It's that time!

[T Dub]

Crappie are getting up shallow - the big males are in position. Fished yesterday evening for a couple hours and caught close to 50. Kept a limit.

Question for the crappie guys: After the spawn when the crappie disappear from the shallows, where do they go? Do they suspend over deeper water for a while or do they return to the channels? I've always been able to catch them shallow around the spawn and then I'm done for the year.

[rocket man]

What was the water temp? They will mostly be on the drops on brush after the spawn.

[T Dub]

I usually check the surface temp with an infrared gun, but yesterday I was catching them pretty good and forgot to check. I would guess around 70 in the back of the creek and upper 60's in the middle.

[Jspell]

I usually check the surface temp with an infrared gun, but yesterday I was catching them pretty good and forgot to check. I would guess around 70 in the back of the creek and upper 60's in the middle.

Infrared gun? You own a temp gun but no fish finder with temp? Water temp here on KY lake is 58 to 60.

[T Dub]

My depth finder has no temperature probe so I just use an infrared lazer. I fish out of an old jon boat. The water temp in the back of the creek I was fishing last Saturday was upper 60's. It was warmer yesterday.

[D.O.C. 989]

If there are trees in your lake, fishing standing timber is a great summer bite pattern.

[flatstick]

If there are trees in your lake, fishing standing timber is a great summer bite pattern.

Wish we had trees in our lakes but we do not . hard to find them crappie in the summer.

[zerofivenismo]

Crappie are getting up shallow - the big males are in position. Fished yesterday evening for a couple hours and caught close to 50. Kept a limit.

Question for the crappie guys: After the spawn when the crappie disappear from the shallows, where do they go? Do they suspend over deeper water for a while or do they return to the channels? I've always been able to catch them shallow around the spawn and then I'm done for the year.

You got into a real good mess! When they disappear from the shallows, I'll probe brush in the first drop off from the spawning banks. They'll recover there for a bit, then slowly move off into the creek channel.

[T Dub]

You got into a real good mess! When they disappear from the shallows, I'll probe brush in the first drop off from the spawning banks. They'll recover there for a bit, then slowly move off into the creek channel.

Good info!

I fished with a friend Saturday and caught close to 50 again, but only 20 keepers. Water temp at daylight was 59 in the middle of the creek - sun came out after lunch time and warmed the water a few degrees I'm sure. Males were still up very shallow and relating to all cover/structure with the majority coming from rocks and stumps (biting anywhere from 1 to 5 feet with the boat siting in anywhere from 8 to 40 feet deep). Big females were off the end of docks and in deep brush biting anywhere from 5 to 12 feet.

Lots of rain coming through today. Hopefully going again in a few days.

[zerofivenismo]

Looks like you got a pattern figured out. Males up shallow. Then back off to sack the big gals.

[T Dub]

Looks like you got a pattern figured out. Males up shallow. Then back off to sack the big gals.

Storms moving in tonight with a cold front - Hoping the fish will stay put until I can go again

[flatstick]

hope the water temp does not drop too much . those Crappie can be sensitive to drastic drops in temps.

[T Dub]

hope the water temp does not drop too much . those Crappie can be sensitive to drastic drops in temps.

I'm hoping the male crappie will stay focused if you know what I mean....

[flatstick]

I'm hoping the male crappie will stay focused if you know what I mean....

I know what you are saying ha ha ha ha .