Upper pool 4 crappies

I’ve been locating a few nice sized slabs in the deeper backwaters of pool 4 but it’s been hit and miss. Some of them are really nice sized, hitting a big blue/chrome RattleTrap while fishing for bass. Has anyone been having luck now that the water level is down to where it normally is? Any presentations working better than others?
I normally fish craps in the fall/winter months so summer is more of a challenge.
Going to try Monday a.m. after the traffic on the river slows down in Red Wing.

See you on the water

Hey Slab hunter

I think this is a pattern in the making that will improve this bite so here goes… we’re seeing a nice steady increase of BIG crappies showing up while targeting walleyes in the WI channel around goose lake. Each day we seem to be accidentally catching more and bigger fish at the bottom end of the deeper troughs. Yesterday’s largest fell just short of 14″ and most of the accidentals lately have been 11″ – 13″. We’re catching them on crawlers and #5 shad raps and I would have to imagine that a small bucktail or minnow would work wonders.

Thanks ~H2O~, really appreciate it. Once the weather returns to normal, I’m back on the water!
Are you talking the deep hole in Goose or just in general?
Thanks for any info

I’ve been picking them up in the WI channel above and below the entrence to goose lake. Find the deep water and the crappies have been finding me. Oddly enough they don’t seem to be relating to the flooded timber, instead they seem to be suspending about 1 – 1.5 feet off the bottom right off the edge of the current in the deepest water they can find.

James, I fish the WI channel at least once a week for crappies in the summer but always around the timber. The size is usually good but not like you’re finding. Care to give the specific depths?

I’m usually catching thoe crappies in the deepest water in a given strecth. 8 ‘ – 12’ mostly. My guess as to why I run into the bigger crappies is because I’m fishing walleyes. A crap that takes on a #5 – #7 shad rap is going to be a good one!

My last day out over the weekend we got into 4 or 5 more dandies… all on cranks. This certainly isn’t a number thing but it unearths their holding areas in a hurry. If I wanted to do numbers I’d fish them with light jigs, etc. but then when I catch crappies on jigs n’ bait for walleyes I’m usually in that 10″ – 11″ range.

You should see that craps we get on 5″ K-Grubs in the fall!