# ??crappie experts??



## SKs Crappie Fishing (Mar 24, 2008)

what conditions do you look for to have a great crappie catchn day?


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## Bozo (Jun 16, 2004)

Dogwood blossoms.


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## OUTLAW (May 26, 2004)

heck, you outta be telling us. guess we all try to get better, but you had some pretty good catches last year if I remember right. keep em coming


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

There is no such thing as a crappie expert. There are some folks that have more time than others to fish therefore have a better chance for finding fish. But any one who thinks he has those fickle little spotted ghost figured out is just fooling himself.

BTW...The definition of an expert is a has been drip under pressure.


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## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

*I dont like crappie.....*

They irritate me. I have fished all my life, and fishing for crappie is a last resort type of fishing, for me. Some days they won't hit ANYTHING but a 1/32 oz., neon blue jig, with a white curly tail, with a black dot on the starboard side!!

They were pretty fun in the spring, in farm tanks and rice irrigation canals, with a cane pole and a bobber and a bucket of minnows when I was a kid.

And I am going to step on a few more toes, and say they are a little "mushy" for eating.....I really prefer a big ole firm fleshed brim!! LOL

This is just a frustration rant. Yeah, I will prolly be dipping jigs around the 155 bridge on L Palestine a week or so after Christmas. Bah! Humbug!! LOL :spineyes::spineyes:

Later
R3F


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## SKs Crappie Fishing (Mar 24, 2008)

I've heard a lot of people talk about the dogwoods bloom & the crappie spawning and I think it happens pretty close. I'm by far no expert just trying to pick up on some knowledge; here are a few things that I've read about 1. Barometric pressure 30.25 & steady or falling 2. Dusk, dawn or cloudy days 3. On clear days fish jig tight to brush piles our get your jig in the brush & it depends on how thick the brush is to how deep the fish may be 4. On clear days use bright colored jigs & on cloudy days use dark colored jigs 5. Just because you don't get a hit in a good brush pile don't give up on it until you try several different color jigs 6. Keep your jigs wet & no bumbling around in your boat. Just a few off the things I look for & I hope this helps someone. Please feel free to add some of your expert advise to the list. 

Expert =a special skill or knowledge from training or experience!


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## Lone Eagle (Aug 20, 2009)

You are 1001% correct there my good friend!!!



Sunbeam said:


> There is no such thing as a crappie expert. There are some folks that have more time than others to fish therefore have a better chance for finding fish. But any one who thinks he has those fickle little spotted ghost figured out is just fooling himself.
> 
> BTW...The definition of an expert is a has been drip under pressure.


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## justin-credible1982 (Sep 12, 2006)

Fishing the brush you need to make sure you try every spot. Sometimes you may not get a bite, but when you put it in that special spot they attack it every time. I agree with you on the pressure. I use to think they didn't bite if it got high, but then realized if it stays stable they'll usually bite anyway.


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## SKs Crappie Fishing (Mar 24, 2008)

justin-credible1982 said:


> Fishing the brush you need to make sure you try every spot. Sometimes you may not get a bite, but when you put it in that special spot they attack it every time. I agree with you on the pressure. I use to think they didn't bite if it got high, but then realized if it stays stable they'll usually bite anyway.


i've had that to happen several times.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Many years ago I read an article in one of the outdoors magazines about crappie. 
Seems some research group did a long term study of crappie using underwater cameras in a large spring like the ones in Sarasota, Fl.
The basic results were that the fish would bite every time a bait was presented in their face.
Seldom would they venture far from their home cover to attack a bait. But at times they would range many yards from the home base to feed or just cruise around in small groups.
The jest of the article was that crappie are habitat clinging creatures, they feed when they are hungry but will bite most any time if the prey does not have to be chased down.
A lot of money and time spent to confirm what most of us have known since we became enchanted with the wonderful crappie.

On a different vain, what happened to the large crappie we were catching this time last year? There were lots of small fish last year but the legal to under size ratio was about 6 to 2 for me. I have not been this year but the reports indicate a 10 to 2 reverse ratio this year. 
There is only two answers. Either the heavy pressure drastically reduced the legal population or the larger fish are some where else.
If they are just not in the creeks then where are they? This is the right time for them to come into their fall and winter haunts. 
I know that the other spots I fish in the lake are holding about the same number a good fish as there is normally there in October through December. I have fished these areas for the last ten years and find that this year is no different than the last nine. Many more small fish but plenty of large fish too.

