RamblinWreck
Senior Member
Figured I'd start a new thread instead of hijacking other recent threads...
So I've been putting in a lot of time trying to figure out Lanier crappie. I went from catching no crappie at all, to catching them pretty regularly, but it has been tough to find good-sized fish. Normally, I don't fool with "tater-chip" crappie, my personal "boat" size limit is 11", and 11" or better crappie have mostly eluded me - until today. Today I got on some slabs, but the bite was tough (maybe the weather).
I will say that my electronics have made the difference, and have proved to be key for me. I run Livescope at the bow and a Humminbird MSI+ Helix at the console (I sold off my previous Lowrance gear).
I found crappie today (up a creek) suspended at 25 feet in around 40-50 feet of water over structure, where bait is nearby. These fish sure had lockjaw, I threw every color I had at 'em, including small sizes, and tipped with nibbles. Maybe minnows would be better bait, but I don't fool with them often (that may change, LOL). I use my hand-tied jigs, and all kinds of plastics: B. Garland, C. Brewer, Southern Pro, Trout Magnet, etc. Finally a slab thumped and I reeled in a few nice slabs in the 12" range. This is what they look like on the Livescope:
After reeling in a few, they clammed up. I continued my search, and found a few more suspended schools, but no dice. I decided to check out some docks, and try dock shooting, which I am also trying to learn how to do.
I quickly discovered a lot of docks on Lanier really suck for shooting! I think I lost 4 jigs right off the bat trying to get at fish I could see under there on the Livescope. I figured out real fast that a lot of the newer/fancier docks have these underwater lift systems that snag you up. Anyway, I started cruising past docks using the SI on the 'bird to see if any held fish. All of a sudden I found the mother lode!
I whipped a u-turn and moved to the bow. Here they are on Livescope:
Now THAT is a sight to excite any crappie angler! Wow! Notice the lower dock in the SI pic has no fish (like most of them), and then, voila, a dock with a hundred of 'em. The dock had a pontoon boat I could shoot right under without snagging, and I proceeded to flat wear out some slabs. I caught a bunch, and then they finally stopped biting. I kept 4 for fish tacos tonight, 2 around 12", one 13", and a 11" that was bleeding, so I kept it. I let the rest go (I have plenty in the freezer from my trips to Oconee and Lathem). The docks with fish were all in deep water over 25 feet, btw.
I also caught a few spots, which come in like lions after gazelle and spook the crappie. This is the biggest, poor guy had a deformed jaw from some previous angler, but fought well. Not what I'm after, but fun as heck on a JDM ultralight rod with 2 lb test.
Figuring them out... a little bit. Thanks to @littlejohn for tipping me a few places to look. Don't even ask where. He will tell you if he wants, but I NEVER give out info I got from others without their go-ahead. Thanks for reading.
So I've been putting in a lot of time trying to figure out Lanier crappie. I went from catching no crappie at all, to catching them pretty regularly, but it has been tough to find good-sized fish. Normally, I don't fool with "tater-chip" crappie, my personal "boat" size limit is 11", and 11" or better crappie have mostly eluded me - until today. Today I got on some slabs, but the bite was tough (maybe the weather).
I will say that my electronics have made the difference, and have proved to be key for me. I run Livescope at the bow and a Humminbird MSI+ Helix at the console (I sold off my previous Lowrance gear).
I found crappie today (up a creek) suspended at 25 feet in around 40-50 feet of water over structure, where bait is nearby. These fish sure had lockjaw, I threw every color I had at 'em, including small sizes, and tipped with nibbles. Maybe minnows would be better bait, but I don't fool with them often (that may change, LOL). I use my hand-tied jigs, and all kinds of plastics: B. Garland, C. Brewer, Southern Pro, Trout Magnet, etc. Finally a slab thumped and I reeled in a few nice slabs in the 12" range. This is what they look like on the Livescope:
After reeling in a few, they clammed up. I continued my search, and found a few more suspended schools, but no dice. I decided to check out some docks, and try dock shooting, which I am also trying to learn how to do.
I quickly discovered a lot of docks on Lanier really suck for shooting! I think I lost 4 jigs right off the bat trying to get at fish I could see under there on the Livescope. I figured out real fast that a lot of the newer/fancier docks have these underwater lift systems that snag you up. Anyway, I started cruising past docks using the SI on the 'bird to see if any held fish. All of a sudden I found the mother lode!
I whipped a u-turn and moved to the bow. Here they are on Livescope:
Now THAT is a sight to excite any crappie angler! Wow! Notice the lower dock in the SI pic has no fish (like most of them), and then, voila, a dock with a hundred of 'em. The dock had a pontoon boat I could shoot right under without snagging, and I proceeded to flat wear out some slabs. I caught a bunch, and then they finally stopped biting. I kept 4 for fish tacos tonight, 2 around 12", one 13", and a 11" that was bleeding, so I kept it. I let the rest go (I have plenty in the freezer from my trips to Oconee and Lathem). The docks with fish were all in deep water over 25 feet, btw.
I also caught a few spots, which come in like lions after gazelle and spook the crappie. This is the biggest, poor guy had a deformed jaw from some previous angler, but fought well. Not what I'm after, but fun as heck on a JDM ultralight rod with 2 lb test.
Figuring them out... a little bit. Thanks to @littlejohn for tipping me a few places to look. Don't even ask where. He will tell you if he wants, but I NEVER give out info I got from others without their go-ahead. Thanks for reading.
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