Catching Crappies in the Fall and Winter can be unnecessarily tough. You may be on the lake one day and can't do nothing wrong. Get up early and go the next day and go fish the same locations with the same bait and you can't buy a Crappie! Another factor is fishing for Crappie in the Fall and Winter is the Weather. One minute it can be pleasant. Within a few minutes it can turn deadly as an approaching front blows in without warning. But there is hope for us die hard Crappie fishermen. It's docks and I'll teach you how to discover and catch Crappie in the Winter around boat docks.
The most challenging aspect of catching Crappie in the Winter|Fall and Winter|Winter thru early Spring|late Fall through early Spring|Winter time is usually the weather. Weather during Winter|Fall and Winter|Winter thru early Spring|late Fall through early Spring|Winter time can be downright upredictable. Bright, calm and sunny one minute and the next you're dealing with cloudy skies and tropical storm force winds out of the North as a front comes barreling across the plains.
Boat docks offer Crappie fishermen a place to get out of the weather and gives them a chance to bring home some filets. However, not all boat docks are created the same. Some will hold Crappie while others will be void of any Papermouths. The boat docks you want to look for are those over deep water. Spend a little time searching these types of docks out and you'll be miles ahead of the pack.
To start, look for boat docks that are over deep water, Preferably near a creek or river channel. Once you've found docks over deep water, look for ones with structure. Many slip owners will sink bruch piles around the slip where their boats are tied up. It will pay to search out these slips with brush below them, especially the ones in deeper water near drop offs. Some Marina owners also sink brush piles below their docks. It may pay off big time to stop by the Office and enquire which slips have brush below them.
Now that you've done your homework and found a Marina or two on your local lake that have slips over deep water, look for structure beneath those slips. Ask the Marina operator whether or not they know of any brush piles beneath the slips. More than likely they know of several. Next, you'll need to find what the Crappie want to hit. I start off with small minnows and work them around structure. If it's a fairly warm day, the Crappie may be extra hungry and you can try tube jigs to catch them quicker.
You can either continue to catch Crappie with minnows or switch to a tube jig should the action heat up. I like to use tiny tube jigs in the 1/32 ounce range. If you find Crappie holding a certain pattern under one slip, you'll find them holding the same pattern beneath other slips.
Don't overlook indoor heated fishing docks. Many larger lakes have at least one Marina that has one. These can be a real life saver when the weather turns nasty. Plus, many also have refreshments for fishermen. This is also an excellent way to introduce children to Winter Crappie fishing. But be warned. Kids can find fishing for Crappie in a heated dock while drinking hot chocolate quite addictive!
So don't think you have to miss out on Winter Crappie fishing just because you don't have a boat. Fishing for Crappie in the Winter can be great around the docks! - 16003
The most challenging aspect of catching Crappie in the Winter|Fall and Winter|Winter thru early Spring|late Fall through early Spring|Winter time is usually the weather. Weather during Winter|Fall and Winter|Winter thru early Spring|late Fall through early Spring|Winter time can be downright upredictable. Bright, calm and sunny one minute and the next you're dealing with cloudy skies and tropical storm force winds out of the North as a front comes barreling across the plains.
Boat docks offer Crappie fishermen a place to get out of the weather and gives them a chance to bring home some filets. However, not all boat docks are created the same. Some will hold Crappie while others will be void of any Papermouths. The boat docks you want to look for are those over deep water. Spend a little time searching these types of docks out and you'll be miles ahead of the pack.
To start, look for boat docks that are over deep water, Preferably near a creek or river channel. Once you've found docks over deep water, look for ones with structure. Many slip owners will sink bruch piles around the slip where their boats are tied up. It will pay to search out these slips with brush below them, especially the ones in deeper water near drop offs. Some Marina owners also sink brush piles below their docks. It may pay off big time to stop by the Office and enquire which slips have brush below them.
Now that you've done your homework and found a Marina or two on your local lake that have slips over deep water, look for structure beneath those slips. Ask the Marina operator whether or not they know of any brush piles beneath the slips. More than likely they know of several. Next, you'll need to find what the Crappie want to hit. I start off with small minnows and work them around structure. If it's a fairly warm day, the Crappie may be extra hungry and you can try tube jigs to catch them quicker.
You can either continue to catch Crappie with minnows or switch to a tube jig should the action heat up. I like to use tiny tube jigs in the 1/32 ounce range. If you find Crappie holding a certain pattern under one slip, you'll find them holding the same pattern beneath other slips.
Don't overlook indoor heated fishing docks. Many larger lakes have at least one Marina that has one. These can be a real life saver when the weather turns nasty. Plus, many also have refreshments for fishermen. This is also an excellent way to introduce children to Winter Crappie fishing. But be warned. Kids can find fishing for Crappie in a heated dock while drinking hot chocolate quite addictive!
So don't think you have to miss out on Winter Crappie fishing just because you don't have a boat. Fishing for Crappie in the Winter can be great around the docks! - 16003
About the Author:
Winter is a great to go crappie fishing. Just make sure you're prepared. If the weather is too dangerous to be on the lake, fire up your computer and visit our website for more Crappie fishing tips. You'll find lots of advice, tactics and techniques to catch Crappie any time of the year.
