# Crappie Help Please



## colbyhearn (Jul 7, 2010)

Hello, I was hoping yall could help put me on the crappie this season. I would sincerely appreciate it. I plan on fishing lake conroe and creeks (spring, cypress, etc) this year. Feel free to send me a PM if you dont want to make all of your secrets public. I will respect that and keep it a secret. Thanks in advance.


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## colbyhearn (Jul 7, 2010)

No help at all? hwell:


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## 4 Ever-Fish N (Jun 10, 2006)

I wish I could help you but I'm in the same boat. Have a cabin on Toledo Bend and just don't have the experience. I'm going to hire a guide next year. Actually going with a guide above Toledo, white bass fishing with my son. Hope you get at least a little help.


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## alanmacias541 (Feb 4, 2013)

Hey Colby,

I am by no means an expert crappie fisherman but I hope the following serves as a catalyst to aid your understanding.

1) As far as Lake Conroe goes, fishing around the 1097 bridge seems to be the ticket. Now from my understanding there are not any feeder creeks going into Conroe so the spring run is not like it is in other Texas Lakes. Seems like minnows or jigs around the bridge pilings will catch some crappie in that area yearround. If you have a boat you should have some success.

2) The tributaries of Lake Houston offer a more traditional approach to the early season spawning. Spring and Cypress Creek can be good at times but obviously you must know the honey holes. If I knew of any I would share them but in all honesty I do not know of any as I have struggled myself finding a good spot but I am confined to the bank; if you have the advantage of a boat and depth finder I am sure you could find some deep holes with brush. Another place would be Luce Bayou which is on the east fork of the San Jacinto. Ponderosa Marina is a good launching place if you are boat bound. Again minnows or curly tail/ marabou jigs will usually yield good results.

Hope this helps!

Alan


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

You are not going to find any true crappie fisherman giving up any locations. Crappie fisherman like to keep that stuff under there hat. But I will disclose that you can sometimes find them under the bridges right next to the pilings. They are a lot deeper than you might think this time of year, don't be afraid to fish right off the bottom in 26 ft of water or deeper. I like to use jigs different colors work good some colors better than others. Crappie nibbles can really help out the bite sometimes. Good luck and give us a report.


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

Never fished the creeks you mentioned or Conroe but this time of year most creeks fish the same. Get you a good 7 ft ultra light and rig it with 4-8lb test mono. I prefer a 16th oz roadrunner but there are days when jigs and shiners will out fish them. Fish the bends in the creek or even the straight stretches if you have a bluff bank. You can narrow your roadrunner collection to chartreuse, white and smoke and be pretty successful. Work it SLOW and be patient, it will work. Good Luck.


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## colbyhearn (Jul 7, 2010)

Ok great. I appreciate the advice. I'm familiar with roadrunners, but not jigs. Can I get a recommendation on a particular jig please. Thanks guys.


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

colbyhearn said:


> Ok great. I appreciate the advice. I'm familiar with roadrunners, but not jigs. Can I get a recommendation on a particular jig please. Thanks guys.


 1/16 ounce if there is no wind 1/8 if its windy. Lead head jigs pink black yellow green experiment, with different colors. The best method with jigs sometimes is to hold them as still as you can. You can jig them up and down, sometimes they will take it on the fall. If your line goes slack and you know you not on the bottom set the hook. But not to hard they have soft mouths and the hook can pull out.


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## John_B_1 (Jan 28, 2011)

As far as jigs go look for 2 inch chartreuse or white curly tail grubs/ shad imitations. Black with chartreuse tail is one of my favorite jigs to fish


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## chucktx (Sep 12, 2011)

if you do a search on fish attractors on this site, I posted the gps corridnates with pics of crappie condoes we have deposited in lake Livingston.....good luck!!


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## colbyhearn (Jul 7, 2010)

First off, thanks everyone for the input. It is much appreciated. I was able to make it out yesterday (Sunday) to lake Conroe, but didn't catch anything to speak of (1 crappie). We started out at the 1097 bridge at sunrise. Minnows and roadrunners. Chart/black, 1/4 oz. nothing. Then to stumps/trees over near Scott's ridge, nothing. Then to The Palms marina near FM830, nothing. Then to 1097 bridge, 1 crappie ~13" on minnow! Then to Scotts Ridge again, nothing. Then back to bridge, nothing. Then left for home about 4pm. 

Seeems that no one was cathing though except for one hear and there over hours. 

Maybe next time...Does anyone know about catching them in marinas/boat slips this time of year? What is the best time of day? I'm thinking about trying to do some lighted night fishing. I like the idea of a wind protected marina for convinience.


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## sawgrass (Jun 8, 2009)

Hey bud just give it a little bit longer and find a day when the wind is down and hit the 1375 bridge, with a good graph you will be able to find good structure around the bridge legs, get on the down current side and drop as close to the concrete as you can. They are there and will be for a while. Good luck!

www.sawgrassoutfitters.com


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## SKs Crappie Fishing (Mar 24, 2008)

I think this will be the absolute best advise you've gotten on this thread specially since you explained your tactics you're using now.
"FISH BITE WET HOOKS"
Stop running around like a chicken with it's head chopped off, pick one area to learn at a time, learn to use your electronics to locate structure & put some crappy in your live well!


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## swimmingpoolbob (Dec 15, 2012)

Years ago when the winter weather was colder on average you could catch about everything Conroe had simply find a deep channel say 40+ feet and fish on the bottom along the sides of the channel 30+ ft. deep. I haven't fished Conroe in years but when I did that was the winter ticket and the colder the better.


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## colbyhearn (Jul 7, 2010)

I had an opportunity to fish Friday evening from just before dark until about 10:30pm. We bought a Brinkmann Starfire II submersible light. We went into Palm's marina on Lake Conroe and fished near the docks at about 23' of water. We held the light about 2' under the surface of the water the entire time. We didn't even attract any bait fish to speak of. Got one bite (11" crappie) the whole night using live minnows, 6lb test, aberdine hooks, on a cork. Fished everything from 3', 4.5', 6', 10', 15' using slip corks. We never moved the light and we never moved positions just fished the light consistantly. Kept fresh minnows on and fished from a distance so as to not disturb. Fished in the light as well as outside the light. 

I thought I was seeing bait at about 15' deep on the depth finder right where we placed the light. Where is the bait? I would have been happy just to attract minnows!hwell:

I was hoping that night fishing the marina would work out. Its easy and peaceful out of the wind, but I guess I will have to take everyone's advice and go to the deep water and find the fish there.


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## kickingback (Dec 20, 2013)

In my experience the night lights do not work as well to attract bait fish in the colder weather. I had luck in the summer drawing them in with a submersible light. You should fish just at the edge of the light because that is where the crappie like to stay to ambush bait fish in the light. You can catch them at the marinas but patience is the key. They may hit one day and not the next. You may try to jig as well as use minnows. They may want movement from different colors. Try dark colors at night. Good luck!


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