Just can't find 'em

[Guest]

Fish the first breaks off shallow water. Look for any shallow bays or flats with nearby deep water and fish right off the drop-off. If the lake is like a bowl then its possible for roaming crappies to work the suspended water adjacent to the shallow basins. If that doesn't work then I would look for any contour change on the bottom. Any slight bend or nitch could mean crappies. If you know where the bottom changes from mud to sand, rock to sand, hard to soft, then I'd hit those areas hard too. These areas tend to attract a lot of forage, mainly zooplankton and blood worms that will inturn attract crappies. If there are any weeds still present in the shallows then I would fish those first. Weeds mean oxygen and oxygen means fish. Baitfish also will relate to weeds until they die off because they provide food for baitfish (algae) and also add structure for roaming crappies. Get a lake map and develop a plan of attack. Is your lake deep or shallow? What type of bottom content is present? Is there a good population of crappies in this lake? These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself before heading out onto the lake. Off the lake research has a lot to do with productive fishing. In order to understand the fish in a given lake you need to understand the lake first so you can establish a a pattern that the fish will follow.

If you have any more questions I'd be willing to help. Let me know what lake and maybe I can give you more advice on it. Drop me an e-mail.

([email protected])

Good Fishin, Matt.

[Guest]

Alright, the ice fishing season is here and I've tried to locate early ice crappies (and sunfish) with no success. I have fished this one particular lake in the spring and summer and nailed them. Now, I can't seem to find them and I've covered every depth from shallows to the deepest water. The lake is pretty much a "bowl". Not much structure at all, but there is some shoreline with a steeper break than the rest of the lake.

Are crappies pretty much holding deep, schooled somewhere and I just need to get lucky or what?

Where would some of you start? Come on ScottS, share your secrets!!!

[Guest]

Thanks for the info. I plan on getting out there this weekend to search for the fish, and I'll try to figure these things out with your advice.
I'm used to fishing lakes that I have fished for years and the crappies are only in one location at all times! I need to learn how to locate them on new lakes.

[Guest]

I'd say it's around 3-5 feet water clarity. It had a slight algae green tint too it, but not really stained by any means.

I also have another lake that I frequent that has about 8' clarity. Does this mean a night time lake?
How would you explain Upper Red Lake then...that's stained waters and a night bite? I know the evenings are best regardless, but I have caught many crappies in the day time too. You just have to hit their feeding times right, I guess?

Another question. Are crappies belly to the bottom during the day when not active (in the winter months of course)? Suspended?
In the summer I find them like walleyes...right close to the bottom.

[Guest]

Whats the water clarity on that lake?

[Guest]

URL can have stained water...but realize that we are talking light penetration. Those fish are being fished down anywhere from 6-12 feet below the surface.

The clarity is 3-5 feet with an algea tint. What's your max depth? Figuring the lack of structure, you may need to go sit off the 2nd primary breakline, say in 18-22 ft, and wait between 3pm and a little after sunset. Structureless lakes have a pattern of roaming fish.

If you know where they were after turnover then you know exactly where they are right now.

PCG

[Guest]

Just got back from lake near Alexandria
got limit of nice bluegills and limit of okay crappies? (good eating but have caught bigger)
Fished in ten feet of water, weeds stop at about six. Right on the bottom with silver/blue jigging spoon,sandy bottom.
Also got a couple bonus largemouth.

[kslipsinker]

Two things to remeber, sunrise and sunset. I have landed about 70 crappies, and 90% have been at sunrise and sunset.