I use my submersible from the new moon until the first Quarter when night fishing. When the water cools down doesn`t mean the end of night fishing for crappie it depends on the lake. They are more likely to become more active and roam looking to feed . you may even find them shallow. Here is a tip about the Nav app. While you are looking on the app at max close view slowly back out until you see the dark contours start to form around Islands or points on the map. These are target areas. It`s a plus if you find a creek or river channel close by the contours.If bass boats were sitting where you wanted to look isn`t necessarily a bad thing. There could be structure there that was holding fish. Go back a check em out Capt.

Wow! Y’all have given me a plethora of information. I appreciate all of you sharing.
I now know more about crappie than I could’ve imagined. I’m going to have to put in a little more work that I thought .
But I like the challenge of having to hunt for and figure out patterns. As fall is starting I’ll be checking timber and flats etc. As the water cools I’ll try a little shallower at first.
I’ll have to keep my patients and don’t overthink everything which are my two hardest things.

YES navionics webapp is awesome,, I like to go back to historical data, 2012 I think, and look at the lakes when they were low., find plenty of brush,, structure, hidden points, ect
soon the maps will show the lakes as they are low right now, lower than they have ever been and it will be a mecca of information, maybe next year the maps will be updated and show this years imagery. or in a couple of years.

Don't know if this will help considering all the amazing amount of great information in the replies, but, here goes:

1. light ball-head jigs rule in any of the 5 local lakes I fish. By light, I'm talking 1/32 - 1/16 oz.; hook size #6 - 2/0 depending on lure size.

Take note: EVERYTHING BITES SOFT PLASTICS ON BALL-HEAD JIGS - PERIOD!
Many shapes and actions work but only as long as fish are found that are compulsive enough to bite anything - including live bait. Color is in the eye (fish eye) of the beholder and in my opinion, enhances a lure's shape and action. Fish don't know a Beetle Spin from a crankbait as far as what they represent. But, lure actions fall into categories of ones a fish's tiny brain senses is something worth attacking, whether it be a curl tail, wobble, flutter or any of a hundred that fish respond to.

Finesse fishing involves slow lure manipulation in water 2-15'. It gives lures time to really p.o. fish and more so when a school is locked into. My recent outings were amazing and schoolies were a blast to catch casting a variety of lure shapes and actions.
Here are a few:



Top to bottom: Beetle Spin with curl tail; Mann Shadow on a light jig; mini-hot dog shape
All caught a bunch on the same outing near pads edges and in pad pockets. Also, in the shade under docks, on drops parallel to shore and over mid-lake humps.

(I hadn't cast the B.Spin or that curl tail by itself or the Shadow in years but figured - why not? Amazing lures!!!))

This one in particular was a shocker in how many fish and fish types this shape caught. I call it the PILL:



It came about because the tails of my lures were getting nipped but no hook sets. So, I figured: why not remove the curl tail and rig only the [i]body? BAM! Fish after fish of all sizes hit it! The action is like no lure ever made - a darting, jumping, wobble fish couldn't leave alone, striking 5x on the same retrieve and getting hooked on the 6th attack. No more aggravating nippers!

There are many more but you get the idea. Find fish-holding areas with sonar - even if just bait fish - and you're on your way.