high size limits that you can't catch anything big enough to keep out of them. 21 in Bass, 10 in Crappie, and 8 in Bluegill. They stopped stocking walleye in one of our lake a long time ago and finally 3 yrs ago stocked them again so I thought 3 yrs they should be big enough to be keepers and found they were only 12 inches long. We caught over 150 fish that day and not a keeper among them. We caught 25 walleye and 5 Bass, 10 Bluegill, and the rest were Crappie. It is time we got a new Game Comission, because the present one hasn't a clue of how to run the system we have. A sports reporter asked the Director where one needs to go to catch a fish to keep and he told him to find a farm pond and fish there. That says it all that a farmer can do a better job than they can.
Sorry this got off the subject a little, but I enjoy Crappie fishing year around and like to be able to bring some home once in awhile. Don't need to bring home a limit just enough for a meal once in awhile. Just my view on it.

[crowderj]

what little day fishing i do in the summer, i troll till i get a few bites in a specific area, then ill come back and tightline minnows, over that spot, and throw a jig around between bites. another good tactic is to spider rig minnows, and drift or troll REAL SLOW.

[reelcrappie]

I fish in the summer just like I do in the dead of winter. Deeper and slower. Maybe a little shallower in the early morning hours but when the sun gets up I look in deeper water. I generally catch larger fish deeper. I fish more minnows in the summer on tight lines either drifting or trolling.

[DENNIS BOWERS]

I fish early mornings & in the evening.My prefered metod is casting jigs to stickups/laydowns with a slow ,stop & go retreive.If thats unproductive i find stumpbeds, condos,ect-and fish them the same way.I dont use many minnows in summer due to mortality rate. Good Fishin To Ya!!Dennis

[JigMaster]

I was one that use to put the gear up until the next spawn but have this year started to fish the summer and hopefully will be able to continue fishing until the spawn starts again. I do plan to employ trolling for targeting the summer time slabs but mainly will be looking to sharpen my fish locating skills. I think locating them is the key and once located you can choose the best method available to set a hook and YELL FISH ON! Pesonally there is nothing better than feeling the THUMP of THE CRAPPIE on a good JIG and Pole combo! Good Luck!

[Patrick Vowell]

Vertical jig stick ups in the 12 to 20 feet of water. clusters of trees seem to be the most productive for the slabs. These are trees that have more than one exposed branch, or it could be trees that have grown real close together. I fish these anywere from 6' down to 12 and 14' deep. i use a 16' B & M Pro staff Trolling rod to keep my distance. I fish a spider rig which consists of two hooks tied a foot to 16" apart with a 1 oz. sinker below. With the heavy sinker it allows me to probe the trees feeling the branches and the base of stumps without getting hung up. Use plain minnows for the best luck. If you want numbers, spider rig open water near stump beds, cover a lot of water and you should find the numbers. We catch some big ones doing that also. Good luck and go practice. That is the only way you will get on the big ones. You got to find them to catch them.
P.S. Don't waste alot of time fishing with a bobber and minnow, go get the fish were they live instead of waiting for them to come to you.