PLANE ON DOING ALOT OF WINTER FISHING THIS YEAR I MEAN IN 20 AND 30 DEGREASE WEATHER FOR CRAPPIE DO THAY BUNCH UP IN THE WINTER AT FORK YOU CAN BOAT 100 FISH A DAY AND YOU CAN KEEP THEM UNDER 10 INCHES DO YOU GUYS DO GOOD IN THE WINTER THANKS MARK

did great last year! Looking back at my trips I did last winter I averaged more crappie by far than I did this summer. The elements make it tough but the bite is usually better. I have found the colder the day the better the fishing.

We had some very good days also in the cold...I like it

I really look foward to fishing Fork this winter. I hear it's great crappie fishing.

What method works best for everyone in winter? Trolling deep, marinas, or creeks? Just wondering where the hottest action would be on a general lake, in regards to what pattern works best, and when it usually starts up, what month?

Creeks. by far. Surprisingly, in relatively shallow water. Anyone remember the "On the water cork/jig" seminar that Ernest and Guy put on yr before last in a creek, on RayBob, in deep winter, from the bank, and EVERYONE caught fish?

Like Chuck and John said, the colder the day, the better the bite! And the bigger the fish!

Rudy

As far as when it starts up, my belwether is "first frost", to about the first week of march, although it really begins to slow down in the creeks after valentine's day.

Jigs are the best. If you find deep bends in creeks with debris or brush piles, work em thoroughly and as slow as you can stand it. On 2nd or third days after a front blows through, when it warms up a little, jig/bobber fished fairly shallow, can be dynamite!

As Ernest can attest, as we found out last winter, to catch 200 or more crappie in a relatively few hours can be quite easy!

I would rather crappie fish the winter than ANY other time of the yr!

Rudy

My method for Fork. Everyone should buy a bunch of Jigum Jigs, Green & Chart, Pink & Blue, Green & Mov, head out to the dam or lake points, (39ft deep). Tie your jigs double about 18 inches apart, and slowly troll or drift. When you find them they will be bunched up. The bite is fairly light. One more key thing, watch your graph for large swarms of baitfish near the bottom. This is one of the few times that I dont use tubes. It is also one of the only times I would use the words guaranteed fish. Easiest way to find them, look for all the boats, word gets out fast.

At least you guys don't have to cut ice holes to catch em in the winter. We try to not fish so close to the guys playing ice hockey on some of these farm ponds up here. We use small ice fishing jigs with a meal worm hooked on it and catch some nice crappie and redear on them.

Hey Keepin- there was once a winter here in dallas not so very long ago, where Dixon Creek off white rock lake here in dallas froze. Guys took bricks, or cinder blocks, tossed on the ice, and as the ice broke, shattered, or split, the jig went in right behind the brick and the crappie hauling commenced! it was one of the most remarkable fishing adventures I have ever seen! The crappie were so thick in there it was just totally unbelievable, but "truth is stranger than fiction".

BTW, it would be a good time for you and your buddies to take a few days come down here and sample our deep winter crappie fishing. It is truly phenomenal! And oh by the way, we start getting 65,70and occasional 80 degree days scattered here and there as early as January! Last new year's eve it was 82 degrees, and on new yr's day it was 80. On NYE i caught a truck load of 15-17 inch white bass in a river near my house, and on NYD, i caught a limit of slab crappie in a popular urban creek!

Surely some of us TFF'ers could point you in the direction of some fish!

GO FIND YOUR OWN!

RUDY

For me, winter time fishing is creek fishing. I've tried lake fishing in the dead of winter; chasing schools of shad and then trying to catch crappie under them....and honestly, I'd rather sit home and watch my lawn grow.

Wait until the weather is +/- 30 degrees and the water isn't much more. Find a good creek and fish a jig n' bobber about 18" deep....and hold on, cause you don't usually catch little fish .

I'm going to do some Winter fishing myself this year. Keeping them under 10 inches is that a Fork thing or is that everywhere? Excuse me for not knowing!!!

That's a lake fork thing and I believe LOP is the same way. This is because the fish are caught so deep, that they will not survive. I've caught them there and the air bladder comes out of their mouths.

Guy,
I have honestly never heard to creek fish in the winter. Do I go to the same places that I went to springtime fish or try to find a deeper cove. Is this done better from boat or shore? How are you fishing your jig? Any suggestions will help.

I haven't heard of that either. Sounds interesting though.