Crappie Fishing

[Guest]

You can buy minnows at Copelands on hwy 16 east headed to Elkins.

I would call ahead though.

Usually, we buy our minnows from southtown the day before nad keep them alive overnight.

I run a portable aereator in a 48qt cooler with live release tabs.

[rhondafish]

Where is the Beavorama ramp ? Are you talking about the Game and Fish Commision Ramp at the 412 Bridge?

Thanks,

[MadRussian]

No sir. That ramp i was refering to as the one by bryce's

Beaverama ramp is between blue springs and twin bridges.

[npierceuark]

It's not much of a ramp right now though, more like a gentle sloping bank that requires getting muddy and 4wd to launch anything but a kayak. saw a guy go in 6" above his floorboards the other weekend to try and launch his boat.

[MadRussian]

I planned on running up the river tomorrow until i saw the forecast of 20-30mph winds.

[npierceuark]

yeah it'll be windy for sure, should get those water temps up a little faster though. I'll be out somewhere, I'll post an update

[jdelow77]

It would have been a good weekend to go , took my annual trip to Oaklawn this weekend but , going to hit it next weekend

[HunterTheAviator]

New to crappie fishing. I call Beaver Lake my home. I have a kayak and want to get out and do some crappie fishing because it looks like fun and they look so tasty. The second day I had my kayak (Dec. 26th, 2011), I launched out of hickory creek with 2 rods, a load of jigs, some Crappie Bites, and a few hand warmers. I was still pretty new to fishing altogether, and only knew that in the winter, many fish would be holding to cover pretty deep. So I found a sunken tree, tied on a chartreuse jig, and fished it at different depths for an hour until I started getting bites. What do you know!? WHITE CRAPPIE! Caught about 15 of them on that tree. I actually had no idea what I was catching at the time until I was packing up on shore and saw the Crappie Bites label, you know, that has a crappie on it.

Anyway, I want to get out and do some more fishing on Beaver. She's never been really kind to me other than some nice white bass and cats from the bank over the years. My kayak is collecting dust and never sees me because I'm always looking for rainbows and browns on the tailwater, which is much nicer. I have NO idea where to start for crappie. I just got lucky that one time.

I'm considering investing in a fish finder for my yak. I know how to read a topo map, but I simply don't know where they hang out at any given time of year. Any research I have ever done yields results that tell me what baits to use and how to find crappie beds, which is all fine and dandy if you can find the fish first at the right time of year!

Getting a guide is far too expensive, so I'm turning to the internet(again). Help!

[J-Doc]

Fish finder is a must have item. Especially for what you're wanting to do. Otherwise, its like taking Stevie Wonder to a lake and saying, "See that lay down over there, pitch it between those two limbs that hang just 12" above the water". Seriously. That's a good anaology. :-) Taking a blind man fishing and asking that is completely hopeless.

They make very affordable fish finders now that have structure scan and sonar as well as GPS for around $300 price range. That is an invaluable resource for a kayak on a body of water. You can mark brushpiles, locate fish, etc.

As for time of year and tips, I defer to others. They should be moving up near channel swings and places of transition. That's very broad but basically you need to look for spots where fish can move vertically quickly without going far. I can't say it clearer than that but even then, that's not nearly enough explanation. I'm a graphic guy. I need pictures. Lol