Where did they go?

I've been doing well on crappie the last 7 months. Chasing and finding them. Mid December they disappeared once the water temp went below 40. The reservoir water is rising. The main reservoir water temp is around 38 give or take for the time of day. The last place I found was in 20ft. I have searched 20fow to 45fow with no signs of life. It's a large reservoir so I have a ton of water to cover 4,000 acres. What are the odds they went shallow? 2ft to10ft?

I have checked creek channels, creek inlets, dropoffs and ledges, structures, habitat boxes. Ive been using my side imaging to cover as much water as I can.

Probably on bottom in 30+ feet


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Find the baitfish school areas. They’ll help you solve the puzzle. Sometimes the crappies will be just under the surface where our finders don’t see them. Look for the birds hovering over the water. They’ll help you locate the high baitfish schools too.

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I found them in brush piles at 20' on the lake and in my slips at 20'. All three images are from my slips on 3 different days. The problem was getting them to bite, which I could not do. I caught none on the lake, although I found them on numerous brush piles. At my slips, I caught 3 small crappie and 1 small bass at my slip (first image). I caught 1 small crappie and a few bluegill at my slip(second image). I caught nothing at my slips yesterday (3rd image).

I could find them on the lake and at my slips but as I stated I could not get them to bite.

Alight I'll cover 30+ range again and check the bottom.
I normally look for bait.. This lake I'm targeting only has has daphina no minnows. I would assume other fish fry as bait.

The fish are in most areas of most lakes but with the huge amount of bait fish in the lakes right now most of the crappie get bursting full with two flicks of their tails which equal a bunch of inactive crappie..... I've found the ones that hold on small structure are a lot easier to entice into eating a jig ..... Every crappie I've caught the past 6 months are bursting full of shad and pooping.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Capt Cormorant

Alight I'll cover 30+ range again and check the bottom.
I normally look for bait.. This lake I'm targeting only has has daphina no minnows. I would assume other fish fry as bait.

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If there is a healthy population of crappie there is a heavy food source. The young bluegill possibility is among things to think about . And possibly even each other .
They followed their food source is likely the program To wherever it may have traveled

Don’t hesitate to check very shallow brushpiles.