Thread: Autumn Arrival ... And With It , New Patterns !

The official end of summer is here , and it' s as if the crappie know how to read a calender .... the slightest air/water temperature
change occurs , and the crappie scatter like cockroaches when a lightswitch is flipped ON !

This is exactly the scenario that has played out in three of my favorite impoundments .... not hanging out in their usual haunts, but
instead , roaming the shallower flats away from the usual deep weedlines.

This is not to say that you' ll find crappie in the shallows . But typically, you won' t likely find them as deep as you did during the hottest months of summer .

You will need to hunt a bit more than you did in the summer .
If you found them in 20 to 25 feet of water ( like I did most of the summer ) try searching gradual slopes off of points and edges of drop-offs , in the 10 to 20 foot range.

The crappie are also not in any real hurry to inhale the usual bait offerings . They seem to know that soon, vast amounts of
baitfish will be dying out 'en mass", and as air and subsequent water temperatures continue their decline, these dying baitfish will be easy pickin's .
You wil likely take smaller crappie with the usual offerings of 1/32 to 1/16 oz. jigs and smaller minnows -- but the more respectable slabs won' t hesitate to gobble-up larger offerings .

It will come as no surprise that in the 4 to 6 weeks to come,
before it really gets cold , those hubcap-sized slabs will take some of the biggest live minnows you want to show them. A 4 or 5 inch
golden shiner won' t be too big !

Don' t believe it ? Just ask " fishnfilet ", here at the NYS forum .

My own experience has shown me that the best thing about fall is
the fact that you can ( and probably should ) use the biggest fatheads and medium to large shiners you can get .... or -- better yet , net your own shad .
If you' ve ever caught a crappie over 12 inches , you' ll know that they have no problem taking a large bait
into their gaping maw .

A big, quivering shiner swimming 'crippled' under a large, slip-
float is a prospect that a super-slab just can' t pass up .
But please -- pay attention ! As good as this offering appears to
a jumbo-slab, it' s equally as tempting to most other predators who
may happen by . Like I said , watch out !

Finally , summer' s fading away , and the crappie took note of it
long before you did . If your favorite lake, pond, or reservoir isn' t
experiencing the seasonal " turnover " ( you' ll know this when the water appears off-color and lots of particles are present ) it will be
real soon .
Fishing for most species , crappie included , often drops off . Seasonal adjustments are taking place .
This is normal . This biological succession sends a signal fish, telling them that it' s time to start thinking about the big change that is about to take place .

After turnover , and before first ice, you can experience some of the best crappie fishing ever . The time-window may be small , but
the rewards can be great !

Fall crappie fishing means less boat traffic , cooler teperatures , and
transitional fish . Again , you' ll need to look for them in shallower
water as they follow the vast numbers of dying baitfish.

Dress warm , bring a thermos of hot coffee , and get yourself some fall crappie action .

And don' t be shy -- a medium shiner , shad , a medium-sized safety-pin style spinner bait or 3 to 4 inch swimbait , won' t be too big to fool a big , fall slab !

Good luck all ........ Kapn' K.