What's a good temp in the fall to start fishing for slabs?
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What's a good temp in the fall to start fishing for slabs?
Usually 72 - 74 really gets things started here on Weiss. Right now we are at 78 so it want be long:)
Good Fishin
Here as the temps fall through the 70s it starts getting good and when it falls through the 60s its PRIME TIME!
Last Saturday it was down to 83 here and yesterday it was back up to 85 so I am hoping it falls some soon and then hold for a while.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry Blake
Looking forward to it!
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Anytime you can go out is a good time to be on the water. Now , if you want to catch crappies here is a good set of guidelines. In the Spring look for flowering dogwoods. In the fall look for changing leaves.
Temperatures, Spring about 65 degrees. Fall about 70 degrees or whenever you can get out because you were tired of all this blasted heat we have been having.
where I am at, and they came back to the shallower weeds (6 to 9 feet of water) about 3 weeks ago, when the surface temp was 68. BTW, got 24 today in 2 hours. nd
what are some good areas to fish during the fall? i would think around structure like bridges, timber or sunken brush. but what i really want to know is how deep of water and how deep should i fish, about. the fall crappie hunting is new to me but im ready to get started.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rednecksooner
It's been my experience, that it depends on what specie of Crappie you're most likely to encounter. Black Crappie seem to come shallower, and farther back into creeks (larger creeks, anyway) than White Crappie do. White Crappie seem to stay out on the ledges and drops (deep water), while the Black Crappie come into the bank ... but, still in "deep" water areas. Boat docks/houses, bridges, sunken brush, blowdowns, deep water flats with submerged timber, etc. - that's in deep water, yet still close to the bank, seem to hold Black Crappie ... though they may not be all that deep, themselves. They seem to follow the Fall baitfish migration, or set themselves up in places where they can ambush the wandering schools. White Crappie seem to like to stay out away from the bank, more or less, and suspend deeper in the water column.
This info is derived from many Fall trips to Watts Bar Lake (E Tn), and also holds relatively true on the local lakes I fish (Central KY).
When the water temps start dropping thru the 70's, and into the 60's ... baitfish start moving into the creeks.
Don't know if it would relate to your waters, but "depth" the fish hold is usually between 6-12ft deep .... in 15ft or deeper water (on the lakes I fish). Of course, you have to take into account the size of the lake, makeup of Black/White Crappie numbers, water temp, water clarity, structure/cover options available to the fish, baitfish species being preyed upon, etc ... all the usual factors that govern the fish's behavior.
That being said, and you being "new" to Fall Crappie fishing ... I'd suggest doing what some do during the "prespawn" times --- start very shallow, early ... and work your way deeper. Just don't start in shallow water ... start on deeper water banks.
And, if you like to shoot docks (and you have some to "shoot") ... Fall is an excellent time for this method. (again, those docks with deeper water under them, are better than those with shallow water under them)
... cp :cool: