I fish Ray Rob mostly and am new to the crappie fishing game. Can you guys tell me what I need to be looking for? I know timber, is there anything special? I know about the COE piles, is there any secret to them? I fish all these things and with very little success. How do you find them? How do you figure out their depth? I'm very frustrated!! Have a boat at the marina, willing to offer free trips if anybody is willing to help.

Coach, the best advice I can give you is hire a guide. They can help you cut the learning curve very quickly. Crappie Commanders and Spindle Guide Service are the best crappie guides on that lake. Look them up online.

Try and bribe "ketchn" to go on a trip with you.

Seriously, the man is good at catching crappie.

Once I am back on my feet again I am going to try and bribe him to go fishing with me. If he will lower himself to fish from a pontoon.

What type of tackle are you using for your crappie fishing? The crappie bite can often be difficult to detect and if your equipment is too stiff it might be hard to feel.

I like light and ultralight action rods. I also like open face spinning reels with lightweight line but I am not going to get into the fray by naming brands of line or equipment.

Thanks guys. Trying the guide thing but that can get pricey in a hurry. Still going to use them, I know their wisdom is invaluable. My tackle is pretty light, I'm just not very smart when it comes to finding them.

Hscoach:

I am by no means an expert but would be happy to tag along and share what knowledge I have. I have caught crappie on both sides of the lake off Coe bps. Just pm me.

pm sent.

Coach, Time on the water has been a long road for me but, this is what I look for. In time you will have a good ideal what species of fish you are seeing and where not to fish. I hope this will help you understand what to look for.

Shadows of the fish are good indications.


Left side is prop wash. White dots are crappie relating to submerged timber.


Bottom left, horizontal school is most likely sandbass.
Single white dots relating tight to cover are most likely crappies.
Bait fish are suspended and tightly grouped up.


Bait fish and 2 large blue cats.


Bait fish bottom right and at the top of the tree.
Crappies relating tight to the cover, shadows are a dead give away of suspended fish.


Funny shad shapes.
Oval shaped schools on the bottom are most likely crappies.

School of black crappies.


Bait fish high in the water column.
Crappie relating to the lay down.


Most likely a large school of sandbass high in the water column.
Crappie relating to the stump.


Tight balls of bait.


Crappie.


Spawn in early spring. Note the depth.

Most likely sandbass.(Edit, those are 8 to 10 inch blue cats, I remembered catching some of them.)


This is what I dream about finding.


All that timber and only one tree is holding crappie.


Crappie setting on a rock pile.

Isolated cover is also a good to place to find crappie, doesn't always have to be a big piece of cover either. That tree is smaller dia. than a power pole. (Look at its shadow.)

Outstanding! nice read and thanks!

wow!!! great post and great pics!!!!!! thanks!!!!!

Wow that was awesome. Thanks to all of you for your help. I love it!!

That was great. Thanks for posting!!!

Nice images and clarification buddy