Where to look for big ones?

[Warmouth]

I've been fishing some Jackson County lakes for crappie, and I've been catching a lot, but they're small. When you find schools of 8" crappie is there anything you try to get into bigger fish, or just try to sort throught the smaller ones to find the bigger fish in that school?



I've been thinking of trying different structure, going deeper, or using bigger jigs. What would you try?



It seems most of these lakes have problems with crappie over population, but I can still find 10-14" fish every so often, so I know they are in there somewhere.



The lake I normally fish has standing timber but shallower water down toward the inlets, and deep water with steep rock banks toward the dam, some mud flats inbetween. I have been concentraiting on the deeper water near the dam, fishing 12-15' deep in 18-25' of water.

[Bruce Carpenter]

Dave, that is the question that each of us ponders. Best advice I can offer is fish somewhere else. Crappie tend to school with the same general size of fish. Big fish hang out with big fish. If you are catching small ones try somewhere else. It is usually a hunt and search operation, but find one then start working that pattern elsewhere where similiar conditions occur. Good fishing.

[Warmouth]

Thanks Bruce.

I have heard that crappie school by size/age class. I was just wondering if there was a set pattern that anyone knew. Like, if smaller fish are 14' in 25' of water then look at the deeper side of the school for bigger fish or maybe the bigger fish hold tighter to the structure etc. I was hoping it would be that easy anyway.

I'll cover some more water and figure this out. The lakes are all less than 1,300acres or so, and there are some prime looking areas that I haven't covered.

I have found that it takes very little structure to hold crappie in the more open water. I caught 35 or so fish on one stick up Sunday morning. That was the only vertical structure for 100's of yards.

Good luck.

[Duck Me Runnin]

I'm no authority on the matter, but we catch quite a few crappie during the summer that aren't really relating to structure. And they're not always as deep as one might think.



They do some serious open water suspending this time of year. IMHO

[Warmouth]

I have been catching some in the open water also. Next to steep rock banks right where the slope levels off in 25-30' of water. The fish have been 12-15' deep right over the contour break. The problem is that they crappie have been 8" or so, with only a couple in the 10" range.

Thanks, I'll keep after 'em and get it figured out.

[Warmouth]

Just an update:

I still have not figured out where the bigger fish are, but I haven't been after them really hard since this heat has hit. I will be out Sat morning. We'll see what happens.

[Hunter91]

I do some trolling with crankbaits this time of year in open water as deep as 90-100ft on some lakes. We catch crappie alot in this depth of water about 20 ft deep. Can't say they are all small or large. We catch abunch that are less than 8 inches and some real nice ones to 14-15 inches. Just suspending out there I guess.

[Ozark]

This doesn't do you any good now, but I've noticed something in the springtime before and after the spawn when crappie are bunched up on flooded trees and brushpiles.

The biggest crappie will be in the best cover. They'll get right in the middle of the thickest brush, and the smaller crappie will be toward the outside. I guess the big ones are able to bully the small ones away from the center of the cover.

[Warmouth]

Thanks fella's. I was out tubing last night with some friends and saw some big schools of suspending fish at 19' in 65' of water, way out in the middle of no where. I guess that will be my next try.

[Bruce Carpenter]

Also, keep in mind that crappie move, make milk runs/routes. Find the route then stay with them. Don't think they are always in one location, but move throughtout the day in their cycle. That's why one day you find large fish in a spot and next time small fish have replaced them. smaller fish have larger schools then big fish, may have a handful of quality fish in their small school. my two cents

[Warmouth]

Thanks Bruce.