What is you version of the “Fall bite”?

[CHECrappie]

I see this posted everywhere and it means a lot of different things to different folks. I call my “fall bite” the movement of crappie back to the mouths of creeks and shallow. As the water turns cooler, I still find them on wood and standing timber but they are spread out searching for shad.
Whas your version?

[D.O.C. 989]

I think for us it when they begin their migration along river channels following the shad. During this transition they will sometimes follow the bait up on to flats or congregate on brush or wood close to the channels. It is hit or miss here to catch them back in the bays which for us means shallower water as we don't have a lot of big feeder creeks or rivers coming out of coves.

[Bass Junkie]

Scads of crappie stacked up on brush piles in the creeks, and it's on right now around here. Our creeks are FULL of threadfin shad about 2" long and the crappie and bass have piled in and the feed is on.

[SOONER*REDNECK]

I think it varies per the area you are in. I get excited about fall fishing but I think more than anything Im excited about going when it isnt 100 degrees. LOL. I fish as much in the Summer for crappie as I do in the Fall and Winter. Both Bass Junkie and D.O.C make excellent points that I completely agree with though!

[CHECrappie]

Scads of crappie stacked up on brush piles in the creeks, and it's on right now around here. Our creeks are FULL of threadfin shad about 2" long and the crappie and bass have piled in and the feed is on.

What depth are you targeting in the creeks?

[Bass Junkie]

What depth are you targeting in the creeks?

The fish are holding 15' to 20' deep in and around brush piles that are in 25-32 feet of water. I was camped and fishing all last week. Had a blast. Every deep brush pile I could find in the creeks had fish on them and the water was so clear you could see the fish about 10' down as you were fighting them to the boat. Caught well over 100 fish out of one brush pile over about 3 different trips to it. It was my best spot by far, only takes one spot like that to make a trip though. Caught lots of really nice slabs to, not a whole lot of little ones. The amount of shad in the creeks was crazy. You couldn't idle 100 feet without marking a big school of them on the graph. Makes me want to go back out there tomorrow but I have to get some work done at the office

[CHECrappie]

The fish are holding 15' to 20' deep in and around brush piles that are in 25-32 feet of water. I was camped and fishing all last week. Had a blast. Every deep brush pile I could find in the creeks had fish on them and the water was so clear you could see the fish about 10' down as you were fighting them to the boat. Caught well over 100 fish out of one brush pile over about 3 different trips to it. It was my best spot by far, only takes one spot like that to make a trip though. Caught lots of really nice slabs to, not a whole lot of little ones. The amount of shad in the creeks was crazy. You couldn't idle 100 feet without marking a big school of them on the graph. Makes me want to go back out there tomorrow but I have to get some work done at the office

I went back in the creeks today and couldn’t find them. Shad was everywhere but crappie weren’t with them. Stumped me.

[Bass Junkie]

I went back in the creeks today and couldn’t find them. Shad was everywhere but crappie weren’t with them. Stumped me.

They are there somewhere. Look for any brush you can find on points or flats adjacent to the creek channel. They will be there near the drop, holding on cover and ambushing bait, I would bet on it. I ran down a creek channel and marked fish on three different brush piles within about a 300-400' stretch, same thing in another creek over about a 600' stretch, two different brush piles. They won't be out there just schooled up in the open like whites or spotted bass might but they are there on some cover somewhere.

[CHECrappie]

They are there somewhere. Look for any brush you can find on points or flats adjacent to the creek channel. They will be there near the drop, holding on cover and ambushing bait, I would bet on it. I ran down a creek channel and marked fish on three different brush piles within about a 300-400' stretch, same thing in another creek over about a 600' stretch, two different brush piles. They won't be out there just schooled up in the open like whites or spotted bass might but they are there on some cover somewhere.

Thanks for the reply. Great information. The creek is about 20 yards wide and ranges from 8-14 foot deep. Lots of brush in the middle. Now going into the creek the water is 3-7 foot deep with standing timber. I slayed them there this summer but not so much now. I fished up in the creek and hit all the brush. Shad everywhere but couldn’t get into the crappie.