I have been thinking I may like to fish more without the kayak. It seems that after the spawn the fish move to deeper water. Anyone have ideas on how to catch Crappie in the summer from the bank?
Printable View
I have been thinking I may like to fish more without the kayak. It seems that after the spawn the fish move to deeper water. Anyone have ideas on how to catch Crappie in the summer from the bank?
Find places deep water comes close to the bank. A steep drop with stumps on it. A Main lake point that drops pretty quickly into deep water. There are a lot of places on Lakes that you can reach the fish from the bank. THE BIG problem is usually getting to the place on the bank.
Fish the main lake body and the first points projecting into the main lake and up to the secondary points in bays or arms as long as there is easy access to deeper water fast. Then add in wood or other structure and maybe weeds. Some places will hold fish all day...others they will use the spot to push baitfish up to feed on so they will only be there part of the day. Late evening many times.
Course some lakes are really shallow without a lot of defining contour. Then I would look for shade and grass and wood cover, pads etc.
In some streams and rivers they hang out around the bluffs with the slower deeper pools that have structure in them.
If you look at an impoundment map and follow the old main and secondary creek channels. They are using the same places they used before it was dammed. When it was still just a creek or river.
Right place....right time...
I catch them in the Summer on banks that are shaded thru most of the morning hours, sometimes they're pretty close to the bank and other times they're suspended over downed trees or brushpiles out from the banks a little ways. I'm fishing from a boat, but maybe if you could reach such a bank on foot you might catch some until the Sun shines on the water of those banks. The water temps would be the coolest you're going to find on those banks, at that time of day (and I'm talking first light of day as the starting time).
Generally, I start with a 1/16oz marabou Road Runner ... covering from right against the bank out & the top 5-6fow, then follow with a 1/16oz weedless jighead/plastics around any visible cover or known submerged wood cover down to around the 8-10ft depths.
I can only reiterate what's been said. Crappie do tend to move out to cooler, deeper water and shade. The shade can be downed trees and points offering deep water access. Here's a clue though. Watch the birds. They will clue you into the location of bait. Crappie won't be far behind. Access is the bank angler's biggest obstacle. If you can overcome that, you're 90% there. Good Luck!
since my boat loss and long before that I am what most would consider an avid bank angler for crappie .
anyway there are about one million scenarios where they can be had year round off the bank ,not just in the summer .
most of it depends on seasonal patterns and the water body .
on to the summer crappie thing I say , I downsize most of the time and go light is what I do in the summer . lots of fry around .
finesse them and look for them in the shade midday under docks and or bridges or trees .
after the post spawn feed up the warm water fish get a bit lethargic in the daylight and not very aggressive .
they can be had over brush piles when there is no shade if they are in casting distance .
look for very light takes and slack lines and falling over floats .....
be prepared to ketch fish other than crappie as well ...just saying .
beyond all that like stated before deep water close to the bank is quite often the ticket .