Here is some more info similar to what we are doing here in the North East.
The Search For Giant Slabs - In-Fisherman
You sure got my attention Paul D.
Here is some more info similar to what we are doing here in the North East.
The Search For Giant Slabs - In-Fisherman
hear in south carolina in the fall early winter and spring we do a lot of night stalking one creek on lake hartwell and we catch quite few 15" to 16" fish over the brush we put out over the years on live minnows
team member
of the 2011 winners of the c.d.c. lake hartwell fall fest
Paul D, VERY impressive photos and information. I am not saying that "up north' that NONE get that big, am merely saying out of any given entire yr class perportionately very few DO live that long. I certainly will agree some lakes and bodies of water are more predisposed to producing giant "barn door' crappie than others, and that fishing pressure definately has an impact also. Keep the great photos and info coming, sir...
I know of a couple lakes here in northern Indiana that produce 15" crappie. I have caught two in the past 3 years ice fishing. And I know of a 16"er that came through the ice last year. They're definitely out there, don't give up! I'm waiting for the 16" for the wall!
Heck, Paul,,I could do that,,and as soon as my home lake freezes over sufficent to bear my weight,,and that of my truck,,with heater running,,I'm going to...lol
Just kidding,,of course, but I agree with much you have said, and on the upswing, it seems to me that crappie tend to school by size, ie: simular in size...I must say that your approach is well thought out, it has the ring of authority gained from countless hours spent in persuit of the wonderful,,crappie.
I'm not sure that I agree that they school by size. I've seen plenty of schools go by while I'm sight fishing them through the ice and the size varies among the school. The channels I fish in during the winter have the crappies coming through at only a 1' below the ice. I'll see everything from a 5" to a 15" cruise by the hole.
Most of my biggest crappie have come in spring and usually a little deeper than where most of the crappie I catch. I have caught some up to 17" in summer, but not as many as in spring. I have not fished the fall enough in the last several years, but long time back I use to catch some really big ones in fall as well. If my memory serves me right seems most of the ones in fall came when fishing hydrilla and water about 14' deep with big time drop offs close by ad I do mean big drops and very close.
Skip
I'm assumeing,,since the crappie are shallow that there is no deep water in that body of water...where I am fishing now, my home lake, I have seen them move from 10-15' deep to 25-30' deep in the past two weeks.still holding on breaks next to deep water,,.the water temp is 46 degrees right now,,and in the past,,for them to school up tight in the winter pattern, the water temp needs to drop about 4 more degrees..