Will crappie avoid bass?

I read somewhere that if crappie and bass are competing for spawning sites that the crappie will move elsewhere. I was wondering if the same thing could happen with bait fish. I have a spot where there are a ton of minnows. Every evening in the same area near the shore a bunch of bass start busting them. This area looks like it should hold some crappie also. Shoreline drops off to a channel with a deep weed edge and stumps. We set up the lights in the area the other night that brought in a ton of minnows but no bites. Just curious if all those bass would run the crappie off or are the crappie there and I just need to keep searching.

I have caught Crappie, Bass, Walleye and Catfish in the same spot. Oh yea, Bluegill too.

Crappie are probably there. Try catching the minnows you attract with the lights and use them as bait. If you use something different than what's readily available to them, they won't bite. I can't use shiners from bait shop and catch them when there is Shad and Blueback Herring around to eat. Better to try and match the hatch at night. Just my 2 cents.

I would try and match the hatch as well.

They will feed under bass, white bass,stripe at times in deeper water. Probably depends on how big the bass are too I would think they would stay away from big bass so not to get eaten. I agree with the match the hatch also. You could match it with a jig too.

I have seen more then once where we would be catching crappie at a good rate then all of a sudden it just stops. Then we would catch a good catfish. Then the crappie would pick back up. So if catfish will run then off then I would venture to guess that a good size bass might run them off also.

There is starting to be a small but vocal minority in my area who are thinking the Asian carp are affecting where and when the crappie feed. As summer has progressed, we are noticing our crankbait catch drop in the areas where the Asians are actively feeding . The guys who are vertical jigging in stake beds and brush (the kinds of places crappie can bury up in and hide) are having good catches.

Asian supposedly don't feed on small fish but you will not convince me a 50-70 pound fish in the vicinity of a school of 10 inch crappie don't make them nervous. Any large fish, bass included, will change the feeding habits of smaller fish.