Slabs/Microjigs

[smallmouth]

I am fortunate to have a reservoir lake about 40 minutes away that has nice slab-sided crappies. I love to fish for them with my flyrod and tiny jigs. They seem to be scattered throughout the lake and if they do school up they are constantly on the move. There was one year when the reservoir was drawn way down that they concentrated in schools in the deepwater area 18-20 feet. They would light up my Humminbird suspended 10 to 14' down.

The average depth throughout most of the lake is 6-8 feet so this is the only deepwater area. I have never located them in schools like that since. The reservoir is full of stumps and logs and I would expect the crappie would be easy to locate in the spring. My micro jigs catch a lot of big out of season largemouths but no crappie. Extremely difficult to figure these fish out.

Only pattern I've established is that they turn on just as the sun touches the tops of the trees with dusk approaching. I have sometimes caught them every few casts at that time but can only fish it for 10 minutes as I have a 20 minute paddle back to my car and have to be off the water at 8:30. (Gates close at 9pm.)

In the morning the gates don't open until 8 am so I never get a chance to fish in low light conditions.

As far as the spawning period goes there is one possibility I can't legally check out. There is one long arm which forms a back bay adjacent to the deepwater area. This arm or backbay is designated as a sanctuary and you're not supposed to go in there. I wonder if that's where the crappie go at spawning time. I think the sanctuary is for the waterfowl. I've been very tempted to paddle my yak back in there to check it out.

Any hints from you guys? This is a frustrating place to target crappies but definitely holds a population of slab crappies.

God Bless,
Don

 

[hunter7711]

Nice fish. Where you located Don?

 

[Fatman]

First don't go in the santuary, it just ain't worth the fine - and depending on state

Loss of any kind of outdoor license for 3-5 years, and also losing whatever tackle, boat and car you have with you at the time, and if you have any fish - you can't prove you didn't get them elsewhere a fine for each fish you have.

I know overstating but it just ain't worth it.

Being a reservoir lake with lots of stumps and timber the fish have a whole lot of places to be. Is there an incoming stream and this could be even an underground spring which is moving water and the stumps and logs act as an ambush point.

Being a reservoir, check with local Fish and Game, and see if was stocked and how many went in. Are the Crappie limited because of a previous fish kill???

Check local tackle/bait shops - you might be able to get some info from these folks. Helping you helps them, whether it's tackle/bait/snacks. Post what state you're from and lake name - could be someone here knows of it and has it figured.

Hope this helps a little.

Fatman

 

[papaperch]

First of all while micro jigs may be your preferred method of getting slabs. Do not let it be your only method. I have caught slab crappie on outlandish big baits. They will often inhale bigger jigs and crank baits intended for other species. When I was a dyed in the wool bass fisherman , crappies jumping on my crankbaits used to annoy me. That was when I was young and dumb and could not be bothered with panfish.

A lot of crappie " experts " may tell you to never use a minnow bigger than 2 inch when angling for crappie. That is a load of crap. I have caught some huge crappie while slow trolling with 4 and 5 inch chubs. On the other end of the spectrum I have seen crappie snub their nose at anything larger than a waxworm.

To sum it all up take a variety of live bait and hardware with you . I can never tell what they will prefer on any given day. I may have an inkling but letting the fish show you what they want is the soundest approach.

One other thing if you are fishing a lake that varies in level from day to day. Or fishing when water levels are low like late fall. All fish respond negatively to falling levels. They still have to eat yet this not only concentrates the fish. It also concentrates their prey. Thus they do not have to work as hard to get their daily bread so to speak.

 

[Jig Man]

Nice fish... good info papaperch. I would also sink some fresh brush at different depths. This should help hold concetrations of bait fish. Christmas trees work good . Cedar is another option. In the spring I like to use willow that is just budding out. Bamboo is another option. You might split a bail of alfalfa hay in about three pieces and sink them in different places. If you can't do that fish the vertical concrete in your lake. Or boat docks. Try to fish along the creek channel. Crappie also like points. Anywhere they can hid to ambush passing schools of bait fish. You might also try um at night under lights. Anyway that is some of my techniques.

 

[smallmouth]

Hey guys. I'm the fly guy from the Great White North. I live in Brampton Ontario (southern) in the Greater Toronto Area. One reason I wanted to paddle into the Santuary was to see if their was a stream coming in from that area. If there is would the crappies home in on that area to spawn?

In some of my Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) crappie spots we used to get them near fallen trees and by casting right to the edge of the Labrador brush in early spring.

God Bless,
Don

Speaking of Papaperch I got a perch on this lake one time on a small crankbait. The perch was not just jumbo but it was the size of a small walleye. Another source of excitement with the potential of fishing over a school of large jumbo perch. Alas it seems it was a solitary fish!

 

[StumpHunter]

Love my fly rod fishing too. The crappie will spawn in deep water too. 8' lake is shallow so they could be spawning anywhere. I would do everything I could to stay out of the santuary.

 

[AtticaFish]

I'm shotty at consistently finding crappie but will give my 2 pennies.....

Beautiful colors in that black crappie - looks like it was caught in full spawn colors. So...... if it was caught during early spring, chances are you were either right on top their beds or were very very close to them!

How big is the reservoir? I fish a small upground reservoir around 10 acres and there are several locations where they spawn, not just one 'prime' location. Would guess it depends on several factors, but think they would spread out and spawn wherever the depth and bottom substrate are correct. In-flowing creeks will warm 1st in the spring, so may get some of the early spawners, but don't think they would ALL go to that same location.

Can you ask for permission to just be able to go back in to the off-limits area to look around? Would be cool just to get back there and look around if it is relatively un-touched. I think more lakes need areas like that so the fish and wildlife have places to live where they only have to deal with natural predators.

Perch - Those jumbo torpedo sized perch are loners in my experience. If i get any in a day they come when all the other action is at a lull and then wham! Never get them back to back like they are schooled up.

 

[Uncle Grump]

Have you tryed using Google Earth to eyeball that bay? You can see an awful lot of detail from the photo's available now days (vs even 5 years ago).

UG

 

[smallmouth]

Good tip!

God Bless,
Don

 

[LedHed]

Nice slab! - sorry SM no crappie advice

 

[smallmouth]

Have any decent advice since you're short on the crappy advice?LOL

God Bless,
Don