I hear from time to time that the fish aren't biting, and I have to call bull on that one. Crappie are not unlike any other animal, fish, human being, what have you...they gotta eat to survive. If they don't eat, they die, period. So to say that the fish are not biting for even a week, is nonsence. To me, that is nothing more than a convient excuse to say that, "I couldn't find them or figure them out today". And yes, crappie will go into a funk at certain times, but generally that has to do with barometric pressure changes when they are up shallow in the spring, and even then, it won't last for more than a couple days. If food is available, crappie eat every day.

Another ole 'wives tale' is that only the little fish are biting. So think about this....you go out fishing and you catch 50 shorts. Does that mean that the big fish all stopped eating that day?? Of course it doesn't. That simply means that you only found shorts that would eat, and didn't 'find' larger fish. So what happened, did all the large crappie all get together and say to one another, "let's all go to some really deep hole in the lake and lay there for several days while we fast"?? I doubt it. It means that you were not successful in figuring out what it took to catch the larger fish that day, or days.

So the next time you go out and catch nothing, or catch only shorts, think twice about saying that they weren't biting, because there is very strong evidence in numerous fishery studies that proves differently.

Haha ...I gotta agree 100% with you on this Guy. They are there ...just gotta find them. Ask the top 5 at lake Fork's tournament

Hey Guy liked your web site maybe u can help me im trying to find some craft furr to make more crappie jigs used all i had for years i did not need to find any but now i do and i cant find the colors i need.

Send me a PM and let me know what you're looking for.

When you say it is "Hotter than hell outside"... does that really mean it is hotter than "hell"? No


Its an expression I think more than anything.

What chu talking about Willis???

I prefer, "The fish aren't cooperating."

I prefer it's the jigger not the jig.

nOT HOLDING YOUR MOUTH RIGHT.

I call it time to move and try another place or do something different

Stick-n-move...stick-n-move
Gonna try that on Lavon tomorrow a.m.

I HOPE they aren't on Jenny Craig.

my grandpa would fish a crappie hole for about 30 min at a time,..no bites or slow bite, he'd whack the water with a big paddle and move on,...then come back later and usually catch fish. He'd say sometimes ya gotta get their attention,...jim

Right On Guy!

I foudn this to be true this evening. Tonight a Fellow Tff'er and I fished hard for an hour and a half with next to nothing to show for our efforts. I tried 3 spots that had all been great recently and nothing (so disheartening as a a guide). Went to the 4th and seemingly the same story for 15 minutes. Even though this was a jig trip, I had a few minnows leftover from the weekend, so I put one out and got hit instantly...then 2 fish. So...hmmm...they are liking something minnowish. Pulled out the secret weapon:) (yes it is artificial) and bam 20 keepers and 37 unders in our last 2.5 hours. Just got to find what they're hungry for! We tried 8 different jig colors and styles before finding the one! (Which he couldn't believe actually worked )

Now who wood've thunk it?

to me, it's not about "the fish aren't biting." To me, it's about "I can't find the fish." I usually chalk up bad fishing trips to pilot error!

Very good mind vitamin Guy. If I can get them to move my jig just to let me know they are there then I make a conscience effort to slow down and put quality drops on them and not so much quantity. Another tactic that I have learned especially fishing timber is to make sure you are in position to make a drop and dont drop your jig until your boat is in position and your hands are free to fish, I have missed many fish by dropping a jig before I am ready to fish.


Great stuff Guy!

I still think sometimes they just ain't biting though Guy. On RR on Saturday, we got bites here and there but it was wicked slow and maybe the bites were reaction strikes for banging them on the nose with the jig. I marked lots of fish on the brush but we got very few bites. I even snagged one in the belly to get it in the boat. There just might be times where they are full from eating all night or early that morning I think. But that's just my humble opinion.

I have to agree with Fillet O' Crappie. If you were fishing for people, you would not get many bites from those leaving a steakhouse. You need to find the hungry ones in the line waiting for a table. If you don't find the waiting line, you would probably say "the people ain't bitin' today".

Stick and move....good honest fact.
Fish aren't biting...maybe maybe not..it's arguable
Jiggers not the jig...hmmmmm... good for you... More fish for me

When you aren't getting bites, in my view, it means that you are either at a non-fish (existing) spot, or they aren't actively feeding, and/or your presentation is not alluring enough. All 3 scenarios could be the case. I don't rule out any of those 3.

So what is the solution? Move!!! go to another spot that you can find the active ones. Along the way, adjust your presentation. 33.9% of the time you aren't at the right depth and the other 33.9% you are moving your jig too fast. And 33.9% of the time, you aren't giving them the jig they want (jig/bait...you know what I mean)
If you are persistent enough, you will eventually find a spot which hold lots of active fish (perhaps, the other non-bite spots you fished earlier are also feeding now, but you aren't there to catch them). So the key is to move and extract a few here and there along the way. Don't waste too much time taming the ones that just want to look at your jig and not doing anything. Please the corky ones that like to challenge your ability as an angler. (most of the time, they will loose)

Jigger not the jig... hmmmmmm... Arguably a good mind set. It allows you to be humble with your ability and adjust accordingly (see presentation adjustment paragraph above). A good jigger will have patient to eventually catch some in an off-color jig. A great jigger will know how to adjust by presenting something more desirable to the fish at time when the jig he was using is non-productive. You make the call. If you still 100% a believer that it's the jigger and not the jig, then all I can say is: More fish for me!!! hehehhehe

What about "Ernest caught them all"?

right place + right time + right bait/ presentation = fish...
the hard part for most folks (myself) is puttin' all 3 together consistently...
imho
but, i'm wrong alot

This time of the yr the crappie are burping shad and farten minnows every tree you go to has millions of fry you have one jig and are trying to make a full belly fish bite. Theres always some that will just a slower presation and be sure your in a good location .Always catch one and think what you did and duplicate as close as possible if no takers move . Tick some timber feel whats down there and gettem looken.Anyway my 5cents minus 3 .Darrell

Let me see here ... 33.9% plus 33.9% plus 33.9%=101.7% hummmmm
How do you fish 107.9% of the time????? Sure wish I could do that.
Okie Bob
Just wonderin

Now you know when I was typing that, I wasn't thinking about the simple arithmatic... it's all about fishing... beyond that, I am as dumb as a rock...
even when it comes to fishing... I am pretty close to being as dumb as a rock as well..... hahahaha... well, you know what I meant

Even though you aren't like me by far chance, but it's not 107.9% either.. it's 101.7% at your 1st number...so I don't know where you got that either... ahahhaha

So what were you thinking when you typed that? Fishing too, huh? Glad to have the same mentality