Like most non biologist we tend to think that there is an unlimited supply of fish in our waters. That is not the case. A body of water i.e. Kickapoo Creek or similar area can only support a certain amount of fish of any predator group.
If those fish congregate in their feeding area and then are heavily fished it is feasible that their numbers will be drastically reduced beyond a quick recovery.
The best fishing in Kickapoo last year was from Oct. 15th through about January 15th.
About a 90 day period. There were an unusual lack of fish during the March spawning period.
For sake of argument lets say that there was a daily average of twenty boats with two fisherman per boat during that period. 
If each pair of fishermen per boat caught one and one half limits of fish per trip that would mean that 67,500 crappie left the Kickapoo spawning grounds in that 90 days. I think that is a low estimate. 
In a one mile stretch at an averages width of 200 feet, the harvest equaled one crappie for every 16 square foot of surface area. You'll caught them all.
I rest my case.


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## CmackR56 (May 30, 2009)

I believe the larger fish are somewhere else. So far this year my ratio of keepers to undersize has been around 8 to 1. I watch what folks are doing in the creeks and see tons of 5 to 8 inch crappie being caught. Most people are doing the same thing and seem to be having the same results. Yesterday I caught 15 crappie up to 2 pounds and had 2 that were undersize. I saw lots of small fish being caught and released. I am primarily a bass fisherman and apply 40+ years of bass fishing experience to my crappie fishing. When I am bass fishing and the pattern I am using is only producing "short" fish I quit that and embark on something different. The same applies to crappie fishing. You will seldom if ever find me doing what the majority of the folks on the creek are doing. Just as in bass fishing, I run patterns and cover lots of water looking for very specific conditions. Rarely will you see me tied up or anchored in one spot. I am constantly on the move looking for specific conditions. I believe in going to the fish instead of tying up and waiting on them to come to me.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

I do think you (we) can harvest too many but I also think it has been a dry season. We could use some rain and put more nutrients back in the water and drop the temp some more. I usually have better luck on Livingston when we can get a good rain or two. Let the water settle some and start harvesting. On Conroe it has been hotter than a $2 pistol. The usual 2 bridges have been holding a lot but there are several other places that they are stacked up.

Matt


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Sunbeam,

I respectively think your estimate is low, but believe your sentiment is right on, IMO. Many days last year there were easily 30 to 40 boats on the creek...I counted 25 one day at the "hot spot" alone as I tried to navigate through the boats.

While cleanng crappie one day at the Broken Arrow cleaning table, I watched a young fellow pull in to the ramp and unload a cooler full of crappie into his pick-up and then headed back to the creek with an empty cooler to re-load. 

Livingston isn't like other famed Texas lakes. Same crappie but significantly different environment. Most of the time, we just don't have favorable spawning conditions, i.e. huge areas where grass/vegetation grows right into the waterline. Nutrients aren't the problem on Livingston, habitat is and except for rare years in which the lake is lowered for significant periods of time which allows vegetation re-growth where piers, bulkheads, etc formerly were the water line, except for those few years, crappie spawn is problematic. 

To me T,P,&W should consider a lower limit on Livingston, say 10 fish, to help protect the resource because it simply is not as prolific as other Texas lakes.


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## Lonestar Proud (Oct 26, 2010)

Meadowlark said:


> Sunbeam,
> 
> While cleanng crappie one day at the Broken Arrow cleaning table, I watched a young fellow pull in to the ramp and unload a cooler full of crappie into his pick-up and then headed back to the creek with an empty cooler to re-load.


That stuff piszes me off to no end!!
Texas Game Violations 800-792-4263 is saved on my cell phone, actually it is saved as Speed Dial "X". 
I may not make any friends by saying what I'm gonna say next, and personally I don't care...

I have a Red Tracker PT-190 with a 115 Merc OptiMax on the back, there is a grey butt seat on the front platform, if ya see me stop and give me a holler.....BUT, if I see you doing something like Meadowlark discribed in his post you can rest assured I will be holding down the "X" key on my phone and turning your asz in, along with boat numbers and any other info I can gather.
Just sayin.....

