I know that a lot of people on here, including myself, feel that the crappie won't bite when there isn't any wind, but what is the reason for it? How does the wind affect them underwater? More baitfish following food in the wind? Just wondering what it is that causes it!

I really have no idea either, but i do have ideas. One that i was thinking about was that crappie dont have eyelids, so when its dead calm the sun comes through the water a little stronger, or maybe less wind allows the crappie to hear every move we make in a boat and they get spooked? Yea, I really don't know either, those are just some ideas.

This shows how much I know about crappie. Which is nothing.

Fished on Lewisville and had some luck on 7/1 with no winds. Talk about tough fishing in winds trying to fish brush piles and bridge beams using a trolling motor. That alone would wear me the heck out.

I always thought it might be that the movement of the boat helped your bait/jig look more appetizing under water.

Don't you mean the movement of the water?
I know the wind helps when bank fishing and their isn't any boat moving the bait/jig.

I think you got that right lc65. The boat movement makes the jig "jiggle" even more than we think.
From shore, yeah, no boat movement but then again your jiggling from the wave action, especially if your using a bobber.
Sometimes they like it still but not too often. I have tried some drop shot jig rigs but I still put a little movement on it. Wind also stirs up the bait fish.

I think it's the official NAP time for them when there is no wind. You still can catch them, but you have to bump them with your jig to wake them up. They'll feed, but not agressively because they just got waken up by your jig so they would take for the sake of taken...(not fully awake...) hahahah

On a serious note: I think there are 2 critical aspects that effects the feed...
1)Barometric pressure
2)Tide per by lunar cycle

Fact:
A rise or fall in barometric pressure, such as with an approaching cold front, usually means a shift in the weather pattern. And it is the change in the weather, not any fluctuation in barometric pressure, that affects both the fish and the fishing. In fact, most species probably aren’t even aware of barometric variations.
Pressure, whether in the air or in the water, is expressed by scientists as units of "atmosphere." One atmosphere is defined as the pressure caused by the weight of all the overlying air at sea level—or 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi). Atmospheric pressure is often called barometric pressure because it can be measured by the height of the mercury column in a barometer. Changes in barometric pressure, therefore, indicate changing weather. In general, low-pressure systems bring unstable conditions, often with precipitation and clouds. A rising barometer means high-pressure is approaching, indicating stable and clear skies.
How much do fish respond to these day-to-day fluctuations?
Consider that a normal value for barometric pressure is about 30 inches.
Strong high pressure is about 30.70 inches.
A powerful low, such as during a hurricane, can reach down to 28 inches or less.
The difference between these two extremes (2.7 inches of barometric pressure) is equal to about .09 atmospheres.
The barometric pressure difference from a simple passing cold front is only about .06 atmospheres.
The rate of a falling barometer also tells us how fast a low-pressure storm is approaching. A slow-moving storm would have a dip of about .02 to .03 inches of barometric pressure per hour; a fast-moving storm will drop the barometer about 0.05 to 0.06 inches per hour.

On a certain day of the month, there are multiple tides... Those days are the best days for fishing. Those who do a lot of coast fishing will understand what I am relating to... Even though the closed impoundment of our water (LAKES) do not visually go up and down, but tides do matter for fish behavior...

Some anglers live and die by the barometric pressure religiously. Others follow the lunar table for the hi-low tide

Does either one of these 2 fomulate or constitute the feeding frenzy? You decide...

Wow! Good weather man explaination, CV!
The newest quantum theories talk about minature, temporary black holes creating high/low pressure zones also comes in to play. Another good sign is if the cows are standing up or laying down in the pasture. "Wind out of the east, the fish bite the least." "Wind not blowing, I'm not going." If we waited for the perfect time to go we would never get out there.

Nice CV!

Wow! Thanks CV! I need a barometer in my boat now!

The cows standing thing is something I belive 1000000000% in! I see em laying on the way up to Texoma I dont even put the boat in the water. I just hang out on the dock, have some drinks and relax.

You know Mack, the "Perfect Time" is ANYTIME I can get out there. Wind, no wind, hot, cold, early, late. I think those crappie are a lot like me, they eat every day. We just have to find them and put what they like in front of them. Gets tricky sometime though.

Cant believe something with a brain the size of a pea make you guys think so hard for reasons that dont matter anyday you can go fishing go, only time they accutally stop biting is when they are full witch since crappie eat more regularly than any other fresh water species think at some point or another during the day they will eat, number one problem is finding the fish second making them bite if you put thoose two things together than your in store for a great day. point being dont look for reasons they arnt biting look for ways to get them to bite as for the cows thing you guys aint right cause what happens when half are lay and the other are standing?

hahahaha
That's a question I asked almost 50 years ago. My Grandad said we would catch half as many than if they were all up.
We never stopped from going fishing anyway but those old tales were a good excuse if you didn't do good. Same for golf, I keep a pocketfull of excuses for that too.

I think the fish bite when the wind blows because since I moved to Texas there ain't been nothin but wind>>>>

Now we know who is responsible for all the wind this year. Kick him out.

Your right. Thats why when it is calm they go into shock and don't know what to do.

I knew I taught CV well.

As a full time fishing guide, I go when the clients want to go; regardless of what the barometer is doing or what the cows are doing. And more times than not, we catch fish. If you're gonna be a successful crappie fisherman, you have to learn what a crappie will do, given any certain set of circumstances. I personally like a ripple on the water, and that's because the ripple will break the penetration of light, and that's particularily important if the crappie are shallow.