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I know everyone says pay attention to the depth at which crappie are being caught.
Is anyone out there lowering a thermometer overboard to see what the water temps are at these depths? I'm just curious.
If you are catching crappie at 20'/65deg , can you duplicate success on diff parts of the lake as long as you can find 65deg water?
How valuable is knowing your water temps when it comes to crappie fishing?
Thansk
I think the answere is no, I think it depends more on where the shad are, is where the crappie will be.Quote:
Originally Posted by DHanis_Dude
They have to eat no matter what the temp is, they may not feed as often or as much, but will feed, and it will be on shad. If you can stay on the shad you
have a much better chance of having crappie in the cooler.
Lowering a thermometer over the side of the boat to find the right temp for
the fish is a waste of time, to me anyway, if I see bait fish on the depth finder holding at a certain depth, I know the crappie should be just below or behind the bait fish.
I hope all this makes sense to you, don't worry about the water temp to much, find the bait fish and follow them around, because the crappie are doing the same thing.
I'm for sure no expert by any means, and this is just my most humble opion,
so please take it with a grain of salt and can of Falstaff.....:D
Go Fish.....spider rig man
I think that bait and oxegen levels are more important in the summer....
I used to wonder about the same thing, but then you have those days in the heat of summer where the fish are in shallow water that is obviously not cool, and in deeper water on the other end of the lake. If water temp was the key, this wouldn't happen, since the difference in water temp from shallow to deep can be pretty extreme.
Who knows. There are lots of experts who have written articles about crappie behavior. Crappie seem to disregard everything and do what they want. I caught a couple of good fishes in 3 ft of water 2 weeks ago. Water was bathtub hot. Fish were in grass. I was in a cove trying to keep out of the wind.
Amazing.
I did the same thing the other week. Water temp was 91. The grass is putting oxegen in the water, and that is why I reasoned they were there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cane Pole
I don't think water temps, in and of themselves, is the key .... it's just one of many factors that can have an effect on location, depth, feeding mood, etc. Conditions change slightly, day to day ... if not hour to hour ... so, all the key factors have to be taken into account. Survival depends on dissolved oxygen content and a foodsource. Those factors dictate where the fish locate. Water temps dictate the feeding mood, all other conditions being conducive to survival. Crappie can "survive" a wide range of water temps, given a minimal oxygen content. They "thrive" where the oxygen content, water temps, foodsource availability, and adequate habitat are collectively favorable.
I agree with "pstone", in that the presence of baitfish (and their location/depth) is always a key factor. And oxygen levels have to be at a minimal survival level, or the fish won't be there (or survive long, if they are).
"Specwick" brings up a valid point .... "where" you are, on the lake, can have dramatic differences in where the fish are located. Sometimes, fish are in shallow/warm water because that's where the oxygen is highest. And, even though the warm water doesn't hold oxygen as well as cooler water ... the cooler water, in that area, may be devoid of enough dissolved oxygen to sustain them .... so they have no other course to follow, other than to stay in the warmer shallows. A foodsource (baitfish/aquatic critters) may also be present, for the same reason, and would also be a key indicator factor as to why the fish are there. Shallow water may also hold aquatic plants ... which oxygenate the water, and offer shade (& cooler temps).
The "other end of the lake" fish may be in deeper/cooler water for the same reason ... that's where the oxygen and food are, in that part of the lake. And a lot of this depends on the type of lake, and whether or not it develops a thermocline (and how deep/shallow that is, in relation to the water depth at whichever "end" of the lake you are). Lakes, that get flushed from heavy incoming/outgoing water, generally don't create thermoclines ... or keep them for long, if they do. Stable water levels, & warm weather, will create one .... offering a "do not go below this level" factor, that the fish will instinctively adhere to. Finding that demarcation depth can be a key factor in eliminating unproductive water depths. It also offers the coolest & most comfortable conditions, & the greatest concentration of dissolved oxygen. Find that depth range ... cover that is present at that level, or extends thru it ... and the presence of baitfish, or other foodsource creatures, in the vicinity --- and you've found an area/depth that has the highest probability of being a productive spot.
As far as temps, alone ... Crappie are stressed by extremely warm water, their metabolism is dictated by it, they have a "preferred range" but can survive in a wider range, and so it is a key factor to take into consideration. It's just not the single most important one, unless/except when it exceeds the highest or lowest range of survivability.
If I had to list the top 5 factors, in order of importance, and why, IMHO - it would be :
1>dissolved oxygen content (no oxygen = no fish)
2>adequate & available foodsource (little, or no food = slow, to no growth)
3>survivable/stable temp range (only the extremes are not survivable, over a protracted time frame)
4>water conditions (high/low pH, high turbitity, pollution ... low chance of growth potential, or recurring generations)
5>available cover (mostly important for spawning, security ... but, survivability is possible, without any, or with limited amounts - as in "natural" lakes)
They're all interconnected, to some extent ... but #1 & #2 override anything in #3 thru #5.
.... cp :cool:
Thanks for everyones input. Very nice info!