-LP


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## slabnabbin (May 25, 2010)

Lonestar Proud said:


> That stuff piszes me off to no end!!
> Texas Game Violations 800-792-4263 is saved on my cell phone, actually it is saved as Speed Dial "X".
> I may not make any friends by saying what I'm gonna say next, and personally I don't care...
> 
> ...


i absolutely agre! nothing **** me off more than someone not following regulations. people like that can ruin a good spot real quick.


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## SKs Crappie Fishing (Mar 24, 2008)

how about the water temp & lake levels, i think they play a big part in the crappie taking to the creek also.


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## CmackR56 (May 30, 2009)

slabnabbin said:


> i absolutely agre! nothing **** me off more than someone not following regulations. people like that can ruin a good spot real quick.


I'll add to that by saying that even folks following regulations can and do ruin places. When people retain everything they can legally keep every time they go it can decimate fish populations. Just because the law allows it doesn't mean you should do it. I have seen people throw out freezer burnt fish to make room for more fresh fillets. Even worse than that, I've seen ice chests full of white bass dumped because some bastage was too lazy to clean them. Makes me shake my head and wonder sometimes. This is my 14th year of living on the lake and while I keep some catfish, a few whites and crappie, I have never kept a LMB. This past spring I ran into a guy up one of the creeks that told me that he had been catching and keeping multiple limits of LMB per day and was so glad that the bass were making a comeback. Makes me wonder how some idiots find there way back home:headknock:headknock


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## bueyescowboy (Apr 10, 2005)

silentkilla......now thats a different screenname....I am still waiting on some of the pro's to answer your question. I have liked your statements and wish I could add some of mine except I am not an expert at crappie fishing and still in the learning stage.
I hope some will puts some answers to your question so us beginners can learn more. I will say I seem to do best right before a cold front. I have heard others say they do best before a cold front too.


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## Lonestar Proud (Oct 26, 2010)

Silentkilla - Sorry I hijacked your thread. I got on a rant when I shoulda kept my mouth shut, but what should do and what I actually do aren't always in sync. 

-LP


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Killa, I have fished all over the world since I was 10 years old. I should know a lot about fishing but the only thing I have found about crappie that never changes are:

* The best fishing is in the spring spawn when surface temps are 60 to 63.
* Minnows are the best bait day after day.
* When fishing Somerville if you meet the trail riders while going up there you are 2 weeks early.
* Livingston crappie spawn is at it's best when the blue bonnets are blooming. The fish and flowers love the same weather conditions.
* Every thing else seems to be a well kept secrete by those little freckled darlings.


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## bueyescowboy (Apr 10, 2005)

"When fishing Somerville if you meet the trail riders while going up there you are 2 weeks early" I thought that was funny. a good way of timing it.


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## Lonestar Proud (Oct 26, 2010)

Here is a good link to seasonal tactics y'all might find interesting....I did anyway.

http://thecrappieguy.com/seasonal-crappie-fishing-tactics#winter_crappie_fishing_tactics

-LP


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## SKs Crappie Fishing (Mar 24, 2008)

i only use jigs while fishing for crappie, a couple other things that somewhat helps me is having a fish finder up front with the transducer on the troll motor it really helps position the boat so you can jig the brush & stumps. 

the barometric pressure when steady or dropping below 30.25 really put the crappie & other fish on a feeding freenzy but when it's around 29.00 they are really turned on. i know a lot of guy's that fish for crappie will say well i just go and catch them when i get time to go & i do the same thing but since i've really gotten into learning what put fish on the move i really think the barometric pressure has a lot to do with the fish really turning on. i'm just now getting into paying attention to this & so far it's holding true.

a gps also helps, when you troll over a brush pile, stump or a drastic drop off you can mark that spot and have a good location to try on upcoming trips. i try to fish areas that have several spots that i can just troll from one to the next.

how to work your jigs, when i 1st started jigging i had a list of ways to work my jig & there are several that will work & none of them work as good as they did the day before so if you have a good day don't get stuck in a rut thinking thats what the fish will want the next day. there is no wrong or right way but the one way i know a lot of people ignore is to just lower the jig & hold it still at different depths in the piles, i think i've caught more fish doing this than any other tecnique. if your only catching small fish try a different color jig or even a different style or size.


