I live Nor Cal and have night fished black crappie most of my life under a green LED light. Night fishing has been pretty successful, but I just do not have time to spend nights on the lake then too tired the next day to do anything anymore. It is July with 95-100 dry heat in Nor Cal, where did all the black crappies go?
I spent a few days last summer in the Mid East tightlining, which I have successfully replicated in California during the spawn but summer is still unsuccessful in summertime. Here is what I have done in the past three times in past two weeks out to the lake:
-bought a 598 hummingbird side imaging unit and know how to use it, but not locating any large groups. Side imaged some fish hanging in 9ft lilly pads but they are bitting. Not sure what kind of fish they are.
-Jigged all sorts of weight, color, and live minnows in shaded trees and parts of the 5-8 ft deep flooded forest but nothing, only cats.
-Tightlined creek channels and the 30ft dam at different depths but nothing too.
I am about given up!
Here is the Lake stats: Reservoir with two creeks (non-flowing at the moment). Current lake temp is 83-86 depending on location. Water clarity is only about 25% or 3ft depth clarity. 25% of the lake floods the forest. Most of the lake is 12ft deep with dam being around 30. No shad, but lots and lots of ghost minnows. So many ghost minnows during this time that I actually watched baby large mouths swallow them like nothing. Those ghost minnows seems so blind.
Any help is appreciated.