The bridges will be my #1, brush piles#2,stand timber #3 and at night with live bait standing timber #1, bridges #2 and open water near a dam in 15-17 would be my third choice. Do you use both jigs and live bait doing the day light hours? I'm open to both becauae some time the fish want that live bait at times.

Not big on Bridges. Everyone fishes the bridges, due to it being a visual sight fishing spot. Everybody focuses of easy visual spots to fish. Our lake is still up enough that standing timber is still covered and no a easy target to visual fish.

I like deeper brush piles, and deeper standing timber, stuff that is not showing even during the drought we had last year. This type of structure requires you to search, and have the equipment, and know how to use it. So in this situation, we are competing with less fisherman for the spots that fewer fisherman know about.

For years and years in the past, crappie fishing has been about sight fishing. Tieing up to bridge pylons, standing timber and fishing. Technolgy allows us to explore new ways of fishing, and if you are not using it to its fullest advantage, then you are just following what has been the tend for a 100 years. The bridges on the 2-3 lakes we fish will have 10-20 boats under them every weekend, both days. Then no telling how many during the week. Fish move in, but I like fishing where I see very few others fishing, and try to keep as few knowing about the spots I find. Just feel it is to my advantage.

Just A Old Man's Mind Set....

Oh BTW: I only Jig fish. No Minnows. I like it when I feel I have fooled them to the Maxinum.




keith

Not everyone knows what they are doing that are fishing the bridges though. Presentation is everything.

Thanks Kieth for giving input on this session. I hope all the readers take something from this open fourm to help them continue to catch crappie in the hot Texas heat. Well said..

Getting a big calendar that is easy to mark off the days left till Thanksgiving weekend!!!!

I hit brush piles in right around 20ft this time of year. Just kinda seems to be their comfort zone for my home lake. Docks are also a great thing to try when the sun is high and the fish are trying to stay in the shade. Shooting deep docks can be VERY productive and a blast. It all boils down to what kind of shade you want to fish- Shade underwater (brush), shade just above water (docks), or shade above you (bridges). Depends on the day, your ability, and who you are fishing with.

Apparently you�ve got it right there.

Just go with your comfort zone � that is your best bet!

For me it�s minnows or shad � hitting brush piles on the lakes I fish (they glue to cover during the hot summer months) � then use a jig to catch few more (that for some reason � those that just want that � I guess they want something different). Then hit the bridges (gets you and them out of the sun during Hot Summer time) but normally not as good until September/October.

totally correct ........i slay em with a very light touch and a stiff ultra light 4 # test 1/32 oz. jigs.....
and the jig part is the secret !
the right color combimation is everything ....match the hatch you know

so who here has caught the black crappie with the "racing" stripe down the back ?
we call them "mohawk" crappie ?

I have caught them before. Mainly on ray hubbard

^^^ this

Seems to me this year the summer pattern hasn't set in yet. I'm catching one or two from a brushpile or dock and then have to move on. No concentrations or I simply can't catch them. I have been getting a lot of really lite bite in some places but, can't get a hook set on them.
I believe I caught more fish this spring than any other year but, summer has been as tough as any I can remember, at least so far. The lake is down almost a foot and the surface temp was 84 my last time out and we've had a lot of overcast days lately. I think all of that has slowed the crappie from under docks and maybe kept them from concentrating on any brushpile. I'm guessing they are moving around quite a bit as when I do find a productive pile, the next day I get shut out.
Just my 2 cents worth.

well i like the pattern that produces and it seems to vary quite a bit here and there ......now here is a new one ........20 ft. yes fish above the thermal yes......15 ft or so ......the hungry fish were much shallower .....caught them like crazy from 11 am to 3 pm sunday 8 to 12 feet down and even saw one slab come up by the boat and see us and sink back down .......some of these fish were actually surface feeding in the heat of the day .....little fry and larger baitfish , along with a ton of yellow grasshoppers seemed to have had them going ......never seen this pattern before ......last week i caught a bunch in 6 to 8 feet of water late in the day 4 till dark ....a few came from 4 feet ....go figure

and yes sir i totally agree the bite is super super light this year.....lighter than a little bitty bream bite for sure ....if the line does anything or you feel anything set the hook !the way these crappie are biting will send most anglers home without any fish

Crappie fishing is something else. They have crazy bites. Sometimes the line just goes limp.