Four Tactics for Catching a Bumper Crop of Fall Crappie.
“They’re there all year,” says McCadams.
Stable weather conditions make the bite more predictable, and dropping water levels make the fish easier to pattern.
Hot Spots Focus on water 9 to 15 feet deep with structure like brushpiles or stake beds.
“When you find the structure, you’re going to find the fish,” says McCadams.
He pinches a No.
“I don’t jig the lure a lot.
I hold it right over the bed and maybe do a light twitch with the rod tip.” 4.
Have a Cast If there’s no wind and the water is clear, the fish can be more finicky.
In this case, McCadams will back off and cast a weedless grub or jig—occasionally under a slip bobber—and work it back slowly with a stop-pause retrieve.
Steve McCadams, a guide on Kentucky Lake, can’t understand why crappie anglers only fish the spawn. “They’re there all year,” says McCadams. “And fall is one of the better times to catch them.” The reason? Stable weather conditions make the bite more predictable, and dropping water levels make the fish easier to pattern.
1. Hot Spots
Focus on water 9 to 15 feet deep with structure like brushpiles or stake beds. “When you find the structure, you’re going to find the fish,” says McCadams. He tosses marker buoys…
