Fall Crappie Connection

Fall hunting seasons are about to jump into full swing. Just don’t make the mistake of stashing that crappie fishing gear in a spot where you can’t get to it in pretty short order. You could miss out on some of the best action of the year.

Fall is the harbinger cold fronts that bring a gradual chill to water temperatures on lakes across the state. It’s a feel-good season when the days gradually grow shorter, the nights longer and mornings become increasingly crisp with the passage of time.

Jason Barber is a fall guy who loves a cool down. Barber is a multi-species fishing guide who is an even bigger fan of autumn’s crappie fishing prospects.

“Once we that first cool snap the fish seem to start coming out of the summer doldrums,” he said. “They start getting aggressive and put their feed bags on. They’ll shallow up and really thump a jig. You’ll catch big ones, too.”

Barber grew on up on Cedar Creek Reservoir in northeast Texas. It’s not the best crappie lake in the state, but it certainly ranks among them.

The lake offers a range cover and structure that almost always hold fish this time of year — boat docks, brush piles and bridge crossings are the big three. The crappie will most often be suspended around 8-12 feet down this time of year, give or take a little.

The tactics Barber recommends for going after crappie will work on any water body with a decent crappie population and with similar structure and cover at sufficient water depths to hold the number of the popular panfish. Here’s how to they apply:

Shooting Docks

“Shooting” is one of Barber’s favorite fall tactics, provided water levels are sufficient. It works best to get at fish attracted to docks and piers by shade and forage. Done correctly, shooting will catapult the jig at a low angle, parallel to the water, with enough velocity that it will sail far beneath the dock or whatever you’re aiming at.

Barber shoots with a six-foot medium action spinning rod using six-pound test high visibility green line. He says the fluorescent line help to see subtle bites before they might be felt. He prefers shooting with a 1/16 ounce hand-tied jig; plastics are prone to tear or slip down. Barber says deeper docks in 8-12 feet near a channel swing, ditch or drop off will usually hold the bigger concentrations of fish.

Something to keep in mind this fall is many Texas lakes are starving for water due to the ongoing drought. Recent rains may have helped some, but probably not enough. On some lakes, many docks are still sitting high and dry, or may not have enough water beneath them attract crappie.

Heavy Brush and Minnow

This is as elementary as it gets.

Crappie love to hang out around brush piles. When fishing vertical in brush with minnows, Barber likes a 6 1/2 foot medium action spinning rod matched with 1/4-3/8 ounce slip sinker and 30-pound test braided line. He ties the braid to a snap swivel then adds with a No. 1 gold Aberdeen hook with a pre-rigged leader.

A live minnow wiggling on an open hook is almost certain to be hung up from time to time. Barber says using the heavier line allows him bend and free hooks that get stuck in brush without breaking off.

Jigs around Brush and Bridges

Crappie that are holding around brush piles and bridges may become spooky or boat shy, especially when there is considerable fishing pressure. Sometimes it’s a good idea stay as far away from the fish as possible and cast to them from a distance.

Barber’s rod of choice for tossing jigs around brush piles and bridge pilings is a 6 1/2 foot medium action spinning rod matched with 6-pound line. He says the light line casts well and helps if the fish are line shy.

Forward facing sonar is a big plus. The electronics will show you if the fish are suspended on top of the brush, out to the side, or if they relocate. FSS also allows for watching the jig fall into the strike zone and seeing how the fish react to it.

Long Poling Brush and Stumps

Barber says long poling with a 10-13 foot specialty rod is ideal for forward facing sonar users when targeting fish suspended around stumps and the edges of brush piles. The long rod prevents getting too close and eliminates having to reel in the bait between presentations; just lift the bait up and drop it back down.

There are several good long poles on the market designed with crappie fishing in mind. ACC Crappie Stix and the Lew’s Wally Marshall Solo Series are among them. Both are made from high quality graphite and moderately priced under $100.

It’s a good idea to pair the rod with an ultra-light spinning reel or spin cast reel. Line should be stout enough to bend thin wire jig hooks and prevent breaking off.

Other Minnow Rigs Bell Sinker Minnow Rig: Barber builds this rig similar to a drop shot rig used for bass. The bell sinker is tied at the end of main line with the hook staged about a foot above it.

He prefers to attach the hook on a 4-5 inch “dropper loop.” The loop allows the minnow freedom to swim. It’s a good choice when fishing vertically for crappie that are suspended close to bottom.

Split Shot Rig: It’s great for casting minnows around bridge supports and cross members. Barber likes to place a single split shot (1/16 to 1/4 ounce) about 10 inches above a No. 1 gold Aberdeen hook. The light weight helps with casting, while causing the minnow to fall slowly though schools of suspended fish.

Fall’s cooler weather means hunting season to the masses, but it also ushers in some of the year’s best crappie fishing prospects. Daily limits are liberal, 25 fish with a 10 inch minimum length.

The exceptions are Lake Fork and Lake O’ the Pines, two of state’s most popular crappie lakes. Beginning December 1 through February 28, crappie fishermen on those two lakes must retain the first 25 black or white crappie they catch, regardless of size. No culling is allowed.

The no-cull regulation was implemented years ago due to the high incidence of delayed mortality among small fish caught from deep water and released. Many of the fish were dying as the result of barotrauma, the scientific term for an overinflated air bladder. The condition often occurs when fish are reeled in quickly from depths beyond 20 feet. ----- Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.