Hey all! I've been stumped about the fall/winter fishing seasons since owning my boat. I've done well taking advantage of early spring through late summer, but want to find ways to be a more effective year round fisherman. The cold is one thing, but not having a strategy or game plan to go out and be successful is my bigger issue. I can handle the cold if my fishing efforts are purposeful. I'd be Interested in hearing how you tackle crappie, striper, and blue cats during this time of year. I figure I do well enough on the other species at other times of the year for these to be my focus for this discussion. Thanks!

cant help with the crappie, but the blue cats and striper/hybrids maybe. The big blues will be hanging around the shad. Maybe around humps, points, sharp drops and around deep timber, on warmer days they can be caught shallow about 10' or less. Using fresh cut shad will be the best bait.. The stripers will be sometimes around bottom structure as well, but they can be found in open water near shad. Deep river channels are also good places to look for em. As the weather gets cooler the dead stick meathod works really good

Thanks 44 diesel...do the striper bite live bait the same thoughout all the cold?

Yes, but you will do just as good with the deadstick method. Easier than having to catch bait in the cold water. Never used live bait in the winter unless I am catfishing. Striper lures only for me in the winter

I think you will struggle this year due to the high water. In the past, I've had some good winter fishing at PK but all the rain has everything messed up. Good luck to you but until the water clears and the lake level comes down I'm going to pass.

In the past I've caught these fish on both lures and minnows:

Got these last December on Minnows



Caught these on warm day in February in Neely Slough on PK using jigs.



Caught on Lures and shad at PK in December:


But you are out of luck when the water looks like this: