Ok. This lake gets to 100 feet deep, there isn’t a lot of structure ( few deep water humps 50 fow) and some fairly steep drop offs. where would a good place to start looking for crappies. i know they are in there. i’ve caught them in the summer trolling daredevils for northern. (yes they are large) but all be darned if i can find them in the winter. any help would be great.( 235 acre lake, creak runs into it, channel to a larger lake)
I was guess that they would be suspended over some of the deeper structure and drops.
i’ll try that. i guess maybe i was thinking that hey they arent in 50 feet of water so i never tried it there.
Electronics…Electronics…Electronics…Search em’ out with your depth finder until they start to show up on the screen…RR
Ive fished a lake like that. Tons of deep water. Drill lots of holes and keep moving. Make sure on your search to swing the transducer back and forth in the hole to scan of to the side a little. Dont drop a line until you see fish or spend very little time (minutes) waiting for them. The time most likely will be needed on searching them out. Dont forget to come back and double check holes that where void of fish before. Sometimes they will move in.
On the lake I fished I drilled sets of 6 to 10 holes in half a dozen different locations on the main part of the lake. Then used the 4 wheeler to fish a set, move to the next and so on.
Most of my holes where in depths from 40 to 70′ of water. Fish didnt really start showing up over deep water until after the sun went down. When they did move in many where in the 20 to 40′ range down. Need to take care of those that are pushing over 30′ deep. Many of these will not swim back down the hole or make it far under the ice before floating back up.
Next time I fish this lake my plan is to drill out some of the deep weeds edges during the day or right out from them looking for more daytime fish.
Good lakes to have a few buddies helping with the search. Lots of water for those fish to be hiding in but the reward can be some bigger untapped fish.
Don’t focus on the drop offs, but over the flats. Start with where you know they spawn, and go directly out to the deep water flat from there. As Mike stated, start a grid pattern and drill/ look, and move. Could be nearly anywhere in the column. Happy Drill’n!
Last winter I was fishing a deep lake and was striking out over deep structure, so started chasing tullies over deep water (~70ft). Ended up icing a pile of nice crappies that were suspended about 20-30ft down over 75fow. It would be worth checking over some of the deep holes.
On a deep clear lake like this I would start searching in and around weeds before venturing out to the basin. You might even run into some of the nice sunfish present in the lake.
Joe
Quote:
Don’t focus on the drop offs, but over the flats. Start with where you know they spawn, and go directly out to the deep water flat from there.
I agree with Randy on this one, I heard this exact strategy some time back while watching a fishing show with Al Lindner, he said locate the spawning site(s) and draw a line out to deep water. Has worked for me on multiple occasions for finding winter slabs in the depths. I will also echo the last poster’s remarks as well, check the weeds edge first moving towards the deeper water, they may also use the weed edge to feed during the “golden” hours in the morning and evening. I doubt the crappies will stay in the weeds the entire year through and then just move shallow in the spring to spawn, but you can never underestimate crappie’s adaptability. My guess is the larger fish at some point will drop into “basin” areas for a portion of the winter. Once again drill until you find them. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CASyGPV3XVQ&list=HL1388693977
Skip to 15:30 for map info.. but I suggest you watch the whole thing!
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