Thread: Opinion Falling lake water?

Yes it does. I have found or at least the places that i fish, when the lake starts falling they keep backing out to safer areas. Stay tight to cover, structure , ledges what ever they can
find to feel safe. You can still catchem but you have to work alittle slower. They are also more scattered as well. It gets back to normal when the lake gets stable. Good luck

I think that here on Ky Lake it is not so much how they bite in fall'n water, but where they bite. It also depends on what time of year it occurs. This time of year when the water temps start to creep down the fish start following the bait fish into the bays & will continue that pattern until water temps dictate they move back out. Falling water will move the fish out over deeper water but they will stay at about the same depth that they had become comfortable in before the water started to fall. In other words if they were 8' deep in 10' of water they may move out & suspend 8' deep over 16' of water. Our problem as crappie fishermen is sometimes we become too structure/cover oriented. We never mark open water on our GPS, it's drops or brush we key on. Many times during periods of falling water they will back off the brush & suspend over deeper water close to the brush but not on/in it. Have you ever been fish'n a brush pile with a couple of poles and break a jig off. you leave 1 jig in the water & start to re-tie & catch a fish on that jig while your drifting off over deeper water? Sure you have. Crappie do not stayed glued to cover. They move around. We catch more fish on cover because that's where we fish. I believe for every fish that is in the cover there are 10 moving from 1 spot to another. Try backing off that brush pile on that drop off & check the waters over the creek channel. You might be surprised what you find.

Originally Posted by Wiskers

I think that here on Ky Lake it is not so much how they bite in fall'n water, but where they bite. It also depends on what time of year it occurs. This time of year when the water temps start to creep down the fish start following the bait fish into the bays & will continue that pattern until water temps dictate they move back out. Falling water will move the fish out over deeper water but they will stay at about the same depth that they had become comfortable in before the water started to fall. In other words if they were 8' deep in 10' of water they may move out & suspend 8' deep over 16' of water. Our problem as crappie fishermen is sometimes we become too structure/cover oriented. We never mark open water on our GPS, it's drops or brush we key on. Many times during periods of falling water they will back off the brush & suspend over deeper water close to the brush but not on/in it. Have you ever been fish'n a brush pile with a couple of poles and break a jig off. you leave 1 jig in the water & start to re-tie & catch a fish on that jig while your drifting off over deeper water? Sure you have. Crappie do not stayed glued to cover. They move around. We catch more fish on cover because that's where we fish. I believe for every fish that is in the cover there are 10 moving from 1 spot to another. Try backing off that brush pile on that drop off & check the waters over the creek channel. You might be surprised what you find.

Wiskers is right about that. How have you been? Have you been catching them all?
I was tired last night and should have asked what type of lake Grizzly is fishing. For the last 1 1/2 years been fishing these smaller river lakes like Green, Taylor, Cave and nolin. Most of these lakes when the lake is stable you catch fish in open water all day long. I have more open water waypoints than brush and ledges combined. But when the water starts falling they like that cover in these lakes. I also should have said to never fish in the brush or atleast i try not to. I have found the more you get hung in it and disturb it the less fish you catch. I like fishing the sides and above the areas.

Cave run is where I'm fishing and thanks for the info from both of you. It's good info to know.

Originally Posted by Grizzly2k1

Cave run is where I'm fishing and thanks for the info from both of you. It's good info to know.

You may want to give Ekyslabber a shout. That is his home lake and knows it very well.

Originally Posted by chucky

Wiskers is right about that. How have you been? Have you been catching them all?
I was tired last night and should have asked what type of lake Grizzly is fishing. For the last 1 1/2 years been fishing these smaller river lakes like Green, Taylor, Cave and nolin. Most of these lakes when the lake is stable you catch fish in open water all day long. I have more open water waypoints than brush and ledges combined. But when the water starts falling they like that cover in these lakes. I also should have said to never fish in the brush or atleast i try not to. I have found the more you get hung in it and disturb it the less fish you catch. I like fishing the sides and above the areas.

Fished a couple of times last week. Haven't zeroed in on a consistent pattern yet but get'n closer. I been do'n ok but my wife has been in the hospital since Mon. I am wore out. Try'n to stay up there with her & take care of things at home too. Got up at 5 this morning & drove 3hrs to Savannah, Tn to buy a new camper for her. Then went straight back to the hospital. Hope they let her come home tomorrow so she can enjoy her vacation next week in her new camper. Keep your fingers crossed.

Terry, best wishes to your wife! BBD told me about it today.

Since I started dragging crankbaits for crappie, I have become MUCH more open water oriented. I'm not talking open water that is 60 feet deep. I'm talking about the fish that are suspended OFF the breaks on the main lake or secondary breaks. I wasn't smart enough to pick up on this at first. After I caught some of my best fish while making sweeping turns out AWAY from breaks but still in the vicinity, I took note. That goes for the depth also. I like to run deep runners but often catch some good fish on a crank that is no more than 5 feet down in 30 feet of water. The last thing I want to do is pull 10 Bandits thru one of Wiskers brushpiles.

Originally Posted by Wiskers

Fished a couple of times last week. Haven't zeroed in on a consistent pattern yet but get'n closer. I been do'n ok but my wife has been in the hospital since Mon. I am wore out. Try'n to stay up there with her & take care of things at home too. Got up at 5 this morning & drove 3hrs to Savannah, Tn to buy a new camper for her. Then went straight back to the hospital. Hope they let her come home tomorrow so she can enjoy her vacation next week in her new camper. Keep your fingers crossed.

I hope everthing is ok for you all. Those hopital stays are no fun. I have been finding this out myself over the last couple of months. If she didn't now about you getting the camper it will be a nice surprise for her Thumbs Up. If she did, tell her to take it easy in her new palace. I know you will figure them slabs out. Take care and god bless.