# Crappie



## Zfish

Okay I guess there is a crappie forum its just in the Panfish.. Anyone have a word on Hoover?


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## LakeRaider

This is great!!! We can talk crappie fishin!!!!!!! Great site men. Thanx!!  Raider<><>


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## Zfish

Raider.. This thread will be my 2nd home... Lol eye forum 1st then this one. Man its nice to be able to find info this easy and talk about crappies and eyes. Better hurry and get the crappie rocket ready


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## JimG

Hi Guys, Just signed on and WOW a Crappie Site, there is a GOD !!!!!!!!
So far not being a computer expert I'm still making my way through things yet.
I plan on starting to post different things I have learned about Crappies and information to share throughout all the year to date.
I have fished all over the US for Crappies but did most of my research in Ohio.
Yes, the time is just about here to start smiling with those Silver Streaks again.
Around Lake Erie here I have found after trying so many different approaches for Crappie and knowing when they will appear I have found that the Barometer Reading seems to be the bast for me in early season Crappie.
I use small jigs either casting and real slow or tight line small jigs early. For added tempting I use a 1/32oz. pony head with small spinner to attrach the slabs.
The best Barometer setting I have found is either a rising or falling Barometer in the 29.8 to 30.41/4 area and you seem to start finding them when the water is below 54* in water temps.
So there's my first post and I really like all the time put into the working of this site.
Now with all the sites that have come about I find that so far this one offers me a chance to find a "Crappie Home"

Tight line to you all. It's 6:45 a.m. Tuesday the 6th and I'm headed over to Hest Haven to see if I can tempt some early crappie.

JimG


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## ShakeDown

Looking forward to your posts Jim. I do a lot of spring/fall crappie fishing around central ohio (delaware, alum) with real good success usually. Here's a question though...

2 Weeks ago I hit Alum. Water temp was 48. Caught em all @ 15ft. The next day, I hit Griggs, water temp the same, caught em all shallow...3-5 feet.

This past weekend, I hit Alum again. Water temp had dropped to 46, couldn't get a SNIFF. tried shallow, deep, you name it. crappie tubes, road runners, jig/minnow and nothing. It was REAL windy on the water too, and I'm not a big fan of anchoring. Sound like my presentation might be too fast drifting for the water temps? I was markin them, but couldn't get a look.


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## misfit

i'm not the expert that jim is,but could have been a few factors.a couple degrees temp. drop could have made a difference,along with presentation and barometer.maybe there was a big difference in pressure.at times they get real picky about speed.when they do,i think you need to anchor and slow the presentation way down.if it was sunny the day you got them shallow,they could have been there due to the sun warming that section of water,especially if the water was stained along with a couple other factors.
just my thoughts.


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## Big Daddy

AWESOME! The crappie are hitting around here too! I'll be SOMEWHERE Saturday, even if it is snowing. 

Gotta go to work now, but I'll post what was working last week for me later tonight.

YESSSS!!!!!

Carl


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## JimG

Two things came to mind after your post about the on again and off again bite. Like eariler in my post I looked back , for I keep daily records from a weather station I have and about the time frames you wrote about one was a rising pressure and the next was in a domat phase. Also the ph was effected around the time you wrote in my area and that also has some bearing though not that great.
Through research I found that the pressure greatly effects crappie more than any other fish and when it's below their normal temperature of around 52* any slight change effects the "Lock Jaw" mode. This chages once the temps get in their normal living range. 
One way I found to induce a bite in those rough times is to load heavy on scent on jigs , I use Kodiak shad scent and allow alot of time for the scent to disperse. I have even taken one outfit and scented it down heavy tight lined and then will use a second outfit to do my jigging at levels above and below the suspended heavey scented lure.
Over the last five years in working back and forth from different agencies who also do research on Crappies I found that up north say such as in Ohio, the crappie pattern and bite is effected more by the Barometric pressure than say in the south.
It took a hard five years of daily recording to get to the point I'm at , but I'm sure as always there's more to find out yet.
I've researched lunar table and all the different approaches, but to date the pressure has been the most productive.
I have done alot of research also with the Sate on Crappie information and last years report they allowed me acess to also more than ever directed me to watch the pressure more. 
Now if only I can figure out the reasons for the "lock jaw" I'm be on my way to being wealthy, I Wish.
From time to time I plan on posting my information as I go along , but you need not spend alot of money, a simple wall barometer is enough to start jotting down daily settings. I use a hand held one and it's on my person most of the time. 
The big difference I have found when it comes to crappies is I'm getting to the point where I can figure out by checking when is the most productive time to hunt for them. But practice makes perfect I guess. 
Tight Lines,
JimG


