Winter Crappie

[Grappling Coach]

I heard that there were a lot of Crappie caught from under docks last winter. Does anyone have any information on the kind of water they caught them in that they would be willing to share?

[Bill Babler]

Yes, I caught them pretty good on the larger private docks thru out the entire lake system. I have looked at least 3 times on my best docks from last year and have only caught two. Seems the docks are much shallower. Some of the locations I caught them last year, the docks are setting extremely shallow.

Have heard they have been catching a few in the deeper main lake pockets on pole timber in the 12 to 15 ft. depth range on either minnows or 1/16 oz. white jigs.

I'm not giving up yet, but we had really stung them by this time last year to the point my Wife said don't bring any more crappie fillets home. Can't seem to find them this year. Yet.

[Ham]

• BSL being 8 foot lower and Norfork being 12 foot lower is definitely affecting crappie locations from what I have found. They are biting, but it is taking some time to find them. I've had several pretty productive trips and have caught exactly 3 short crappie. The lack of short fish is starting to concern me a bit, but there's not a lot I can do about it.
  
• 
  

[Grappling Coach]

Bill,

Are you pitching jigs into the back of the stalls, using long rods, or drowning minnows?

[Bill Babler]

Pitching jigs to the backs of the stalls in the shade, and letting them fall back to me. Usually about 15 ft. This has been a killer method in the past, but no luck this year. Also swimmng that jig on the shade side of the docks. I have been catching more bass than anything on the 1/16th. oz crappie jig. Also as I stated in an earlier report the docks are still full of Blue Gill. Very, Very unusual to see Gill's in the docks this time of the year.

Lots of folks using good sense remove their boats from those docks for the Winter and there are lots of stalls to pitch into. You can also use a Lake of the O. tenique and grab your jig and put a bend in the spinning rod and shoot it back in there under the boats. Works great with a little practice.

That is if there are any crappie there.

Good Luck

[troutgnat]

Ahhhhh Kudos to Bill. I take 2-3 trips in the spring and fall to LOZ to "shoot" the docks. Can't wait for my vacation to LOZ this coming Easter weekend.....wonder what I will be doing???