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Let's Talk Specks

400K views 3K replies 294 participants last post by  stickman1978 
#1 ·
Fellas ... Spring is about to show up. I hunt the allusive Crappie year around. There are places where guys are fishing open water and catching good fish now. What's your personal best Crappie ? What set up is your " go to " when Crappie fishing. Caught an 18 inch in 1989 ... no pictures ... it's true none the less. Always looking to improve and remain teachable when it comes to Crappie fishing. Biggest through the ice this year is 15 1/2 . ( posted in the Genn. County ice thread ) My best fish have come on minnows though I've slammed'em on tubes and twister styled baits as well. What's your best fish ? You favor plastics or meat ( minnows ... waxies ) Feel free to post pictures ... discuss strategies ... or just talk Slabb Crappies :) Looking forward to your posts. Tight Lines ! Cropido aka Ben Out ! :coolgleam
 
#52 ·
Hi, Cropido. You've caught a lot more big crappies than I have, so I hesitate to say anything, but here's my thought... A huge change in barometric pressure (say 3", from 28 to 31) is equivalent to the change in pressure that a fish feels by moving up or down less than four feet in the water column. So I just don't see how barometric pressure by itself can affect their behavior that much. Of course changes in barometric pressure are usually accompanied by changes in the weather, so that's something else to consider.

Good luck getting that 18 incher! Let us know how you did.
 
#53 ·
Hi, Cropido. You've caught a lot more big crappies than I have, so I hesitate to say anything, but here's my thought... A huge change in barometric pressure (say 3", from 28 to 31) is equivalent to the change in pressure that a fish feels by moving up or down less than four feet in the water column. So I just don't see how barometric pressure by itself can affect their behavior that much. Of course changes in barometric pressure are usually accompanied by changes in the weather, so that's something else to consider.

Good luck getting that 18 incher! Let us know how you did.
" Badakbuddy " very true weather changes and barometric pressure are joined at the hip :) One is dictated by the other. So heres my update. Fished the honey hole last eve for 3 hrs. or so. Wind out of the south/southeast was brutal. Fish had lock jaw with yours trully catching a goose egg :confused: Managed a few small perch but nothing remarkable. A friend told me he fished after dark with a propane lantern and managed 12 for the table. Weather always trumps pressure/moon phases ect. Some days chicken ... other days feathers :lol: Tight Lines ... Cropido aka Ben Out !!! :coolgleam
 
#57 ·
hplayer13 I'm only fishing 6 fow ... depth Im fishing is 3ft. average. Using some chunky fat head minnows that are lively. They have wanted meat for the most part lately. Though ... that can change to plastics in a heart beat. Stay at them man ... keep looking till you find them. Don't know the population or structure in your lake. I do know that if they are there ... they can be caught. Tight Lines. Cropido aka Ben Out.
 
#65 ·
Wednesday April 23,2014. Spent a few hours from dusk till 10ish pm and caught (9) Specks. 4lb. test line ... lighted slip bobber and a " fat head " minnow 3 ft. over 6 fow. Propane lights a blaring ... Fishing has slowed. Smaller Specks were all that I could manage. Cookie cutter 8 inchers. The initial frenzy seems to be over though with persistance & time spent ... limits can be caught. Time to Zero in on the allusive Eyeball ( Walleye ). Midnight tonight it's on and popping fellas ! The rivers are full of Walleye this time of year. This year in particular ... I believe that catch rates will increase due to our peculiar winter. Tight Lines !!! Cropido aka Ben Out !!! :coolgleam
 
#68 · (Edited)
Hittem good with a buddy @ an Oakland County Lake. Limited out with minnows & plactics. 1/8 oz. hot pink road runner jig head and chartruse 3in. gulp. Minnows 6-8 ft. down ... ( slip bob ) over 20 fow. A number of teeners ... 15in. largest fish. Had to have a net on some of the fish as they were too large to lift out. Found out the hard way :mad: . Tight Lines Fellas ! Cropido aka Ben Out ! :coolgleam
 
#72 ·
@outdoor101

at least you got a eye if any thing are you sure your baits are not to big for crappie?? a lot of rapalas people use are to big for them some times. lol's

also: have you tried deep water fishing them? do you got a depth finder/fish finder/gps? and some rod holders? they will sit this time of year about 5-20 foot below the surface in the deepest part of the lake that is closest to ware they are found spawning.

