How to catch dead crappies!!

[ironman]

Was fishing out at Clearwater lake for the first time..and found some suspended crappies over 48 fow...suspended at 40 to 34 feet. My buddy caught the first fish.without any pomp or surcumstance. He exclamed, "I think this fish is dead...". It didn't move a fin or gill. Moments later I hook one....it mush be really little. Barely putting a bend in the rod...and it's a really light action rod. Turns out it's not so little..10 1/4". No fight...none. Came straight up and out the hole..removed the hook, nothin yet. Threw it in the bucket...nothing, no movement whatsoever. These crappies apparently were zombies...or weak of heart and at the moment of hook set...had a heart attack and gave up the ghost. Caught a few more that night..but those remained alive and actually put up a little struggle at least. Weird, just one more unique story to tell at the next outing. One of many. Of course next time the fish will be a few inches bigger. Good luck out there and beware zombie crappies.

[The Grebe]

Maybe hauling them up from that deep, they got the bends and it put them in a coma?

[Ole #1]

That's exactly what happened. When you're pulling up fish from 35+ ft, you can't do it too fast or the fish will go into shock and probably die. I've had this happen and if you reel em up a little slower, they will live.

[ironman]

I thought that...and I'm not one to horse fish. But from the moment I set the hook. Nothing..no reaction at all. I hardly even knew I had a fish....it was one of those..I think something is wrong or something isn't quite right, bites. No tap...no slight bend..not even the line moved...the jig just didn't act right. So I lifted..and felt alittle extra weight. Snap of the wrist..and something was there. So it really didn't happen very fast. I think the fish were just that neagative or neutral. Probably lucky we got any at all.