The summer bite program

for those of you that need a quick lesson on summer crappie .
lower the jig very slowly and watch your line really close .
and sometimes the crappie will be very close to the surface in certain situations
summer crappie like a real slow fall and will take it as it tries to pass them .
this will result in a "slack" in your line as it descends .
it is quite often very momentary and they will spit it out if you don't hook them.
takes a bit of getting used to , but it is easily mastered once you tune in your eyes to the line .
hi viz helps lots and to be sure quick on the trigger as well .
so next run fish VERY slow and let the jig fall really slow
and watch that line like a hawk :highfive

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Originally Posted by Ketchn

for those of you that need a quick lesson on summer crappie .
lower the jig very slowly and watch your line really close .
and sometimes the crappie will be very close to the surface in certain situations
summer crappie like a real slow fall and will take it as it tries to pass them .
this will result in a "slack" in your line as it descends .
it is quite often very momentary and they will spit it out if you don't hook them.
takes a bit of getting used to , but it is easily mastered once you tune in your eyes to the line .
hi viz helps lots and to be sure quick on the trigger as well .
so next run fish VERY slow and let the jig fall really slow
and watch that line like a hawk :highfive

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Just now really figuring that out. Last trip I caught several good fish and never felt a thing. Most were just a small movement of the line. No telling how many fish I’ve missed over the last few years by not paying attention.


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

Don't worry they don't go down for a bait..... WRONG

LOL.....

Ketchn - Learning to fish (as you know). When you vertical jig on a brush pile, are you directly over the pile or structure? Or do you hold back and use a 10 or 12 ft rod and reach out to it? Asking for my wife!!! Ha.

it depends on who is running the watercraft and how they like to approach it .
some of my buds get right on top of the pile while others sit off the pile a bit .
it also depends on if the fish want it dropped on them fish noses or just easing by them .
there is no for sure way to tell what is best until you try and try again .
the live scope folks always stay off the piles a bit and use long rods .
long rods ain't my thing as most folks know , around 8 foot is a long rod to me .
I like to pendulum my jig past piles or to the pile quite often .
pitch out past it and let it fall to the cover type of thing .
of course there is a really fine line on what is a bite and what is the cover in the summer
and lots of jigs will likely stay in the water if you are not tuned in closely to what feels right and what does not
sometimes I ketch myself saying wait just a minute, my jig didn't stay in the water long enough for it to hit the cover or the bottom.
nothing else out there but fish , best set the hook just in case ....:Rofl

good tips as always Oulaw thanks. I like many are so used to going down quickly we probably blow right past where the crappie actually are and then bitch about not ketchn any crappie! will give this a try

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Originally Posted by hdhntr

good tips as always Oulaw thanks. I like many are so used to going down quickly we probably blow right past where the crappie actually are and then bitch about not ketchn any crappie! will give this a try

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the summer fish tend to take the jig on the fall often ,if it falls slowly ,but as stated it can be momentary and they quickly spit it out quite often ,when they realize it aint really food they just bit :highfive
plus they are often on the summer gorging program on young dumb baitfish and don't worry much about just one little quick meal

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crappies4Christ

Ketchn - Learning to fish (as you know). When you vertical jig on a brush pile, are you directly over the pile or structure? Or do you hold back and use a 10 or 12 ft rod and reach out to it? Asking for my wife!!! Ha.

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honestly just off the pile a bit seems best to me ,there are times when right on top of them is deadly , but it often seems better slightly off right on top of them most of the time to me

Yup, I've been having most of my success with a slow fall pendulum swing down. Something about it drives them to bite.