# Crappie Report OH/IN area



## Skip2myalou (Apr 2, 2013)

Crappie fished yesterday. Caught alot of fish and kept 34 fish between 10-14 inches between me and dad. Also caught 8-10 bass but only 2 were legal sized (and released). All fish came on minnows in 3-4 feet of water. Didn't do much good right on bank and didn't try much deeper because that was producing.


----------



## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Good job,good report! Where the fish relating to anything?


----------



## Salamander (Apr 11, 2004)

Thanks for the report!


----------



## Skip2myalou (Apr 2, 2013)

Yeah, they were on brush mainly. Alot of guys out hitting the banks and visible structure so we focused on stuff we know about alot of people don't. We have crappie fished that area pretty hard for 30 years so we know some stuff most guys don't. For example, 15ish years ago somebody threw an old box spring on bank. It slowly slid into the water over several years. It rotted and just the springs are left and there is a bunch of brush that has gotten stuck to it. It's in about 4 feet of water but none of it is visible. We caught 5-6 keepers and 2 of our biggest off of it. Just had to wait until there were no other boats around to see us do it 

But we did catch on visible stuff too, just a little deeper than most people were targeting.


----------



## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Hi Skip,,,, Where you fishing the main River, or it's feeders?
I know dozens of spots like you described ( way up near Pa),,, 'junk in water'/ snags,,,, mostly up some slow-water feeders. It's where we caught dozens of the biggest, thickest slabs I've ever seen, but IN THE SPRING! We never tried those spots for crappies at this time of year. 
& Thanks tons for the tips.


----------



## Skip2myalou (Apr 2, 2013)

Doboy said:


> Hi Skip,,,, Where you fishing the main River, or it's feeders?
> I know dozens of spots like you described ( way up near Pa),,, 'junk in water'/ snags,,,, mostly up some slow-water feeders. It's where we caught dozens of the biggest, thickest slabs I've ever seen, but IN THE SPRING! We never tried those spots for crappies at this time of year.
> & Thanks tons for the tips.



We were fishing feeders mainly. Did hit a couple spots on the river and caught a few. But 95% feeders. Try the same spots you fish in spring now! We do just as good this time of year as in spring. I like fall better actually because the water quality is usually way better.


----------



## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

The boat's still ready to go,,,, I'll give it a shot!
Thanks Skip ;>)


----------



## Skip2myalou (Apr 2, 2013)

Got out again yesterday. Fishing was slower with the fronts that came through this week but still brought home 18 fish between 10-13 inches. GF had a monster, probably 15-16 inches come off as she was swinging it into the boat. Fished anywhere from bank to 6-7 feet deep. Most fish still in that 3-4 foot range


----------



## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

Were any of these blacks? Im thrashing crappie in the meldahl pool but all whites. And all still fairly deep


----------



## Skip2myalou (Apr 2, 2013)

Blacks are pretty rare on this stretch of the Ohio around me. Alot of people think they catch them in the spring but the male whites get too looking just like a black crappie during the spawn. They catch 'blacks' all spring then can't come fall. They were really catching white crappie all along.


----------



## Skip2myalou (Apr 2, 2013)

Got out again today. Buddy took 15 crappie home 10-12.5 inches. No big ones today. We caught them all on several spots I know that are in deeper water. 6-8 FOW fishing about 5 feet deep above the structure. We caught probably 2X that many throwbacks and at least a dozen bass. Not sure where the big ones were, but he got enough for a meal.


----------



## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

Good deal! You guys minnow fishing or jigs? We been doing great on jigs


----------



## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Skip2myalou said:


> Got out again today. Buddy took 15 crappie home 10-12.5 inches. No big ones today. We caught them all on several spots I know that are in deeper water. 6-8 FOW fishing about 5 feet deep above the structure.  We caught probably 2X that many throwbacks and at least a dozen bass. Not sure where the big ones were, but he got enough for a meal.


Your KILL'N ME Skippy!
YOU gave me the want/ will, to go searching my spots yesterday afternoon,,,, for SLABS!
The first crappie spot that I went to, is a bunch of tree branches that are submerged about 15' from shore,,, under a bridge,,, the water is about 9' deep. That's where 'BIGSPLASH' & I caught the largest slabs ever,,,, two years in a row. SPRINGTIME. 
Yesterday, I tried everything & never had a hit. 
The only good news is, that that SNAG is still there, & now there's a WHOLE TREE caught just a tad farther out!!!
It's out-of-reach from shore,,,, gotta have the boat. :>(
MAN,,,, I sure hope that that tree 'hangs in there',,,,, through the winters high water & ice!

