Crappie can be caught all year long. Sometimes they are deep and sometimes they are shallow. I will discuss both.<br /><br />Q. When are Crappie most likely to be caught shallow?<br /><br />A. Crappie are most likely to be caught shallow in the spring and late fall. To find the best Crappie holes at these times of the year is very easy. Look for a brush pile in relatively shallow water 3-10 ft. I like to use jigs, the most productive in my are happens to be flouresent red jig head with a chartreuse body. Once I locate this structure, I go all the way to the bottom and then reel up one turn (of the bale). Then very gently twitch it. Generally the rythm of your heartbeat will move the jig enough. Boat docks are very good types of structure, as are bridge pilings.<br /><br />Q. When are Crappie likely to be deep, and what techniques should I use to catch them?<br /><br />A. Crappie will usually run deeper in the summer time when the surface temp reaches about 80 or so. This will also cause them to suspend. Some good techniques to catching them this time of year are slow trolling and jigging. A good way to slow troll is to take a crankbait like a Hot-n-Tot and troll it as slow as your motor will let you. Trolling the same way with jigs, minnows, inline spinners, and rooster tails are VERY productive this time of year. The more baits you can get in the water this way the better off you are. Now, if you are jigging, go Deep! 20-40ft. Look for a tree that is in 30ft of water that will be the place! If the bite is slow then a little more finesse is in order. Go light with your jig.<br /><br />Q. What is the best way to fish in the winter?<br /><br />A. I like to use jigs over structure in bot deep and in the shallow. Just because the water temp is 35 degrees does not mean the fish dont eat any more. More finesse is required. Downsize your jigs to about 1/32 so that way you get a real slow fall. Now I have caught just as many Crappie in 2ft of water as I have in 30ft of water. This time of year is when you can be glad that you spent the extra bucks on a Fish Finder. Look for that structure, be it a tree, a boat dock, a bridge piling, underwater channel, etc. That is where they are gonna be.<br /><br />Q.I like to use minnows when I fish, what kind do I use, and how do I rig it?<br /><br />A. First, you need to be properly rigged. I like Thill Gold Medal balsa wood Float (CS-03) center sliders. I rig these up with thread type stops and a little red bead. I use a size 7 splitshot and a number 6 BRONZE aberdeen hook. The way that the floats work is that if a fish even so much as breathes on it, it will go under. These are the best on the market. Once you have that done, it is time to choose a minnow. Now it is very important that you "match the hatch." Look at the shad you see the next time you are out, try to get that size when you are at the bait store. I personally beleive that smaller is better. I like to hook my minnows through the head, going up through the bottom lip and coming out the nostril on the top. Crappie will most likely than not attack head first. You will very rarely if ever lose a fish with this type of minnow setup. It also makes them real wiggly.<br /><br />Q. I am going to a new lake, where do I look for Crappie?<br /><br />A. I always look at my depthfinder first. As soon as I leave the ramp. There is no need to hire a guide to do this for you. Watch that depth finder, look for that underwater structure. Look for those bridges, look for those boat docks. Any type of irregularity in the bottom of the lake can be structure and a potential hot spot. Just got to keep your eyes open. If you see someone Crappie fishing, just ask them, where, when, and on what. They wont mind, I know I dont.<br /><br />I hope this helps, if you know something that needs to be added, feel free to add. This is just a quick "crash course" in some of my literal hundreds of techniques, if you have anymore ?'s just ask, I will do my best to answer them. Oh yeah, this applies to mostly southern states due to our climate.
