Might fish a backwater just south of Hastings. Supposedly it is kind of an ‘overwintering’ area that is good ’till the oxygen gets low in the summer. Lots of flooded trees. I’m definetly not a river fisherman so I could use some advice.
Thanks
Not an expert by any means, but I would try right near the flooded trees. The trees absorb warmth from the sun and radiate that heat to the water, and they are also a source of food and protection for fish.
A friend and I were on the lake this morning early and wherever we found 50 degrees or better of water temp we found crappies. Most often they were not relating to any structure or cover. By 11 the good times were over.
Tom, what do you think was happening at 11 o’clock?
Probably just a daily lull. We changed locations too and I think that this had as much to do with it as anything.
Mojos point was that the trees absorb solar energy and release heat-that temp. difference would dissapate pretty quickly though.
So what mojo is talking about would work best in the afternoon-So Tom was out in the morning and not seeing them relate to trees.(love fishing in the morning though)
WE were on the water until about noon. Around ten we decided to shift locations hoping the broken sunshine had helped to heat a rock shoreline but the wind was sweeping the warmed water out of that bay so it turned out to be poor move. With the switch in location we located three or four huge pods of crappies over 23 to 30 feet of water, all stacked at about 12 feet and all were absolutely non-biters. Nothing would get them to hit.
Where we started in the early morning the water was between 50.3 and 55 degrees with the warmer water out from shore and structure free other than a shift in depth from 7 to 4 feet. The water temp in most of what we travelled thru to get to this spot was 47-49 degree water. The four feet of water had the fish and the warmer water. There was a slow eddy covering this water and the fish were cycling thru there with the slight current. We’d get a few fish then it would go quiet for a half hour then boom they were back.
Three things stood out yesterday: first, the fish were near the bottom to get away from the bright sunlight. Black crappies will often prefer deeper water to brighter water higher up. Second, color was a real specific thing with purple/chartreuse tails being THE color in spite of making maybe ten color changes to see which worked best. Third, was plastic size. We saw our first action with 1.5″ paddletails. A couple smaller baits were tried by my buddy and he caught fish but maybe a 1/4 of what I caught using the larger bait with the same color pattern. s soon as he switched up the fish came more in line with the action I had. At about 9AM I switched to a 2 1/2″ to a purple/chartreuse tail Swing Impact bait and things really took off.
WE had some brush and tree debris within a cast of where the fish were coming from but the fish were definitely not relating to it at all….open water without any real structure other than the deviation in depth which was abrupt. The three big factors were the water temp, the bait color and eventually the bait’s size. The water depth played into this but I think we’d have seen crappies come up to hit based an the aggressiveness of the hits and at the four foot level the water’s color helped to keep them comfortable given the bright skies. Another factor that merits mention is that I was taking temp readings with a submersible thermometer as well as getting the temp off the locator. Where we found fish the water temp at the surface and at four feet were within a half a degree of each other. Other locations with slightly cooler surface water had significantly cooler water at 8 feet and even at four feet. Wind and current kept this much warmer water penned in this location and it played into our favor and I have no doubt whatever that had a similar situation been found elsewhere on the lake the bite would have been equally good, maybe even better in the latter part of the day.
Great report Tom, thanks.
I got out late morning ’til early afternoon today on a small body of water and I found crappies bluegills and bass relating very closely to trees and cover on the winded side of the lake once the wind started to add some chop on the water. If my casts were more than about 24 inches away from cover, the crappies would not come out for anything I threw at them, but if I dropped it right amongst the cover, I’d get hit nearly every time (I may have to invest in a cane pole). They would get spooked after 3 or 4 fish from each spot, but would be biting again after 15 or so minutes. Fishing was tough earlier when the wind was still and water was smooth, but the water in this lake is very clear, so the fish do spook easily. I had as high as 59 degree water temp, but this lake is small and only has a small area with water more than 10 feet deep.
One crappie 12 1/2 inches, but most around 9-10 range, including both males and females. Had the drag singing a few times when I’d hook into a bass or big bluegill, that kept it interesting. All returned to be caught another day.
Great report Mojo-I have found panfish under tree canopies and they would not go 6″ out , under or nothing.
On open water in mid-day sun crappies get pretty tire of the glare, especially black crappies. Tree’s canopies and shade lines can be super good locations to fish when the sun is high in the skies and there’s little wind to ripple the surface and help diffuse the light.
Overhanging trees also protects them from predators like Osprey-we all need shelter, just ask The Stones.
Question for Tom or anyone else with river experience, how does flow effect water temp? I know pannies do not want to be in flow, I always assume it makes water colder, but I guess I’m not sure.
Lots of variables in the question Tim. Sometimes some flow can help stack warmer water. Flow can also pull up cooler water. The assumption that pannies don’t want current or flow can bite you though. Crappies will use current seams and will also use structure that creates subtle eddies and backwashes that help deliver food or force minnows into areas where they become food.
I know of several areas in the Mississippi backwaters where crappies use current and are thusly not shunning it. Sunfish may want quieter water right now but sunfish will sit on wing dams in full current in the late summer and feed like crazy.
Thanks Tom!
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