Thread: how do you catch crappie on lake wateree this time of year?

Kit what size rod are you using?

Originally Posted by Eatmorecrappie

Kit what size rod are you using?

I use a 6 foot 9 inch Lews Drop Shot Rod, any medium light longer rod with a very fast tip works well. I also use Nanofil line or braid and one can feel a gnat breath on the line. That is important as sometimes a crappie bite is light. Braid also is strong enough you can most of the time just bend the hook when you get hung up. A jig pole rod would work well also as about half the time I vertical jig the brush piles, but do like to cast to the deep end of docks and maybe make a cast or two into 35 feet of water at times and sometimes they are that deep. Many stories abound about how the sneaky fish can see your line, in reality I have found it makes no difference at all, be it bright so you can see it or what, the fish do not care. They are not educated trout in a small stream with six inches of water. For the summer up until Thanksgiving time and the water cools a bit, all the crappie, big Gills, along with bass, catfish will be found in deeper water holding on brush. For crappie that little smaller twist tail works well, for Gills some kind of creature jig or even a bluegill fly rigged in this way works better if you specifically wish to target the Gills. A small one inch hair jig also works well on the Gills. Another place to fish for Gills are the deep drop off points of the underwater humps and Islands offshore they will be found on those points. Crappie though are always in the brush relating in some manner to brush as this is the only cover left in the lake during the summer when they like deep water.

Last but not least, on Murray sometimes you have to tip the jig with a small minnow, crappie on Murray are finicky sometimes. So if one really specifically wants to target crappie, minnows save the day . I never worry about it and if they bite fine, if not fine, many other fish to keep me entertained. Also early from daylight until about 10 a.m. they will be suspended above the brush, then as the sun boils your hair they do sock into the brush and you have to go after them.

Kit

So Kit when you are fishing brush you never cut your motor off? You just drive up to the brush and start fishing letting the motor idle? When you drift away from the brush you just drive back up to it? Would the sound of the motor running not scare the fish? Thanks

Originally Posted by Eatmorecrappie

So Kit when you are fishing brush you never cut your motor off? You just drive up to the brush and start fishing letting the motor idle? When you drift away from the brush you just drive back up to it? Would the sound of the motor running not scare the fish? Thanks

That is an answer with many answers. No the motor will not scare the fish. As a matter of fact on Wateree there is a guide whom backtrolls with main engine and a big wind sock and the turbulence increases the numbers caught. It all just depends on where you are fishing and the conditions and how thorough you need to work a given area. It also depends on the lake and exactly what you are fishing and yes on the wind conditions.

On Lake Murray if you are fishing only brush and you know where the brush is yes you can make a milk run and vertical jig brush piles and never shut the main engine off and do very well. If you find a concentration of fish then deploy the trolling motor and stay awhile and work the area over.

I suppose take two lakes for an example, Santee and Lake Murray. On Santee working brush is the game in the summer. Always that is the game. Any docks are in shallow water and no need to even waste time. There are a few in deeper water but they are pounded to the point it is take a number to participate. Lol! So you run the brush from pile to pile .

On Lake murray the brush is more spread out, especially the offshore brush piles and to carefully work them is better. Also most deep water coves with a creek channel that swings in close to deep water docks the docks all have brush piled in front of them and in some coves you can work six to ten brush piles in the same cove. However it is worth working the deep dock posts also and also worth a cast or two in the general area of those docks as people tend to toss their Christmas tree off the side of the dock anywhere. So in such places I use the trolling motor. But sitting over a brush pile with trolling motor or main motor does not scare the fish.

You will be amazed at the numbers of brush piles in front of docks at Murray. Turn on your electronics and learn to use them and you will find many brush piles in 18 to 22 feet of water in front of docks, and pay particular attention to any dock with rod holders and crappie lights on the dock. Those the home owner has placed brush in front of them. Some are quite large as they add all their tree limbs to the brush pile each year. It is well worth your time to take a couple days and just look for brush piles and become familiar with where they are.

Offshore ones......well in the past I have cheated. (Grin) Let me tell ya a secret. Chuckle. Most crappie guides on Lake Murray work out of the landing at Hollands. It has all they need for their guests. Restrooms, a place to eat, nice docks so the client does not fall into the water.....Lol. So you can go bass fishing with a casting rod and a pair of binoculars and spy on them. Long ago this is how I located some nice brush piles. They sneak out there with brush piled on a pontoon boat and build them. Hey all is fair in love, war and fishing. So you see a guide toss out a marker and put his clients to work you can be sure there is a brush pile right there. Most are on a point or in a flat close to deep water.

In summary most brush piles that are productive are found in deep water coves that have a defined creek channel into the cove ,the docks on the creek channel side will be the productive ones, those on the off side are barren. Fish use the creek channel as migration routes in and out. On Murray most of the time I use the trolling motor and work a deep water cove slow and careful. I work the deep dock posts along with the brush. If I were such as at Santee I would use only the main motor be it working a milk run of brush or cypress trees. Those cypress knees that grow underwater that you cannot see hold lots of fish sometimes. On windy days one hand on the main motor bumping it in and out of gear with a jig pole in one hand works well, it just depends on that day.

Now on Murray with all those docks and fancy homes, there is the rare homeowner who will give you a hassle and come out there and tell you those are my fish. In some many years of fishing murray this has happened maybe half a dozen times. I guess they drank some sour milk that day. Lol! I just say yes sir and move on. Those folks are already having a bad day and no need to let them ruin yours. It is a big lake and when you become aware of such a person, just leave them alone. There are those kind but they are rare. Most will wander down and talk to you and be helpful rather than obnoxious. But there is the occasional one who drunk sour milk.

Fish are always biting. There is no such thing as they are not biting today. They will bite if you figure it out.

Cheers.......Kit

Lazy fisherman let others do the work and reap the rewards. Not my cup of tea but the lakes are full of different people.
It doesn't take much to build some brushpile and it helps all fisherman. Just my

Originally Posted by STUMP HUNTER

Lazy fisherman let others do the work and reap the rewards. Not my cup of tea but the lakes are full of different people.
It doesn't take much to build some brushpile and it helps all fisherman. Just my

Not to bash anyone, but I agree with you 100%. You'll never see me follow anyone, or a pair of binoculars in my boat.

Originally Posted by STUMP HUNTER

Lazy fisherman let others do the work and reap the rewards. Not my cup of tea but the lakes are full of different people.
It doesn't take much to build some brushpile and it helps all fisherman. Just my

Very well, I will leave you boys to it. Not a whole lot of difference than turning on the electronics and side scan and finding brush piles that way. That is the modern way to find them. They show up quite well, all you have to do is run down the lake about 5 mph and there they are.

See ya in the next life.

Cheers

Kit

Kit if you would put some brush out, and see how much work it is in doing so, then you will understand the reason for the comments from Ink and Stump Hunter. I myself have put hundreds of brush out and it is very hard to watch people fish, and not understand the work that is put in to have a place to fish. Food for thought if you put your self in our shoe you may see thing different. Do something for your self, just put one brush out and I will assure you will see things in a different light. Just my 5 cents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!