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## Lonestar Proud (Oct 26, 2010)

Good post killa.
You are right about jig action, trying to hold it still is better more times than not in my opinion too. I say "trying" to hold it still because more than likely you can't hold the rod/jig totally motionless, thus your jig is moving. If ya think about it, bait fish do not jump up and down vertically in the water, they will dart quickly and swim, but it isn't normally in a vertical motion like you would do "jiggin" a jig.
One thing I'll try while jig fishin is to just flick the line that I'm holding in my free hand with a finger tip, this will make the jig quiver and dart a little, looks a little more natural IMO than moving it vertically up and down. If I do "jig" it, it is in slow motion with a little bit of horizontal pull. Another thing that works for me sometimes, if the structure allows, is to pitch the jig out and allow it to swing back to you on a tight line like a pendulum. Most times the bite will be soft on this presentation so you really have to pay attention to your line.

-LP


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## KILT610 (Feb 24, 2006)

silentkilla said:


> I've heard a lot of people talk about the dogwoods bloom & the crappie spawning and I think it happens pretty close. I'm by far no expert just trying to pick up on some knowledge; here are a few things that I've read about 1. Barometric pressure 30.25 & steady or falling 2. Dusk, dawn or cloudy days 3. On clear days fish jig tight to brush piles our get your jig in the brush & it depends on how thick the brush is to how deep the fish may be 4. On clear days use bright colored jigs & on cloudy days use dark colored jigs 5. Just because you don't get a hit in a good brush pile don't give up on it until you try several different color jigs 6. Keep your jigs wet & no bumbling around in your boat. Just a few off the things I look for & I hope this helps someone. Please feel free to add some of your expert advise to the list.
> 
> Expert =a special skill or knowledge from training or experience!


I've chased crappie over 50 years and guide on Lake Somerville...It sounds like you have them pretty well figured out...All of your methods are just about what I employ and they have worked for me a very long time...Capt. Wayne


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## bueyescowboy (Apr 10, 2005)

good post about jigging.....I am learning. Watching pro's don't hurt either. As in jigging tech. I watched roger the other day....today I had two guys in a boat that i watched.
Anyway, the biggest crappie I caught today was on a jig. Actually only caught 2 on jigs the rest on minnows but the biggest I jigged up.


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## Miss Dixie (May 21, 2004)

I fish 4 main lakes for crappie. I have found that each lake is different. For example, when I go to Conroe....I fish under the 1097 bridge about 6 or 7 pilings out. When I fish below the Lake Houston Dam, I have a spot and use shiners with a squirt of garlic spray on them. At Sam Rayburn, find a grass bed and just drop your line down. At Toledo Bend, they are on brush piles. I've limited out on more than one occasion on all the lakes. February through April seems the best time to catch 'em. Sweet meat....nothing beats a crappie.


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## fillet (Dec 2, 2010)

Killa the only sure tip I have on crappie is to fish them in the spawn because thats the only time Ive been able to catch the darn things. I live on lake houston and have fished for them in december and january and have had no luck with the winter time but i can catch them in the spring when everybody else can catch them so every year for about a month I get to look like I know what Im doing.


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## SKs Crappie Fishing (Mar 24, 2008)

THANKS for the info some of you have provided. i have something else to add for those how may want to put using jigs under there hat, the best way to learn is to stop buying minnows, be patient & keep it simple. i've caught better/bigger fish since i've used jigs a lot more consistantly.


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## bueyescowboy (Apr 10, 2005)

well i am working with jigs...but it seemed today they only wanted minnows. they were tearing the minnows up...but i couldn't get a hit on a jig for nothing.
But caught my biggest crappie that I know of today....a solid 2 lber. actually 2 lbs 1 oz. Man that dude was a beast. heres a pic of him and his buddy that was 1 3/4 lb.


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## SKs Crappie Fishing (Mar 24, 2008)

bueyescowboy said:


> well i am working with jigs...but it seemed today they only wanted minnows. they were tearing the minnows up...but i couldn't get a hit on a jig for nothing.
> But caught my biggest crappie that I know of today....a solid 2 lber. actually 2 lbs 1 oz. Man that dude was a beast. heres a pic of him and his buddy that was 1 3/4 lb.


very nice fish BEC! you've been at them pretty hard here lately, what is the water temp on livingston?


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## bueyescowboy (Apr 10, 2005)

killa, I don't know.....I don't have a depth finder that tells you and I have forgotten to get a thermometer. i need to get that done.


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## CmackR56 (May 30, 2009)

silentkilla said:


> very nice fish BEC! you've been at them pretty hard here lately, what is the water temp on livingston?


Before the last front (Saturday) the temp was 54 degrees.


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