Thread: Cranking for Black Crappie

I have a lake near me that is about 95% Black Crappie. Now, I've been with MR Dux a couple times and we caught White Crappie. So, is it useless to try to crank for Black crappie, if this is what is in the lake. Most of the fish I've caught in this lake was with minnows about 4-8 ft. deep.

I have caught many black crappie trolling cranks. I have moved to a new lake and 25% of the crappie I have been catching trolling are black crappie.

Don

Yeah, you would think they'd hang around those pallet stacks out in front of the dock (in ~10fow) and ease into the dock & cedars late in the day. But, of all the casts I made out towards where the pallets are supposed to be, I never made contact with any ... so they may no longer be there. (or else I just never cast over one of them)

May have to see if Carl (cjpar3) would be interested in taking a trip there and doing some Bass fishing. Probably have to be a daytime trip, as I suspect it's "skeeter heaven" after dark.

I would move closer to rocky or gravel banks with shallower running baits like Pico squarebills or Bomber 6A cranks.


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

I'm not the greatest crappie guy on the water, but I do know the black crappie tend to be in clearer water. It might be that you have to get the bait farther away from the boat if the water is really clear, so you aren't spooking them; you might have to consider use of planer boards.

Here's the page I looked at : Corinth Lake Fish Attractors - Google My Maps

Kinda wished they'd used the plastic pallet stacks out in front of that dock, like they placed on the two points up towards I75. And with the grass & moss that grows there, they probably wasted their time with the little cedar trees.

Guys, thanks for the replies. Will give it a try.

What lake are we talking about, PJ ?? Reason I ask is the only lake I know of that meets those conditions is Cedar Creek .... and I'm not sure I'd want to try cranks there, unless it's "only" up around the dam area (& out in the middle of the lake). Now, I have caught them there trolling Road Runners, out in the middle of the lake (around the dam) and alongside rows of standing trees ... but, that was years ago & back when it was rare to catch a 9" "keeper" Crappie.

Pappy, I'm referring to Corinth lake. It's not big, but has a long stretch down the middle that I think I could push or even pull some cranks.(Idle speed only lake). The 2019 fishing report says the crappie fishing is poor which is good with me. I've caught quite a few black crappie (about 15-20 per trip) from the bank around the ramp site. Everything I kept was 9-11" with several of 7-8 3/4" range throwbacks. No size limit, but I set mine at 9". I don't think I've caught a White Crappie there this year. I went there this past Sunday afternoon and Monday afternoon. Only two boat trailers at the ramp Sunday, None Monday. Water was a little murky. Most of the time this lake is pretty clear.

Originally Posted by perchjerker108

Pappy, I'm referring to Corinth lake. It's not big, but has a long stretch down the middle that I think I could push or even pull some cranks.(Idle speed only lake). The 2019 fishing report says the crappie fishing is poor which is good with me. I've caught quite a few black crappie (about 15-20 per trip) from the bank around the ramp site. Everything I kept was 9-11" with several of 7-8 3/4" range throwbacks. No size limit, but I set mine at 9". I don't think I've caught a White Crappie there this year. I went there this past Sunday afternoon and Monday afternoon. Only two boat trailers at the ramp Sunday, None Monday. Water was a little murky. Most of the time this lake is pretty clear.

Oh, OK .... I might have to look into fishing that lake. I've never fished it, or any of the other small lakes along I75 up that way ... well, except for Williamstown Lake, but that was nearly 60yrs ago (a few years after it first opened). That was Bluegill fishing with crickets days with my Grandparents, just as a reprieve from Herrington Lake fishing.

Looking on Google Maps : Corinth looks to have most of its banks socked in with moss. I know they've done Shad removal at Corinth a couple of times (2006 & 2013 I think), for the same reason they cited for trying to clear Cedar Creek of Shad (which, unfortunately didn't work). They wanted the Bass & Catfish to be feeding on the small panfish, to keep their numbers in check & their growth rates higher. Have you noticed any Shad schooling at Corinth ?? Is the moss heavy around the banks ??