Raccoon lake crappie/stripers

Taking the family to raccoon lake for the first time ever this labor day evening. Looking to striper fish in early morning and late evening and crappies during the day if boat traffic allows. Any insight on either species.only info I really see for stripers is live bait by the dam. My real question is about crappie. I'm set up for trolling whether it's spider rigging long lining or cranks. I figure water would be warm still so I'd be looking 15 or so ft deep. Will bring slip corks also if I can find some deep structure. I'm staying on west side of lake. Anybody have any info for September on that lake?

Will be hard fishing as lake will be packed,speedboats will be running all around the dam area and that end of the lake.
I had a guy who striper fishes out there a lot tell me that striper fishing isn't near as good as it was yrs ago.
Crappie are often suspended out in deep water off the end of tree tops and the end of points. Also follow the shad.
Good luck you couldn't pay me to try to fish it on a Holiday, its bad enough during the week anymore everyone following each other around the bank pretty much single file.

Like d said your crazy for trying to get on that lake on a holiday weekend. You better get up real early & get off by around 10-11. It's stupid crazy down there. I haven't even got my boat on it this year its so bad. I have never fished for stripers down there but do fish it for crappie. I will get on it after it starts to cool down & all the weekenders put there boats away for the winter. I fish it until it gets to low to get on then I start walking the bank.

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Yes thats the plan , just get up early and quit before lunch. We got an airbnb in a cove on the lake so it's convenient. Thanks for the tips guys. Does anyone long line jigs or troll cranks for crappie on the lake?

I used to long line jigs all over the lake a few years ago when I lived closer to the lake. Follow the edge of the creek channel above 36 bridge but at this time of the year,,about any where above a thermocline is good to test and find crappie on jigs long lined as well as cranks. And bonus fish can be stripers.

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Originally Posted by cevans

I used to long line jigs all over the lake a few years ago when I lived closer to the lake. Follow the edge of the creek channel above 36 bridge but at this time of the year,,about any where above a thermocline is good to test and find crappie on jigs long lined as well as cranks. And bonus fish can be stripers.

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How do you know what depth the long-lined jigs are traveling at? I can control the depth of my bandit crank baits by controlling the type of line and the amount of line let out behind the boat. There are charts that show that information for bandit crank baits. I use 10 lb mono fishing line and boat speed of 0.5 to 1.5 mph as reported by my GPS unit. I've seen guys fishing with long lines and jigs and catching fish, so I know it works. Do you start out with a minimum amount of line and keep letting line out until you catch fish? How do you measure the amount of line out? I use bait casting lines with line counters on them for crank baits. But for jigs I always have used a open faced spinning reel.

I always use open face reels with 6lb test..some with mono loaded..some with 10 lb power pro yellow braid.. do a normal cast of 50-60’ out usually with different size weights of jigs till I see which weights are producing…doesn’t take too long experimenting. Here is a chart you can use if you want.

Attachment 432555

Thank you. That will help.