Crappie Fishing Help?

[Matt Henry]

I have guests coming down to fish this weekend. I have the bass fishing covered but they are asking to Crappie fish as well. In all my years at the lake (12) I have never fished for Crappie. It's not that I don't want to, I just love chasing the bass too much.

What color jigs? Will 8 lbs line work? Bluff points with cedar trees?

I appreciate your feedback.

[ten_scoach]

I've had my best luck in the cape fair/bridgeport area. Color of jigs varies, but yes, 6 lb is fine, especially in the more colored water there is up that way from the rain. I would start by hitting brush piles and jigging in and around them. Might also try trolling some crank baits. Follow creek channel contours and work around until you find them. I've been fishing around the dam for crappie lately due to off water reasons, and it is tough...stay away. You're lucky to catch 3 or 4 in half a day's work. Good luck and curious what other folks say.

[abkeenan]

River Arms and Creek Arms are your best bet. I would go 4lb test if I were you for castability reasons and use jigs and/or swimming minnows near brush piles and wood. Dam area for one reason or another is just not a good crappie location like ten coach has already stated. Good luck.

[Biglerma]

You might try docks in 20-30 foot of water. We were catching some nice slabs off of ours last weekend 12-15 feet down on minnows. The end of our dock is about 20 feet deep.

[abkeenan]

You might try docks in 20-30 foot of water. We were catching some nice slabs off of ours last weekend 12-15 feet down on minnows. The end of our dock is about 20 feet deep.

^-----This also. I forgot to mention the docks as a good places to try. Also water with color seems to do better than the super clear areas of the lake.

[Crappie Fisherman]

As stated before, brushpiles in the James and Kings are your best bet. You can find them all on the MDC map: http://newmdcgis.mdc.mo.gov/tablerock/

[Matt Henry]

Your input is much appreciated. We fished the channel swings up the James that had cedars. No luck so we went back to chasing the the bass. I am not giving up.

[jay0115]

Only place I have been able to catch crappie on TRL during the summer is docks and way up in the Kings Rivers. They are really hard to come by in the summer; however in the spring you can catch a bunch. This past spring first week in April we caught about 150 slabs. Good luck, hope you find them.