Thread: Question about Crappie feeding habits in tide effected waters

Almost all I fish is tidal waters on the gulf coast. I watch the NOAA website Advanced Hydrologic Prediction website to get a accurate pattern of the peak High's and Low's. From there I fish 2 hrs before the forecast change to 2 hrs after. I catch 95% Black Crappie, and my belief is they are more aggressive during NIP tides. I know numerous crappie anglers who will not fish on a NIP tide. Here is the link to the NOAA website. I think Robertsdale is within this link.

Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Jackson

Thank you, my hope is to gain knowledge and helpful information like what you sent. As I really didn’t grow up near tide controlled waters. And you can almost throw out the door feeding times. When that tide changes as you stated that’s when their most aggressive not first light or just before dusk. Thanks again. I also would like to know best areas. Right now it’s mainly fishing structure that they can get behind for protection when bait flows by them for an easy catch.


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

With over 1000 trees marked throughout the Mississippi-Eastern Louisiana river deltas and basins I have learned one MAJOR thing, not all structure recruits Crappie. Stuff you would think held fish all the time never produces a Crappie. Catfish, Goo, other Panfish, even Gar but no Crappie. If I had the answer to why I think it works that way it would be material for a book. So that statement of Fact behind us, then as a troubleshooter by nature you divide and conquer! Once locating and marking structure you have to see if the newly found structure recruits Crappie. Some tidal spots recruit on a seasonal basis, some hold fish year around. Since father time is always working to cut our time short I fish new water like I am Speckled Trout fishing. If I don't get a bite in 2-3 minutes I'm moving to the next marked new structure. If three spots in a row in the same area doesn't produce I move to another area. I divide rivers in half, then half again, till I find productive waters. There are trees marked on my Humminbird that have been reliably recruiting Crappie for 15-20 years, then some that have a few 75% of the time, some a few 50% of the time, if less than 50% of the time I drive by them in the future. You have to fish them all at first. Time management doing that is my absolute goal working out new water. Now 20 years later I catch fish everyday, I just don't let people know it.