Thread: The DK Method of Single Pole Crappie Fishing - by DrumKing

I have only one place on Chickamauga that I can sometimes sort of semi-reliably find crappie. It is about a 70-foot tree laying down in about 18 feet of water right along the edge of the main creek channel which is about 25 feet deep. It's got a big root ball on one end and seems to be pretty good cover over varying depths. I caught 4 keepers there yesterday, Which is a far sight better than my usual zero. Surface water temp was about 85F. I had to be more patient and let the jig go deeper and I started to get some hits.

I have yet to get ANYTHING using a slip cork or vertical jigging. When I have success it is generally casting out, letting it fall, and an easy retrieve trying to keep the jig down there deep.

If that spot doesn't pan out I have nothing else to try. This is not for lack of work.

I have scouted around looking at sonar from Wolftever, Booker, Holly Park, and have not found anything else I would consider reliable.

I know summer crappie is a challenge. Then I read @drumking's reports and they are out there. And I couldn't catch any in the spring either, so there's that. I'm completely inept.

Is there any other guidance I can use to get on more fish?

I'd like to key on one paragraph from this post:

"How do I locate crappie? Where do I begin? I begin with map study. I truly believe that one can eliminate 90% of the water when searching for fish. Fish use channels and roadbeds like we use street, highways, and interstates to move from place to place."

Can anyone give any examples of this process?

I set my charts to highlight a depth of 15-20 feet. I follow those contours around with side- and down-imaging looking for anything that might look like it might interest crappie.

I stopped here today. I got a couple of bumps but no fish, so I was close. I was concentrating on any twitch in the line at all. It was nice, mostly windless, getting hot, and a little later than I would like to get started (I was out from about 0800-1130).



Can anyone shed any light on the kinds of structure I should be looking at?

I literally read this whole post again this morning spot-locked in a creek not catching crappie and having a snack.

So yesterday on my favorite tree, I saw the "tic," set the hook, and caught a crappie. Not a keeper but it was good. Filled the frying pan with some others.

I read your article again after some time. It helps keep me positive about fishing.