Thanks again,,,, for the up-lifting reports.
Please keep 'em coming


----------



## Skip2myalou (Apr 2, 2013)

Sounds like you got a sweet spot there!!! I'd love to have that around me! It was slow around here and I was happy to bring home what we did. Most keepers came from one spot... a beaver den from about 10 years back. The beaver got trapped and the floods about 5 years ago washed it into the creek channel. It's stayed there for about 5 years and we have always done good on it. But nobody else knows about it and I keep it real quiet 

And we do both. The jig bite was hot for me about a month ago but usually switch to minnows and slow presentation down with these temps. Thats what we did Sunday.


----------



## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Here's what we get off of that ONE snag,,,,, 3 trips back in May 2015. Never had the time to hit it in the spring this year. It didn't produce nut'n the other day.
LOVE those feeder Rivers



















Here's a fat 14"er;









*The only reason that I'm posting these old pics,,, there's SO many people that DON'T believe that there's QUALITY fish up those little feeder creeks! 
Wish I had the time to search 'em all!*


----------



## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

Doboy said:


> Here's what we get off of that ONE snag,,,,, 3 trips back in May 2015. Never had the time to hit it in the spring this year. It didn't produce nut'n the other day.
> LOVE those feeder Rivers
> 
> View attachment 225062
> ...


Oh buddy there is nothing like the quality of size out of the river tribs......


----------



## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

Some more gooduns


----------



## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

Nothing like crappie slime on the boat carpet!


----------



## Skip2myalou (Apr 2, 2013)

Here's a pic from the day of my first post. Not the largest crappie ever but only pic I have from this fall. Just showing you guys they are still catchable in the fall.


----------



## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

Well ive got news for everybody. The best time to fish ohio river tribs for crappie IS WINTER!! Everybody loves fishing creeks in spring but with water levels always so jacked up, i dont even mess with it


----------



## zack2345 (Dec 22, 2010)

Heard some guy at the local bait shop tell me the same thing about winter crappie fishing .... Said they caught one that was 16 inches... I just don't know where to start ... Do they stay in the creeks . Or leave to the main river


----------



## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

Ppl do not believe me when i say this but here goes. Winter, crappie are in creeks heavy. Spring fall the same. In SHALLOW creeks i think they will leave for main river but i can tell you i fish crappie year round and catch plenty in DEEP brush in creeks 10ft deep or better. Downscan and side imaging are a must fishing like this. Im going to post a graph pic of a downscan shot i snapped the other day. This is out in the MIDDLE of a creek!! Caught a ton of fish out of this that day including one giant which i will post a pic of. Spots like this will hold fish YEAR ROUND


----------



## Skip2myalou (Apr 2, 2013)

Cat is right. We catch them all winter. I have made some structure I sink in deeper creeks that I can almost always pull a few fish from come Jan-Feb. The only problem is that is also the best time of year for big cats (and sauger) so I don't do it as much as I should. Usually chasing after 50+ pound cats when the snow is flying.


----------



## zack2345 (Dec 22, 2010)

Thanks for the info guys... I think I know some spots like that... Do you use minors or like push jigs through the brush?


----------



## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

zack2345 said:


> Thanks for the info guys... I think I know some spots like that... Do you use minors or like push jigs through the brush?


I fish nothing but weedless jigs bud look at the pic of me holding the one crappie you can see tge brushguard. Fishing minnows in heavy brush is haaaaaaarrrrrd to do because u are hung all the time


----------



## zack2345 (Dec 22, 2010)

Nice ... I'd love to try it but I can't quit sauger fishing lol


----------



## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

zack2345 said:


> Nice ... I'd love to try it but I can't quit sauger fishing lol



Yep,,,, that's where I'm at zack,,,,, I'm A 'NON-BELIEVER' cause I never lucked into a bunch of crappies while drifting or casting for sauger during the winter, in any of 'My' 4 feeder rivers & 2 creeks! & believe me, I know every snag in them!!!

lol,,,, the older I get, the worse my 'luck' gets! I just can't believe that I can't find 'em!
that's why I keep BEGGING for help! 
Like WE caught bucket after bucket full,,, 30 years ago,,,,, Almost too easy. 
Now, Why the he!! don't those spots still hold crappies???


----------



## Snyd (May 5, 2004)

Very nice fish doboy - I believe you on the feeder creeks - I have fished several feeder creeks growing up around the Racine Pool. I haven't done it for awhile since I have moved out of the area but my father n law has.


----------

