Summertime fishing

[GCD]

What you want to look for is the thermocline. Find the depth of the thermocline, then find where cover rises thru/above it. Baitfish will not usually go below a thermocline, since even though the water is cooler, there's little to no oxygen present. Shade is another factor .. since constant shade will usually keep the water, above the thermocline, a little cooler than sunlit water.

Sonar Tutorial - Water Temperature and Thermoclines

... cp

This explains how to find the thermocline a little better.

Find the Thermocline using your Sonar Fish Finder

[STUMP HUNTER]

That's a good read and explains the thermocline very well

[Hitek]

Try them at night!

[jeepguyjames]

on certain lakes around here we drift a double minnow rig. obviously you need wind, and suspendid fish out in the open water. but at times when we dont want to fight the wind, and are ready for somthing different than pulling cranks or jigs, thats what we do. we usally find a point or hump (anything thats holding the fish) throw a marker out on it, drop our lines straight over the side, and drift over the spot, we do "bump" the trolling motor from time to time to keep us heading on course, but for the most part we relax and let the wind do all the work. its somthing a little different. we tie our own rigs, loop knot with a hook, then below that a egg sinker (we run the line through the sinker 8 times or so to keep it put), then below the egg sinker (2 foot or so) either another hook or a light weight roadrunner head. we honestly troll most of the summer, but for somthing diff we do drift. have a great week yall, God bless

[LBM]

Aside from pulling cranks and night fishing how else can I catch crappie in the summer? Does anybody spider rig or single pole in the summer?

Summer time fishing with 95 degrees plus temps will get some of the Kansas or Okie or Missouri fisher folks on C dot C all fired up. They will be fishing standing timber with long rods, high vis Power Pro braid and a minnow on 1/16th or 1/32nd oz jig. This is what I refer to as the "Shallow Summer Slab" pattern that Crappie Chatt introduced me to. Russ Bailey filmed a show with Chatt at Pomona Lake using this method but I can't locate the link for that show now.

Some of the fellows will use this method using only plastic baits like a beaver tail. Some of the theories about this type of fishing is that one is targeting solitary and inactive crappie (usually considered as the larger slabs) that are just trying to hang out and chill out in their own secluded spot around the standing timber behaving as a bass might behave. They are not actively feeding and that by dangling a minnow in the crappie's face the crappie is will try to get this minnow out of his space. At this time one can feel the minnow getting active as referred to as a kind of a tic tic tug feeling on the bait. Previously when I felt this minnow action I just thought I had a active minnow on the jig and wouldn't continue trying to hold the minnow at that very depth and location if the crappie didn't immediately take the minnow.

Now when I get the tic tic tug I realize that if it ain't the minnow just getting excited about being close to the crappie it's the crappies trying to nudge the minnow out of the area. Either way I'm believing that there is a larger fish there and that is exactly where I want to hold my bait and also I can't set the hook from just the tic tic tug feeling. I must wait until one of three things happen - one is if the line goes slack, two is if the line moves off or three if the bait gets heavy--- then set the hook. If you do set the hook on the tic tic tug feeling you'll probably not be hooking a fish but just quickly get your minnow back in there and continue to agitate. It may take some time for the crappie to finally get the minnow in his mouth.

These fish can be found as shallow as three to four feet of water around standing timber or other structures. Using the longer rods allows one to keep some distance between the tree and the trolling motor. The method can be used in deeper water and may take longer to find at with depth they are holding at as you slowly work the water column with your bait. In the shallower timber there will usually only be one crappie in there and after catching just move on to the next tree to work.

Here are some links of previous posts on this subject and there are more to be found using the search function.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/oklah...-patterns.html

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/kansa...tin-video.html

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/kansa...g-tactics.html

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/kansa...-7-2-09-a.html

Before the ol Chattester put me on to this method I never used minnows. Now I'm spending extra money on insulated bait buckets and bubblers to keep the minnows alive and active in the summer heat.

Anyhow good luck.

[jeepguyjames]

we did well today vert jigin structure on a 32nd head today, dont do it alot but after the day we had today we will start, water temp was 87 deg. just some food for thought.

[jimfish]

Spider rig in 3-7 fow water temps 87deg. minnows and jigs.

[GCD]

Spider rig in 3-7 fow water temps 87deg. minnows and jigs.

You'll catch some nice Bluegills and Catfish doing that here in 'Bama.. but no Crappie.