Crappie Feedback

[eagle1584]

I don't post very often but am on the forum probably more than I should be soaking up all the good info.  Just felt compelled with all the crappie talk to take a minute and say I was reminded today how much I miss Sac River Jim's posts.  Never met the guy in person but there are few guys who loved sharing his  knowledge more than Jim.   Whether in a post or a PM the guy kept few secrets and was happy to help people catch fish.

Thanks to all who post all the updates, I've learned a lot over the years.  Can't wait to be down there next weekend!

 

[mjk86]

 

These are the Stockton patterns i have followed for years. They are not the only way to find or catch crappie but they seem to work year after year for me. 

WINTER CRAPPIE: These fish are hard for me to pin down. I haven't spent a whole lot of time putting a detailed pattern together on winter crappie but the ones I know that are sucessfull focus on shad balls with active feeding fish marked under the bait. Bait will usually be in deep water 40 to 60 feet of water. Find the shad and the fish will be there. Use either a tandem jig set up or jigging spoon dropped through the school of bait. The fish will usually be staged under the Bait.  

PRE SPAWN: Look for fish hanging out on channel ledges and swings in deeper water. You will find fish on deeper brush piles as well. These fish will not be over active but will bite with slow presentation and patients. Around the first week of April the crappie will start to stack up staging in spawning coves. These fish are usually suspended in open water and are prime targets for spider rigging and long line trolling cranks or jigs. But you can also slip float the fish if you have there location pinned down well enough. You may find some fish shallower in evenings after the water warms all day. 

SPAWN: The time everyone waits for to crappie fish. When the fish are on the bank look for areas that have gravel or rock banks for spawning beds. During this time the Males are spawning and guarding nests. These fish are extremely agressive and will bite about anything that is close to the nest. You can get alot more spawn action if you follow it down the lake toward the dam. Spawning will start first in the upper stretches of the lake first and will usually move down the lake every two weeks or so. The whole lake doesnt spawn at once. Males will be shallow and females will be staged out off bank in a little deeper water. I use mainly jigs due to fast action and not having to mess with live bait is a plus. You can cast and retreave or use a jig and float. 

POST SPAWN: This is my favorite time to crappie fish. The spawn rush of boats is over and you can really enjoy your time on the water. Plus the fish bite well after the spawn. The fish will still be in the same spawning coves just suspend in open water. You will catch some really nice crappie post spawn trolling cranks. The bigger bait will produce some real slabs plus a bonus eye on occasion. I really rely on my electronics for this time of year. Finding concentrations of suspended crappie and either spider rigging or trolling through the fish. 

SUMMER: Sorry...I usually switch to Truman lake during the summer. Great hot weather crappie bite on that lake. 

FALL: This is a mother great time to crappie fish on Stockton. The fish will be scattered in deep water and shallow water as well. I usually make the transition to bow hunting during this time but do manage to fish a couple times for crappie. I target the shallower fish in the upper lake/river areas. Pitching jigs toward any visible cover and letting it swing back to the boat. 

Again this is not the only ways to catch crappie. This is simply the patterns and approach I use and will continue to follow. Hope this helps with your question. Good luck to all. 

Incredible information....folks looking to catch crappie on stockton can and should take this info to the bank.  I'll add that in the dead of summer...the crappie stay suspended in spawning coves, gravitating to any brushy stucture.  Trolling cranks through spawning coves works through september.   The bite does slow some during the "dog days" heat....maybe I just don't fish much then though.   I hate summer in misery, I mean missouri.

[Hook Dupp]

I was planning on taking my son this weekend. Anyone how the rain affected water quality and clarity?

[Lifes2Short]

Fished yesterday and the water up in Son's had turned dinghy, main lake still looked pretty good.

[Hook Dupp]

Fished yesterday and the water up in Son's had turned dinghy, main lake still looked pretty good.  

 

Thanks for for the information.  Anyone know how bad the wind is up there today?

[L D T]

I catch all of my walleye on roadrunners with plastics tipped with a minnow trolling slow in 15 to 25' of water during the last week of April and first two weeks of May. Catch most of my crappie while fishing for walleye BUT I do work the banks some in shallow Sons Creek cove areas.   As for locations, study the Fishing Hot Spots map for Stockton Lake.   The map is spot on for where you will find the various species of fish in Stockton. 

Love to be out on the water no matter the weather.  Will start fishing the middle of April for post spawn wallies.

[L D T]

Oops, thought I was on another topic discussion on where to fish Stockton.

[L D T]

I catch all of my walleye on roadrunners with plastics tipped with a minnow trolling slow in 15 to 25' of water during the last week of April and first two weeks of May. Catch most of my crappie while fishing for walleye BUT I do work the banks some in shallow Sons Creek cove areas.   As for locations, study the Fishing Hot Spots map for Stockton Lake.   The map is spot on for where you will find the various species of fish in Stockton. 

Love to be out on the water no matter the weather.  Will start fishing the middle of April for post spawn wallies.

 

 

[Chris Musick]

Where is this fishing hotspots map? A link might be useful if you don't mind.

[crappie-hunter]

Download the "find MO fish" app.

You can use it to find where the MDC brush piles are, and you see where the ramps are, etc.