Finicky Winter Crappie!

[Clcrump]

I went crappie fishing today at my local lake and struggled to catch any crappie. I‘M relatively new to “serious” crappie fishing, but I feel like I’ve gotten pretty good at it. I have a hummingbird locator and Ultera trolling motor. I locate the fish on down imaging and then spot-lock to fish them. I have been “straight-lining” with a tandem set-up - a 1/8 oz jig on the bottom and a live minnow 18 inches above that. I had absolutely no problems locating and catching fish in the spring and summer.

Today, I located the fish suspended between 20 and 30 feet of water next to deep water ledges. maximum water depth I fished was 35 feet. Today I used a brown head/black body/chartreuse green marabou tail. I also used an all white jig with maroubou tail. Finally, I used a Bobby garland straight tail clear with black fleck jig. All jig heads were 1/8th oz. I would put a crappie “egg” - the green one - on the jig and leave the minnow alone.

The water temperature was 56.6 degrees and the outside temperature started at 32 degrees in the morning and ended up at about 60 degrees in th late afternoon. I didn’t move the set-up much considering it is winter and I feel the fish ar lethargic.

I only caught two small crappie all day - despite being on top of the fish.

Any suggestions for catching winter crappie that is different than what I did above. I don’t necessarily want to spider rig, but I can run as many as four 10-12 foot rods at onc.

Suggestions greatly appreciated!

[Chuck Adams]

I would fish a lot more shallow than that with 56 deg water temp.
Also if fishing that deep I would use a heavier jig and I never have anything on the bottom unless using a drop shot rig with sinker on bottom.
Are you live scoping or just seeing fish with the humminbird down imaging and trying to vertical fish them?


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[Foxy Jig]

long line troll out of the back of the boat. You don't need more than 4 rods out. Try to get your jigs down to the fish with a combination of weight and amount of line out. Troll .7 - 1.2 with your trolling motor. Some fish will be shallower than you anticipate, some deeper. put your 2 heaviest rigs on each side of the motor, then go a little lighter on the outside rods. Charge your batteries good before you go

[Clcrump]

I looked around in shallower water, but never saw anything on radar. The fish I found were in 30 foot of water; suspended anywhere from 20 to 30 feet. Most of the time, they were on a drop-off with some kind of log, or brush on the side of the drop off. No live scoping. Down imaging split screen with CHIRP sonar.

[chaunc]

I’d check the blowdowns on shore then move out to brush in eight to fifteen feet then the channel drop with brush on it. I also downsize my baits to 1/16 1/24 and 1/32 oz unpainted heads and keep changing body colors until I find the one they’ll hit most consistently. Tipping the bait with scent also helps. I have six colors I know they will hit on my lake so I rotate colors til I hit the best one for that day. It can change from day to day too.

[Ketchn]

here when the water hits 56 you best be real good at "DEAD" sticking or you wont get many bites .
around that temperature and below it our fish want almost ZERO movement on a bait .
and when i say almost no movement i mean like ZERO ....still like a statue
on livescope i have seen them BOLT like a rabbit away from the area if a bait even twitches slightly in cold water .
of course i wasnt there so i dont know for sure

[Clcrump]

Wow! All of this is really good advice. I’ll try all of the above this coming Saturday. What do you all think about starting with a lighter jig on the blowdowns, then workin my way out? Maybe a jig under a slip bobber on the blowdowns?

[Ketchn]

I noticed you are in Amarillo , its likely the water is cold out there .
find polka dots on the bottom and dead stick them early in the day .
the fish might be in pretty deep water along the dam of the lake .
load the boat time it is ....

[chaunc]

Wow! All of this is really good advice. I’ll try all of the above this coming Saturday. What do you all think about starting with a lighter jig on the blowdowns, then workin my way out? Maybe a jig under a slip bobber on the blowdowns?

If you use a light wire jig and at least ten pound test you should be fine. You’ll get your jig back and won’t lose your bobber to those snags.

[Clcrump]

Ketchn,
Sounds like you know this lake. Polk-a-dots on the dam in deep water will be accurate. I’m going to try dead sticking a jig with crappie egg on one rod, and a live minnow 12-18” under a 1/8 oz barrel weight on another rod this weekend. I guess I’m going to throw the kitchen sink at ‘em if they aren’t biting!