8/9/07
Action for crappie is like the weather: extra hot
By Terry Madewell

Terry Madewell Photo

Despite the heat, Shane Tanner seems pretty pleased with his mixed catch of crappie, bream and bass.

It was a beautiful sunrise on Lake Marion the other morning. The shroud of foggy mist that enveloped the lake made for a striking picture at dawn. But, rest assured, it was already hot and muggy even as the sun peeked over the horizon. But if the fishing is good, who cares … right?

My planned trip to Lake Marion was primarily for largemouth bass and that was – and is – a good plan for this time of the year. Things are tough in the fishing world as a rule during August, but if you stick with it and work hard, you can often manage to find a few bass willing to cooperate. But something made me think about putting my box of crappie tackle in the boat before I left, along with a couple of long rods for working small jigs around heavy cover. I think it was the memory of a dozen or more crappie I watched someone else catch just a couple days prior to this trip, when I did not have any crappie gear with me.

The bass fishing was fair, but the desire to do something different in the hot weather forced me to flip a 1/16 ounce redhead and white bodied jig around a brush pile in six feet of water. On the first three attempts to swim the jig past the brush, the little rascal never made it. Each time a big, slab crappie engulfed the lure and ended up flopping in my cooler.

Okay, I admit I abandoned the largemouth bass fishing that day, but with no regrets. The bass fishing will be good for a while, but good crappie fishing in August is supposed to be reserved for the pros in deep water.

Crappie are one of the most sought after fish in our area and anglers eagerly awaiting the “fall run” should get to get their rigs in order and get started early. Perhaps it’s all the rain this summer that’s got the fish in more shallow water. The crappie action has been slow this summer but things have perked up, but it may not last long, who knows, it’s not supposed to be happening anyway.

I hope this action leads directly in the fall crappie run, which is still about six weeks to two months off by normal standards. Most of the fish are still probably in deep water or in the mid-depths, but there have been enough fish in the shallows to make it well worth the while. Shallow, visible cover that most anglers prefer to fish is the prime target right now. Already good catches are being made in water depths of less than five feet.

This action seems to be similar to the fall crappie fling that is seldom as productive as the spring spawning run. There seems to be ample numbers of fish making their way to the shallows and they can provide plenty of exciting action. Plus, large numbers of the tasty pan fish seem to be lingering in the 4-8 feet of water, an easily accessible depth for anglers.

When looking for these crappie, don’t necessarily expect to find them in the same hideouts as you did during the spring. Generally the fish won’t travel as far across shallow water during the fall and what I’ve seen so far seems to hold true. You’ll find stray, scattered fish, but for consistent action, focus your efforts on cover near deep water.

An ideal spot is shoreline cover adjacent to an area where a creek bends near the shoreline. Of course, high spots and shallow island points with woody cover are excellent spots to seek these tasty pan fish.

A favorite lure of many crappie experts is a small jig, although minnows will produce plenty of action as well. One reason is for the preference of jigs is not having to re-bait every time you get a strike, plus the angler can swim the jig in and around cover faster than a minnow rigged below a bobber. During this time of the year it’s very important to cover as much territory as possible for best results.

Unlike spring fishing, you may go long time periods without catching a fish, before locating a place harboring a few fish. Once you catch a few and the action slows, move on.

Many anglers prefer to anchor and wait for the crappie to move to them. You can get away with this tactic during the spring much more frequently than now. Stay on the move and look for the crappie, don’t wait for them to find you. When fishing a piece of cover, work it thoroughly, but don’t linger. If you don’t get any willing strikes then move onto the next brush, stump, log, etc. down the lake. The more cover you fish, the more crappie will likely end up in your cooler by day’s end.

You can pattern crappie just like you can largemouth bass or other game fish species. If you locate the fish in six feet of water, on the shady side of a log, near water that drops quickly into eight feet or more of water, then go find more places like that. These patterns hold up pretty well and often enable anglers to take quick limits of hefty fish, but you’re also likely to find more than a single productive pattern on any given day during the fall.

While colors of jigs can make a big difference, once you begin catching fish on a certain color pattern, that color will usually remain productive. But if action slows, change colors.

The bottom line is to get your crappie gear ready and head for the lake. This anomaly may end soon, but even if it does, the fall season is not far away. You miss your best crappie fishing opportunity you’ll have until next spring.

If you’re like most crappie fanatics, that’s too long to have to wait.