JPP Crappie

[brian graves]

For about 6 weeks from mid May through June I could find crappie schooled up with my electronics and we tore them up. But starting after that big rain 2-3 weeks ago through this past weekend I've not found any large congregation of crappie. I'm just finding a few here and there. Which lead me to do tons of scouting for the numbers I had been seeing. I primarily fish from Bryants Grove to Hobson Pike bridge in the summer months. I combed a lot of that area with my electronics. I also went down the lake checking lots of spots from Hobson Pike Bridge to Bear island scouting for several hours one night and fished a few spots, nada. I declared the lower end a wasteland and vowed not to go back until I can actually find a substantial amount brush. I only found a pile here and there with very little to no fish on it. I guess most people down the lake just pleasure ride and/bass fish.

So that leads me to some questions. I noticed the surface water temp was around 88-90 degrees everywhere I fished. Is the water temps a little cooler up lake where they may be some current and/or rain run off? Do the crappie move back up lake during the heat of the summer? Or are they just scattered? I thought they school up during the summer, which with good electronics they are ripe for the picking.



Brian graves

[TNBronzeback]

Ive not explored the lake much from end to end, but i would imagine, the lower end would stay cooler, longer for a few reasons:
1) the water at the upper end is usually more off-color than the lower end, which usually warms up faster and i would imagine stays warmer longer
2) the lower end is deeper and i would think that would keep it cooler.

im thinking about looking for some brush in deep water, 30-40 ft in hopes they will be suspended above that brush with the onset of the thermocline, which if i have my sonar unit adjusted properly, was around the 35-40ft mark below the hobson pk. bridge on saturday.

This deep water crappie thing is new to me. im used to fishing heavy weedlines in like 12-14ft of water up north.
I may try that and be sorely disapointed though. lol.

[MNfisher]

im used to fishing heavy weedlines in like 12-14ft of water up north.

I may try that and be sorely disapointed though.


Boy that's something I haven't fished in 4 years. I miss a good weed line full of walleye, pike, bass, and Muskie!


Mike

[brian graves]

Regarding the thermocline, I believe its been holding in the 12-15 foot range depending on different areas of the lake. If I have my sonar setup correctly. Also a lot of the fish were suspended above that distinct line on the sonar.

I may not be right, but its what it looked like to me.