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## ShoreBoundOne

All the stuff i ordered last week is rolling in.....only things i am waiting on are the pony heads and they should be in today. Went out at daybreak on last Saturday but i think the cold pushed em deep. Hope you had alot of luck today...i may try hitting it in the evenings after work this week.
i promised the wife and kids i would take them to the trout release in Fremont this weekend but may hit resthaven on sunday.

Mitch


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## misfit

since i'm picking up my new prop today,i think i'll take the toad on a buckeye lake crappie hunt tomorrow.then it's on to my favorite..................hoover.


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## Zfish

Please keep me updated.  Hopefully I will be on Hoover in a couple of weeks. Since I dont have a kicker yet I may hit Delaware.


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## misfit

i'll let you know what's up as soon as i get a chance to get there.i might even need your help when i find them


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## Zfish

Hopefully I can get out and get my boat done this upcomming weekend. If Im lucky I'll finish it on Saturday and maybe I can talk ole lakeraider into fishing for some crappies on the river or somwhere to make sure everything is good with the updates and such. Sure hope the boat doesnt blow up


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## JimG

Hi Mitch,
Good to hear your items are arriving.
Went to Rest Haven pond #10 this morning and the B. pressure is still holding at 29.5 which is still in the not-so-good range , but you know how it is, had to go. The water is holding at 50* exact and the wind was the not so good thing, blowing right in your face which added to the chill.
I did pick up three good sized, but that was after alot of casting. The three were in about 4 foot of water and as I would pass the depth they would charge out at smack it. It was on the lure setup I wrote you about and it can only get better as it warms.So far it's three days behind last year, but the water last year was 4* higher on this date.
I did try tight line jigging , but gave up on that, for I couldn't get past the bluegills hitting the jig, you know those tap,taps. 
I did travel to pond #8 also and that's off the road on Rt.269 before you get to the turn off(haywood) road. It's a paved drive back to the pond and I tried the NorthEast corner and was picking up Crappies about 4 to 6 inches around the bend by a tree laying in the water. Couldn't get past that three number on good sized ones though. But you know how it is, it's still early yet and I'm pushing the gun. Did land two LM Bass though, guess the offering looked good to them also, no fight just dead weight coming in, did the C&R thing with the bass and small crappie.
FYI
I did travel over to East Harbor Marina and noone was having any luck there at all, they were using everything but no luck, same for downtown Sandusky area also, but the water is still cold in the bay and lake.
I think 29.8 will be the magic number for the turn on and the movement to the shoreline. I hope by Firday if the weather doesn't take a big dip.
Mitch it's only a matter of time now.
Tight lines to everyone,
Jim


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## WLB

JimG
How big were the bass you caught in pond 8?
Have you caught anything of decent size since they drained it a couple years ago. Man that pond use to have some nice bass in it and big gills to. I heard the state restocked some good fish in there but I've only caught a couple 6 inchers?


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## JimG

The pond they drained was #8 and then restocked. The bass I caught and released came from there. One was 14" and the other was 17 1/4 inches. So far the bass are recovering in the growth stage and they have replaced more cover that favors the growth pattern for Bass.
I have to say though it was good they redid it, for the fish were getting over run by bluegill and I believe alot of the "Hatch" was lost to them over the years.
It may be a year or two yet , but there's no doubt the area is now friendly for their growth.
Pond #10 is where I float fish alot in mid-summer in the evenings and there's some big bass in there. The bass are smart though, they stay on the other side so you need a small boat or float to get to the most productive spots.
Rest Haven, though it's been around for some time is still an area on the growth for fish I think and they are doing a real good job at maintaining a productive level.
In the future it can only get better. Maybe one of the nice things is there's 13 ponds in all and you have a chance to get away from the crowd most of the time.
Tight Lines,
JimG


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## Ken

Have the crappie started hitting at delaware yet


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