Question For Guys Fishing Standing Timber ?

[skiptomylu]

I have done a little of this, but could use a few pointer on picking the area to try. My lake (Toledo Bend) is really big and when it was built they just built a dam and flooded National Forest. As you may imagine there is more than a lot of wood still standing.

What I have been doing is fishing near creeks winding through the trees. I have been targeting the biggest trees to try, especially if they happen to be on the edge of a creek.

Is there anything you can tell me to look for to find the best places for this style crappie fishing. I do enjoy moving around with the troll motor dropping a jig down right next to a tree or even right in the middle of any limbs still sticking out. I don't know, but I am drawn to the biggest trees and even more so if several trees are right together making a large mass of wood.

As much wood as there is in this lake means there would be endless target areas. I want to add this approach to my arsenal.

Any help/tips on this style would be appreciated.

[Crappie Chatt]

skiptomylu, Sommertime and trees,,,could it be better for crappies? I DON"T THINK SO!! I look for isolated trees first, any depth. Size of trees can make a difference. Look at the flats away from the chanel as shallow as springtime. I like 1/32oz jigheads tipped with minners. The minners can pull the jig around. That seems to get the crappies excited. Larger trees,,,fish all the way around them. The shallower you go, the more important to use longer poles. Keep the sun in your face as shadows will spook them. Mark your lines!!!! If you are in 7ft, mark your line at 6ft. Pitch the jig out and let it swing back to the stump/tree at 6ft. It will look like the minner is trying to get to the safty of the tree. Crappies are ambush feeders next to any cover. Hope this helps ya! <*)}}}><

[Waylonh]

Skip,

You're doing everything right. Hit the shady side of every tree, try different color combinations. Minnow/jig/wax worm. Different times of day. Different time of year. If you got flooded timber, you'll have crappie. However, most will agree, this time of year is not exactly "primetime" for shallow water structure fishing. They're deep, especially the black crappie.

[skiptomylu]

Well here there are not a lot of isolated trees, just miles and miles of trees with boat lanes and creeks running through it all.

I let out one of my main questions and that is, should I target tree lines (weather it be a boat lane or just where the Forrest use to meat a field)or more just target the creeks out in the middle of all this. We also have quite a bit of timber lines just off the bank into 20'+ of water.

Example: The bank out to the tree line is maybe 100' out and is about 20' deep at the tree line, then getting to 30' deep into the trees a little farther off shore. We also have lots of flats that drop off into deep water with the edge of the grass flat at about 14' and near by a tree line that will drop of to 20'-50' depending on which flat we are talking about. I have been thinking about places where the creek comes out into the boat lane before re-entering the trees and fishing the tree line there or should I just keep following the creeks.

[Eager Beaver]

Look for bends in the creek channel with the trees next to them. Look for anything that is different fish laydowns quite vigorusly.

[CrappiePappy]

think ....... shade, edges, dropoffs, blowdowns, hardwood tree surrounded by softwoods (or vise versa), humps, channel curves, or secondary channels or ditches connecting to the main channel or boat lane. Also, watch for baitfish activity. (that ought to keep you busy for awhile :D ) ....... cp

[skiptomylu]

LOL crappiepappy that's funny. I though as much about the creek/ditches/humps and the like, but I have picked up a few comments that are giving me new insight at another board. Most are just affirming what I thought, but a few are making me look at it a little different.

One tip was from a guy that said think of all the big oaks and other trees on the bank and envision them in 25' of water. Knowing that the big trees don't have limbs on the first 20' or so and the old tops had to break off and fall somewhere near. I should be looking for the old tops using my sonar.

The think that made this make good sense to me was I find a lot of what I had been thinking was old brush piles put out by people. However I find so many it had started to bug me some and now I have a new way of thinking about them and why some of that stuff is there.

I can use all the info people are willing to share and there seems always someone that brings up something I had not though of the way they see it and that helps me add to my arsenal of info to get them old crappie.

Another good tip I got was to always face the sun to keep your shadow from spooking the crappie. I guess this goes with using a long rod which I don't like to do a lot, but what ever it takes. I like using more regular length rods, like UL rods and light action 6'-7' long, but if using a 10' rod helps with this then that is what I will try.

Anyway thanks for sharing I do appreciate any info I can add to what I already do! I love learning new little things that work.

[caveman]

The lake I fish has alot of standing timber also. I look for trees in at 25 to 30 feet of water. I use a jig tipped with a minnow, let it drop to the bottom and jig it up very slow.