12-19-15 Gravois Crappie

[Seth]

The fishing was slow for us, but the size was good. We ended up with 11 keepers, 1 short, 2 white bass, several nice bluegill and several small bass. All but two of the crappie were over 10" and five were 11-13". Tried several areas but the only places that produced were docks where the channel swung in close to the bank. The weird thing is that we could only seem to pull one fish off each dock. There was one dock that produced three fish for us and the rest only gave up a single crappie. Shooting the jig way up under the docks was key as well. My buddy couldn't shoot as well and only managed to catch one crappie.

[fishinwrench]

Very cool.   How far down were the bites?  

Doesn't it drive you crazy when only one fish bites?  I mean you know he isn't in there all alone.   That happens alot with white bass too.  

[Seth]

Most bites were withing a few feet of the surface. The deepest we caught any was maybe 5-6' down in front of a well. It was very aggravating! Usually you can pull a couple out of a spot once you catch one.

[WHARFRAT]

That's the way it's been most of the year for me.  Go up, shoot up under, catch a nice one..... then nothing else.   Like Wrench says, Ya know he ain't alone. 

The ones I've been catching have been in the darkest spot on the dock, mainly under the swim docks.  And you're right on as far as docks close to a main channel swing.  Most of mine were caught closer to the last half of the depth I was in.  But I did catch some fairly shallow, soon after I shot. 

Did you use 16oz?  I tried lighter, but they didn't seem to have any use for a slower dropping bait. Heavier and it dropped too fast for them.   Color for me has been something dark and chartreuse.

Probably going to start getting tougher, but who knows, with daytime temps suppose to stay in the 50's to 60's for the next 10 days, might be a good Christmas and New Years bite!

[Seth]

I used 1/16 and 1/32oz I can shoot better with the 1/32oz so I caught the most on it, but I think the key was just getting it way back under the dock more so than the fall rate. Most came onblack/chart with a few on white/chart and orange/chart.