by Dan Saknini
http://www.laniercrappieanglers.net
As expected, crappie fishing around this time of year is becoming fair at best with water temps around 86 degrees. Your best bet for catching fish is early in the morning on deep docks and deep brush piles. Expect this pattern to remain the same until you see a combination of a change in the temperature and cooler rain. This will bring the fish to shallower structure, thus making them easier to catch. If you are interested, visit our website above where we have posted links to several YOU Tube videos on the subject. This is a good time of the year to work on your brush piles, which will give you more spots to fish when the weather cools and the bite heats up!
Night fishing is good right now. Target bridges such as Clark’s Bridge, Wahoo Bridge and Six Mile Bridge. All have one good thing in common: they are in sight of a boat ramp, which is convenient when launching. You will need some type of twelve volt light such as a Hydro Glow. For best results, keep the light a few feet away from your boat. This can be accomplished by using a broom stick or some type of rod. After submerging the light, attach the cord to the rod, leaving just enough slack in the cord for the light to stay submerged. Place the other end in the rod holder. This will keep the light several feet from the boat and give you better coverage, and keeps it from banging against the boat and spooking the fish.
Small or medium crappie minnows are your best bet for bait. Set your baits at different depths, and if you notice one depth is getting more action, adjust accordingly. The bite is sporadic. You may wait an hour or so for the fish to come after the bait and hit them good for thirty minutes or so, then you may wait another hour or so for another school to come by and start the bite again. This requires patience, but is a great opportunity to kick back and relax during an evening on the water.
Enjoy your summer, and be safe on the water as the lake is now crowded! Wear your life jacket. It can save your life!