they can be caught with a reg pole like for bass either on a planer board or not. they will hang out in water the depth of the first drop or a flat if you will were they spawn. so if your water is 5 foot deep on the flat were they spawn. they will be that deep in the deepest part of the lake closest to where they spawn...

here is how i run my ultra small plugs etc from the boat for crappie..

i run on the main line any ware from 1/4 to 3/4 ounce egg sinkers. from there i run a bead stop and a barrel swivel so the egg sinker stops on the bead not the swivel. then from the barrel swivel i run a leader of about 3-6 foot to a lure like a teeny crawl or yozuri pins minnow etc.. etc..

the egg sinker get it down to the fish then you can either put it on a planer boards or drag it strait out of the rod holders.... it up to you you can even do this with jig or tubes we use loop knot on are jig and tubes so they don't swim funny when pulled. even been rigging gulp with a tube over it and been hammering them. same with minnows to you can rig it the same way..

use your fish finder to watch the depth you set them out at so put it about a foot or two above there noses from were there sitting in the water. so if you can see them hanging 8 foot down put the lures 6-7 foot down. do it so the fish finder see you doing it kinda like when you ice fish you see the lure drop to the bottom do the same thing here and then set it and forget it. till you get a bite lol'z...

lately i have been too lazy and just hate dragging the boat out and just fish from shore... you get fewer numbers right now from shore but you do get some more from the deeper spots of the lake...
 
#73 ·
Man thanks for the info, and when I caught the eye I was trolling a crawler harness and yes I have a fish finder but its not a real expensive one so its kind of hard to trust it I guess. Iv can't say iv really gave it a 100% fishing for them in deep water I mainly fish structure and shallows for them. I mainly use just a bobber and minnow but I have a bunch of tubes also. The hardest part is locating them, I tried the same spots as last year and them just not there I don't if there just not in there yet or moved to diffrent area there so damn finiky and challenging I can't stop fishing for them lol I might try the trolling thing over some deep water tho I would like to spider rig but my boat really don't a the setup for it. I did order some submerged green light from bass pro that I wanna get out there at night and fish very cool videos on YouTube people catching all kinds of fish using this strategy. Well I'm gunna hook the boat up and go give it another try.....tight lines!
 
#74 ·
Man thanks for the info, and when I caught the eye I was trolling a crawler harness and yes I have a fish finder but its not a real expensive one so its kind of hard to trust it I guess. Iv can't say iv really gave it a 100% fishing for them in deep water I mainly fish structure and shallows for them. I mainly use just a bobber and minnow but I have a bunch of tubes also. The hardest part is locating them, I tried the same spots as last year and them just not there I don't if there just not in there yet or moved to diffrent area there so damn finiky and challenging I can't stop fishing for them lol I might try the trolling thing over some deep water tho I would like to spider rig but my boat really don't a the setup for it. I did order some submerged green light from bass pro that I wanna get out there at night and fish very cool videos on YouTube people catching all kinds of fish using this strategy. Well I'm gunna hook the boat up and go give it another try.....tight lines!


best thing to invest in would be a good submersible thermometer that reads say 20*F to about 80*F-90*F and pick up the book crappie wisdom temperature dictate were they will be at what times. and the book will help find them i got my copy on half.com. i would at least glance at this book either public library or buy it. but ya the rig changes every year for me and so do the tactic's. every thing else is just chasing them finicky fish. if you need help you can p.m. me or throw a post up here i am sure others need help or can give it too and would love in sight and tactic's like this thread is about.. any ways best of luck...
 
#76 ·
There is a ton of info on this thread. I appreciate all of the input. I get to add a lot to my repitoir. I've found that the lakes I fish are all different and heat up ... have Specks doing diff. things at diff. times. One of the biggest factors in my success or lack there of has to do with fishing pre & post front conditions. Water temp ... weather ... baro pressure ... moon phases all play a part. Even so ... some day Chicken other days feathers . Guess that's why they call it fishing ! Tight Lines ! Cropido aka Ben Out !!!
 
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