Small lake/river advice needed

So does anyone have some general tips on fishing small lakes (less than 100 acres)? I've been out a handful of times now fishing this summer and I try to target crappie each time I go out but so far I've had no luck. I know some of my problem is my timing, I'm usually fishing in the afternoon. I don't have a boat or kayak so I'm limited to shore fishing for now. I've tried a few small lakes and a river (that has a channel known for crappie) with nothing but a few small gills and a bass to show for it.

What should I be doing to work jigs from the shore? So far on the lake I'e tried single and double jigs under a slip float, tipped with crappie nibbles. I've tried letting it sit out there and doing a slow retrieve. Would I be better off casting a single jig out and doing a slow retrieve with it? I've been trying to get out to deeper points of the lake near some structure but without a boat I don't think I can get far enough out. These lakes have a lot of weeds along the shorelines, would I be better off vertical jigging into the weed beds in the summer? I thought that would have been more of a spring/spawn tactic.

I've tried a similar approach on the river with no luck. The channel dead ends so there isn't much current flow. I'd guess it fishes more like a lake than a river. It's also not very deep, only 3-4ft on average. (actually the whole river is rather shallow between dams). Would a cast and retrieve on a single jig work better in that situation? Since the whole river is so shallow there's really no deep places for crappie to hold up, would they associate more with shoreline cover all year in that case? I know to look out of the main current flow for the most part so that cuts out a chunk of the river.

Unfortunately I don't have a close source for minnows, but would that be my best option? If I do end up going the minnow route, from the shore do you just let them do their thing under a float?

I've been searching the forum for bank fishing tips and it seems that recommendations cover just about every tactic.

Just hoping to land one crappie before winter! :biggrin

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Originally Posted by RiverSlabber

Would I be better off casting a single jig out and doing a slow retrieve with it?

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That's all I do.

I would try a swimming minnow type body on a jig head. Cast it out and swimming it back to shore trying different depths at time. I guarantee that something will hit it. I like the brand Luck E Strike sold at bass pro in the black/white color. Good luck.

I guess the simple approach sometimes is the best huh? I don't have Luck E Strike swimming minnows but I have something similar form Berkley that I can try. On the river I'm guessing the lightest jig head I have (1/32 oz) would be better and probably a heavier one (1/16 or 1/8 oz) on the lake where I have more depth to fish?

Next step is probably going to be getting a new rod and reel. Right now I'm using a medium power/action 6ft rod, but with such light jigs I'm thinking of getting a light power/fast action rod for crappie fishing.

Your probably missing the action because depth or location wrong. crappie will not be everywhere.

So the river near me has a back channel that is supposedly known for panfish, notably crappie. I was out there yesterday and the overall water level in the river is down (pretty normal level I think for late summer). A lot of the cover is exposed now, and the few docks/riverwalk piers are out of the water right now. Overall I believe the channel area is only 4-5 feet deep under higher water conditions but right now I think it's only around 2-3 feet deep in most places. I've seen people fishing in there from time to time, but I'm thinking that it's too shallow for crappie right now. It seems like this may be a better fall fishing spot and definitely a spot for the spring spawn.

There is a spot farther down river though that is more broken up by small islands and points, and has a creek emptying into the river. I'm thinking this may be a better spot to try now....more cover, and slower water. I just don't know if there are any deeper holes for crappie to hide in.

I would be marking those spots, when the water level goes back up, you have honey holes. Crappie love cover (trees). Crappie can be in any depth of water during the summer. Especially when there is no thermocline. To find them, look for moving water (creek channels) and brush near that moving water.

Hanr3 has a great point. When the water is down, I mark alot of spots either through visual reference or taking a photo on my camera phone. This way, when the water comes back up, I know there is a tree under that water someplace.

I "swim" a lot of jigs recently. I prefer to use a 1/16th oz for my style of fishing. My favortie bait right now (actually all summer) is a 2 inch shad (standard gray and black) made by "big Bite". They are sold at several places including gander mountain. My second favorite is their style of twister tails in several colors. Another great option (being as minnows are not easy to access for you) is "Berkly Gulp Alive". They seem to work fairly well. Another option for you (if legal in your area) is to either purchase or build yourself a minnow trap. Many states (Like Michigan) allow you to trap minnows and use them on the same body of water. Might be worth a shot for you.

The best advice I think I could give though is local knowledge. Talk to some people that fish this body of water alot. Find out if they catch large numbers of Crappie or smaller numbers. You may find out this body of water is not known to hold alot of crappie. Lastly, ask them to point you in the right direction. If they are anything like most guys on this site they would be happy to point out a hand full of options for you. Heck, they may even take you for a boat ride!