Where do they go in the fall?

[smedley]

I have been having a hard time finding crappie at night for the past few weeks. Here in Texas the water temp is still in the high 70's and probably is in the low 80's after the almost 90 degree high temps we've had this week. The lake I fish (Belton) is very clear right now. All I've been able to catch is a few whitebass and some small crappie. I'd like to catch some that I can actually keep.

I'm spotting a lot of fish on the graph but can't coax them to bite. I've tried minnows, different kinds and colors of jigs, and even caught some live shad. I've tried fishing deep (30') to shallow (12'), but still can't find the bigger fish.
Any Ideas?

[speck chaser]

This time of year I would concentrate on the creeks and flats that is where the bait fish should be. The crappie won't be far from them.Probablly would have better luck in the day time trolling 15 to 20ft deep.Just my two cents.

[Slab Hunter]

DITTO!

This time of year I would concentrate on the creeks and flats that is where the bait fish should be. The crappie won't be far from them.Probablly would have better luck in the day time trolling 15 to 20ft deep.Just my two cents.

[Darryl Morris]

Hang in there smedley. Just keep after them regularly checking all known cover and structure in the midrange depths of the lake on or near main channels of the lake. I'm not familiar with that particular lake, but I do know the crappie will be coming out of the deeper water channels of the main lake transitioning from a summer pattern to a fall pattern. As the water temp drops the crappie will begin to stack up on cover and other structure. The next thing you know the temp will be just right and they'll put on the feedbag using up all your minnows and slamming a jig like there's no tomorrow.

[Mud-Dabber]

smedley
Bite is on big time near Abilene. Caught a limit of very large fish today. Crappie did not want jigs at all, but absolutely slammed minnows. Water temp. today was 69 degrees on Ft. Phantom Hill. We had two nights of 42 degree temps. this week. Depth at 8-11 feet in brush.
Good Fishing,
Mud-Dabber

[chaunc]

I have been having a hard time finding crappie at night for the past few weeks. Here in Texas the water temp is still in the high 70's and probably is in the low 80's after the almost 90 degree high temps we've had this week. The lake I fish (Belton) is very clear right now. All I've been able to catch is a few whitebass and some small crappie. I'd like to catch some that I can actually keep.

I'm spotting a lot of fish on the graph but can't coax them to bite. I've tried minnows, different kinds and colors of jigs, and even caught some live shad. I've tried fishing deep (30') to shallow (12'), but still can't find the bigger fish.
Any Ideas?

Not familiar with your waters but i caught keepers up to 14" in 7' water on my home lake this summer, when the lake temps were in the high 70's. If your lake has trees around the east shoreline that cast a shadow on the lake in the morning, look for brush or rock in that shaded area. The water termps will be quite a bit lower there and the baitfish will seek cooler water. The crappies wont be far behind. I fish jigs and nibbles under a bobber or just cast and count down to em. If no brush there, contact Chef and get a crappie tree or two to put there. Works up here in Pa. :D

[FalconSmitty]

IMO fall is the worst time for nightstalking. The fish seem to disappear after sundown. Three days this past week I started fishing from about 4pm till dark. I pass under bridges and train tracks each trip and that is where most fish at night. Well this time of year I always drop a few lines around the pillions (sp) because the crappie like them this time of year during the day We have wore em out there but when the sun went down all three days the crappie quit like they threw a switch. The lake is in it's evrery 2nd year drawdown. All the flats and brushpiles are high and dry so they only have a few places to hang on. bamboo condos in 20' to 35' deep water. The water is down 8-9' so they are in 11' to 26' water now. 2 of them are sticking out of the water. Several species of fish are holding on them now because nothing else is there. But at night they disappear. After dark I had to move out to open water near mouths on points or humps to pick up a few at night.

[smedley]

I tool some of your advice and fished Sunday. I got to the lake before daylight intending to bass fish until I could scope out some crappie holes, but couldn't resist when I saw fish busting small minnows up shallow and couldn't help but think they were crappie. the banks I was fishing doesn't get full sun this time of year until almost noon. I tied up to a stump in 20' and started drowning minnows on two lines and jig fishing with another in 15'. I was using a slip bobber on the jig. Caught 6 nice keepers, mostly on the minnows. when the sun hit the water they were gone, instantly. fished different spots all day and never caught another crappie. We've still got 90 degree days and a lot of skiers and doggone jet skis on the lake, so I think I will go back to night fishing under my green light.
this is the first time since this spring that I was on the lake during the day and I did find some new spots to fish that I wouldn't have found at night, but I still think this lake is much better at night. Once the weather breaks for good, I'll get back out during the day.