Ok, so its been discussed as to why many crappie are in the shallow creeks and not all crappie enter the deep lake basins. The bait fish are there so the crappie are there.

So why do crappie houses with less than deep water say 10-20 feet do so well in the winter? The crappie aren't just stagnent at these places. Fish swim in and swim out. They seem to be cruising the lake.

I'll hang up and listen.

I wonder if the barges hold heat and baitfish much like a creek does in the winter. I do know that the Crappie houses have lights, which in turn keep the baitfish around.

I think it all boils down to where the food source is and the Crappie will follow.

Tom

shade attracts crappie as well

I believe it's a combination of the shade and the warmer water that all of the metal and marina creat which attracts shad and the crappie follow.

the algae attracts the shad.

dont forget that most good barges have brush which attract minnows . as long as i have been fishing i have found out there are no rules for where fish can be found at any given time of the year , there are always exceptions to the rules

All bardges and boat slips conduct heat and transfer it to the water. In the dead of winter, the water might only be a couple of degrees warmer than everything around it, but that's enough to set the entire food chain in motion.

The female crappie decides where to move. Determining factors: big kithchen (bait fish), big yard for the kids (deep water), move close to family (home no matter the depth). I could keep going but that's enough bull for one day.