In Search of Fall Crappie by Brad Wiegmann

Of all the seasons to fish for crappie fall would be the most challenging. Cold fronts keep rolling in
cooling the water temperature down, but occasional warm fronts roll through trying to raise it back up.
Thankfully, there are always more cold fronts.


Wally Marshall or Mr. Crappie as everyone knows him has some insight to catching crappie during the
fall. “Crappie are in transition during the fall and suspending in the water column. Some lakes will have a
thermocline and others don’t so crappie can be located at any depth. You really have to key in on what
depth you are seeing them at on your electronics,” said Marshall.

Marshall is just switching from pulling or pushing corks in a zig-zag pattern at .8- to 1.1-mph out on the
main lake using 14 foot Wally Marshall Signature Series Tuxedo Black Crappie Rod (www.lews.com) with
8 pound test line with a ½-ounce Bullet Power Trolling Sinker rigged on a 18-inch leader to a Road
Runner jig head and either a Strike King Joker or Slabalicious.


Starting sometime in early October, Marshall likes to go into feeder creeks or tributaries and single pole
crappie. Marshall is following baitfish as they move into the creek channels feeding on them. The key to
catching them is finding visual or underwater cover in these feeder creeks or tributaries.


Lay downs, brush piles and log jams are key areas to fish in October. “Every year the location of these lay
downs, brush piles and log jams will change due to flooding or current. So what I like to do in the fall is
leave my rods laying on the deck of the boat and go up these feeder creeks or tributaries with my
Humminbird Side Imaging along with Down Imaging on and look for tree tops, brush piles, lay downs or
trees coming off the bank into the lake. When I get to the back of the feeder creek or tributary I turn
around and fish my way back out targeting cover,” said Marshall.


Marine electronic units come in several models and features. For locating feeder creeks or tributaries
along with channel swings crappie anglers should get a unit with GPS along with sonar. Most units come
with a basic map or map charts like Navionics or Lake Master is available with high definition contour
lines.


SideScan or Side Imaging allows the angler to look out both sides of the boat while DownScan or Down
Imaging directly what’s under the boat. By opening two windows an angler can see down and side-to-
side at the same time. The kHz setting can be from 455 kHz to 1,250 kHz resulting in photo like real time
images.


One thing Marshall likes stained water when fishing in the fall. “Crappie will be shallower in stained
water making them easier to catch. In crystal clear water crappie will spook to easy,” said Marshall.
As for lures, Marshall uses Mr. Crappie Strike King (www.mrcrappie.com) Crappie Thunder or Joker in
Hot Chicken.com, hot pink/chartreuse along with black/chartreuse rigged on a Mr. Crappie Strike King
1/8-ounce Sausage Head. The heavier head helps him keep in contact with the jig head and around
heavy cover. He uses a 10 foot Pro Series Wally Marshall Lew’s rod when one poling.

Strike King Joker

The real key to catching crappie during this time according to Marshall is going and searching for cover
before you start fishing. “Go fishing without your poles and find all the cover before you start fishing.


Slow down and find your cover and have multiple places to fish so you will always have a place to go
fishing for crappie,” said Marshall.

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