trouble with cold water crappie

[NIMROD]

I fish south jersey often and vertical jigging has been the ticket as of late. Once the jig is down to the desired depth hold it dead still. Less can be more this time of the year. Try minnows too sometimes they make all the difference. More times than not I'm using a double rig and tying a small jig on the top can help as well.

Most folks just think they hold a jig dead still . I challenge you to use a long jig pole and hold that jig out in the air on a full pole length of line dead still . It ain't happening . I show folks this alot when they ask if I jig up and down alot . There is always some movement intentional or not .

[NJcrappie]

Most folks just think they hold a jig dead still . I challenge you to use a long jig pole and hold that jig out in the air on a full pole length of line dead still . It ain't happening . I show folks this alot when they ask if I jig up and down alot . There is always some movement intentional or not .

I agree 100%. I should of said no added movement.

[NIMROD]

I agree 100%. I should of said no added movement.

I really just wanted to make those people who don't know aware that there is always some movement . Sometimes the fish want little movement and will not chase or move far to take a bait .

[bee]

From one Ladd to another check out some ice fishing videos and do that in your boat. Vertical is vertical. Sonar is sonar.

[Spoonminnow]

Matt, I've been fishing lakes in Orange C. N.Y., including West Point lakes and ponds and the water temperature is similar to what you've been fishing. What I've found is that most pan fish species are in a few locations that don't vary much.
They are:
1. shallow (4')
2. mid depth (5-7')
3. in 8' or more

The key to me catching over two dozen fish every outing I attribute to a few tackle and presentation factors:
1. light line 4# test (leader or main line) to reduce line bow retrieving small jigs
2. small jigs - mostly 1/32 oz but also 1/16 oz depending on depth. The deeper the heavier the jig head.
3. finesse action baits. I use my own hand pour designs - some with no tail, some with a thin straight tail but most definitely not a curl tail. The action must be slow and subtle on a slow retrieve IMO. Some even use floats with the lures I've suggested and do very very well - even from shore. Hair or feather jigs may do okay, but the idea is that near dead stop, they move just a bit to annoy fish into striking. Again my opinion.
4. a very slow retrieve horizontally, casting as far as possible to cover more water when in open water. I've also hopped the lures off clean bottom with success after letting the lure sit for 3-4 seconds, raising the rod tip and retrieving very slowly with pauses in the turns of the reel handle.

Know the location of the flats and their edges to deeper water. You may fish parallel to those edges. Stumps are nice anywhere but don't concentrate on fish being right next to them - fish near them. Stumps are habit forming for some fish and they seem to attract some fish regardless of season.

Again - finesse in lure action and retrieve will get far more strikes even slowly drift trolling - but in all cases find out where in the water column fish are hitting. I use sonar only to find structure patterns - not fish seen on the screen regardless of depth. Granted it's always nice to see schools of bait fish but only to see how close they are to the bottom or surface. Once location patterns are found, depend on them for the near future. Usually fish devoid in certain areas of a water will stay clear of them for a short period and then possibly visit those areas temporarily, so ever so often cast a few to see what's what.

Because of the very warm season, fishing has been the best I've ever encountered in December and hopefully won't vary much even if snow falls (like today) and lowers the water temp to the upper 30's. Thank G they're cold blooded and the strike is solid - even casting to the same spot after a miss !

Just some ideas that may fit where you fish.

[Matt Lad]

Thanks again to everybody for their support. I got rained out at work today so I checked out a lake further south of me where I got some nice crappie in the spring. Although it had rained pretty hard, the water in the lake was still very clean so I'll be giving it a shot there on New Year's Day.
As you know from my previous posts, I have been unsuccessful fishing in a reservoir close to home. I did not mention however that the water level there is extremely low from drought and public usage and that presently the water quality is,in my opinion, poor (green algae-like material on surface and very low visibility). Hopefully this southern lake will be better for me. Wish me luck and thanks again to everybody.

[river scum]

we sure hope to see some pics of a full live well come first of the year then! good luck

[Spoonminnow]

the water level there is extremely low from drought

Believe it or not, that should be a good thing. Most surface algae should be gone by now with suspended algae at a minimum. I haven't found algae to be a deterrent unless an area is low in oxygen and 40 degree water should fish like 60 degree water when fish are found that can be provoked into striking. For some reason where I've been fishing, yellow perch have been caught in better numbers than all the other species combined. Crappie account for less than 1/4, but 12" fish are always part of the daily creel. (12" crappie are considered large for a few of the small waters I've been fishing.)

In any case, keep at it and report how you do.

[Gobob]

I've caught them pulling cranks October through December in the past can't hurt to try it up there

[crappieconvert]

I am a northern NJ crappie addict and luckily I have been getting out a couple of days a week. On dec 30 I did real well but only with gulp jigheads and a slipfloat. The fast action fall fishing with my homemade roadrunners, small spinnerbaits and Charlie b. sliders has come to an end. For weeks they would chase and come up a foot or two and now as expected they want it still and in their face.
I have been learning from this site for two years and am greatfull to all who have shared their knowledge and I hope that some one finds my observations and info useful.
Happy New Year
Marc