Printable View
Well, I finally located some slab crappie suspended under a dock at a local marina...water so clear you can see their markings...all over 12 inches..dozens of 'em...threw a minnow under a cork at them...one came out and slammed it-a 14-incher- then nothing...been 2 days now, can't get 'em to bite...water temp 73 degrees....does anyone have a "sure-fire" lure/bait that they use for situations like this? It sure is frustrating to see 'em, but can't boat 'em...any suggestions?
Bushrod:confused:
Telephone generator :D :D :D
...wait, bad idea. They're below a dock.:eek: :eek: :eek:
If the water is that clear they might be seeing you. I have never done it but it sounds like "shooting under the dock" would be the way to go. And before anyone says it, no I don't mean using a gun. :D
Tryem at night is one idea. Another would be to go super light on the line and try a micro jig.
Greetings Bushrod,
When I can see fish they can usually see me. "A LAND MONSTER!!!" Anyway I normally try all but if they won't bite I step back and toss a minnow. I'll rig this minnow through the tail from the bottom with a small gold hook. No weight is uised. I use a long pole and swing the minnow out to where I want it. The hooking from the bottom is supposed to make the minnow struggle upward and I have found that to be the case. Patience is needed as you must let the bait struggle for a good time. I wait for the line to start swimming away or just come to a complete stop. This is the hard part because if you leave it to long you gut hook the fish. I use snelled hooks and just release it or give the fish away. Fish can see above water but sometimes I realize they don't really care,so try stepping back and see if it helps. Good Fishing Larry:)
Visable crappies arn't too hard to catch. You just have to present the lure in just the way that triggers thier feeding/striking instinct. First, choose the right time. Though you should be able to get visable crappies to hit anytime with the right skills, presenting lures at dinner time helps. A half hour before and after first or last light of the day is typically the best time. Being stealthy is important. Not in just appraoching them, but also in landing fish and fighting them so they will keep biting.
Use active live minnows or active plastics. Crappies hit upwards. Cast well past them and slloowwllyy pull the lure over thier heads, or if you are using a bobber and minnows cast well past and slowly pull the bobber till its right over them and the bait is positioned just over thier heads. When crappies are not actively feeding like the ones your describing, the strike zone is very small and you have to tempt them mightily to get them to hit, but if you carefully put an active minnow or the right jig in a crappies strike zone, it will hit. Crappies close quarter strike zone is right between thier eyes, 3 - 5 inches straight up.
Here is a secret to get reluctant crappies to hit. Crappies cannot resist a slowly rising bait. Start the jig slightly below or to the side or front and move it into thier strike zone. Slowly, and I mean so slow it gives you the shakes, move the jig straight up directly above thier eyes all the way to the surface. Sometime they will follow all the way to the surface and hit as the lure leaves the water or is in the air, especially after dark. Its hard to move as slow as I'm describing with out jiggling too much. It takes some practive, but you'll get to a point where you see them notice the bait and start to move. Do not stop or alter the speed of the jig or they will get suspitious and back off. Its a very delicate process and you have to learn to control yourself not to jiggle the jig around or go in circles. You need to move staight up or at a slight angle, but up slowly.
Use very light line and no hardware. 4-6lb test. 1/32 jighead and I suggest the lime & green berkley power micro tubes, minnow colored crappie assasin, smoke and glitter 1 - 1.5 inch tubes, blue head clear with glitter tail tube, or similar colored souther pro grubs/twisters on the same jighead. Chartreuce tubes or grubs are typically prefered the more the water is stained. Color is important and you need to try smokes or clears then chartreuces then black and white or red and white or green and white or pink and white tubes. Sometime one particular color or color combination will turn them on - experiment.
I have fished visable crappies like those for years and its my favorite method of fishing for them. Seeing a slab move up under a jig and seeing that big white mouth pop open under the jig and inhaleing it is some of the most enjoyable fishing I have ever had, and its what I search for in crappie fishing. I wish I was in TN right now and I'd come show you in person. I'm jealous. lol
Just plopping a bait or jig in front of crappies will result in your current frustrations. Time and time again you will see the angler that has knowledge and skills with delicate technics walk away with crappies while other stare on in wonder. It sure is fun to join a group of people getting skunked and start nailing them one after another with the proper methods.
Good luck and let me know if this works for you.
GRIZZ
PS - I just noticed that your right by Norris - is that where your fishing? Man if I were in TN right now I'd be over tonight to help you get those slabs. I have friends in lenoir city and Farragut I stay with there, but I'll prob be at Cedine down on Watts bar when I come.
The only time i had them where i could see them and had trouble getting them to bite, they flat out refused to hit minnows/shiners but the little hair jig that resembled a cricket was a different story. It was too good for them to pass up.
My uncle used to fish them on treetops with live crickets, may be an ideal that would work for you........ Good luck with them and let us know if you get them to hitting.
Try 4Lb test line and 1/32 jig head with crappie nibblets crappie on docks see alot of minnows being thrown at them. give them something different
Live yellow jackets, or live Red Wasps...they'll work everytime.http://scosoft.com/s/x/632471a5.gif
Be careful getting them on yer hook howeverhttp://scosoft.com/s/t/3b3fa6af.gif.
All kidding aside thanks for posting the question, I don't think I would have the patience or the finessee to get them as Grizz described!
Bridges