No better time than now

[Lance34]

Got out Saturday about 10 and fished till dark.  I just love this time year.  I like to sleep in and fish till dark.  Started out in 15 fow rigging brush pile to brush pile.  Wasn’t really having the success like the previous trips.  Mostly catching little ones and wasn’t feeling that’s where I needed to be.  So went back to what I’ve done previous times this time of year when the WT drops and moved into shallower water.   Started in 12 to 10 fow range.  Right on the ledge.  My outside left poles side seemed to be still more in the 13 plus range while my right side poles where in the 10 foot range.  Those 10 foot range picked off more my fish.  If I had to do it again.  Think I would fish 8-10.  It’s been like since 2017/2018 winter season that this pattern works because ever since late winter of 2018 the water level has been higher and you wouldn’t have the clean water to rig.  Meaning you would be more in the bushes.   2016/2017 and part of 2017/2018 winters I caught them crazy shallow.  Like 5-7 feet.  It’s a slower process and a challenge. Gotta move slow, try and be as quiet as you can.  Benefits to have 16 to 20 foot poles for this pattern to not spook them.  This is my favorite pattern to fish and been hoping the lake stays down or even gets lower.   Those big females move there and just lay there with their bellies in the mud.  You might not catch a limit but you’ll catch some toads.  

Ended with 11 good ones.  WT 41-44..  Stained clarity 

God bless and good fishing Lance 

[Johnsfolly]

Nice crappie as always! Sounds like being able to access your previous trip information is really helpful in finding that productive pattern. I haven't really had any home waters over the last few years and have dropped keeping more descriptive records than just tracking dates, species, numbers of fish and baits that they were caught on.

[Champ188]

Lance, you are one of the two best crappie guys I know on Beaver Lake. The other is a guy named Nicky who has won many, many bass tournaments on Beaver. He loves to crappie fish in the winter and also catches them shallow all winter. 

[Lance34]

@Champ188 Thanks a lot sir
 

Went again yesterday about 9:30 to 12:30 they were group up thick and munching good. Smoked a limit rigging a 10-12 foot contour and about 8 feet down.  
 

[BilletHead]

19 minutes ago, Lance34 said:

@Champ188 Thanks a lot sir
 

Went again yesterday about 9:30 to 12:30 they were group up thick and munching good. Smoked a limit rigging a 10-12 foot contour and about 8 feet down.  
 

                You have your game together Lance! like what you are doing.

[Quillback]

Indeed, that is some impressive crappie catching for Beaver.

[Johnsfolly]

3 hours ago, Lance34 said:

@Champ188 Thanks a lot sir
 

Went again yesterday about 9:30 to 12:30 they were group up thick and munching good. Smoked a limit rigging a 10-12 foot contour and about 8 feet down.  
 

The beard is back and.crappie will be caught! Great catches!

[rps]

I enjoy reports and pictures of success. Bring it on.

 

[Lance34]

Took a good friend of mine Saturday 12-19-20.  We launched around 8:00am and got setup rigging about 8:30.  We started putting a pattern together in about 40 minutes and putting toads in the boat. The bite was the best about mid morning and got intermittent as it steadily moved closer to noon.  I think we had one limit by 11:30.  Once the sky cleared in the afternoon and the wind quit the bite came to a halt.  Shorts kept us busy in the afternoon and only caught few keepers then.  Stayed at it till about 3 and pulled up with 18.  

12 to 16 fow, 12-13 feet down was the best bite for us.  Some around brush some roaming .  WT 41-43, Stained 

[BilletHead]

    Aagin? Go figure! Way to go. I enjoy crappie posts.