what's your search technique?

[avidone1]

so your on a new body of water, no motors allowed so you can't troll.
How would you go about searching for crappie?

[wannabe fisherman]

so your on a new body of water, no motors allowed so you can't troll.
How would you go about searching for crappie?

not even trolling motors??

[Crestliner08]

Well, if trolling motors are not allowed (which I find would not be an intelligent restriction) you can paddle to structures you believe will hold the fish. You will need some kind of map however and some knowledge of topographical bottom structure. Then you go to likely points or humps and start your fishing there. And if you visually see brush piles or lay downs, that's another likely target. I would also visit a local bait shop and ask a bunch of questions. Good Luck!

[avidone1]

sorry, I should have said "no gasoline motors" As a matter of fact my home lake has this restriction.
I am also asking about lures you consider good search baits.
Sorry for the poor wording

[huntinslabs]

OK, your in Florida and your avatar is either a canoe or kayak, so based on that. Mid January through October I would be close to the bank dipping jigs in the thickest nastiest weeds along the bank in less than 4' of water and fishing every laydown or bush on the bank out to 10' deep. If there is Manatees in the area and you see em up munching on the Hyacinths or lettuce, fish close proximity to them, they are stirring up stuff on bottom and where they are eating from. Makes a buffet for Crappie and bream. October through mid January I would be out on points and deeper holes looking for signs of bait. And fishing the laydowns where you found fish in summer only towards the deeper sides first working my way shallower. I would have 3 rods rigged and ready, long jig pole for dippin and probing brush and weeds with 1/16oz or 1/8oz weedless head with tube or stinger type bait of choice. An ultralight with 3/4" comal pear float with 1/32oz head inserted in 1.5" tube of choice and an ultralight with 1/16oz weedless head with slider or curltail of choice. But that is just what I would do, might not be correct, but I get along OK with that. And welcome from Orange City, stop in the Florida board and join the fun.

[Ketchn]

how large is the water body ? does it have a dam ? does it have bridges ? laydowns ? steep banks ? docks ? water clarity ?
time of year plays a major role as well .....and average depth in that spot .
its a pretty complicated thing in some cases and several factors might influence my MO ....
do you run a graph in there ?
all these things would influence me on how to approach it .....
what is the main forage fish in there as well ...
my favorite scouting method is single jigs and or tandems under a float .....
and sometimes i pitch a road runner ....
both presentations would be in a fan casting type of scenario
shallow to deep and deep to shallow ....
and candence would very greatly as well ...some crappie like a fast bait and some dont
i would also vertical jig some cover if possible....

[CrappiePappy]

My search technique on a brand new body of water would be :

Casting a 1/16oz marabou Roadrunner to visible cover (shallow approach)
Casting a 1/16oz weedless jighead with plastic stinger shad style body to visible cover (deep approach)

I'd primarily be keying in on standing or fallen timber, docks, pea gravel banks, bridge pillars, and/or eddy water pockets or secondary points in a creek.

[Cane Pole]

No motors, I wouldn't go.

[trypman1]

That's a good one, finding drop-offs would be my way to go, casting jigs around points and deep trash would work. Most crappie hang around in 10' of water until summer. The spawn brings them in to shallow water, early spring. Summer they go out and deep. 2cts!

[apersohn17]

No motors, I wouldn't go.

More fish for me! Haha