Someone say crappie?
Someone say crappie? Well here you go with this week tip.
let’s dig into this weeks crappie
fishing techniques… hold onto your hat!——————
Located along the Tennessee River you
will find a reservoir called Chickamauga
Lake.It’s a great place to go crappie fishing
partly because the environment is
perfect for this species to thrive. The
crappie is known by many different names
such as the papermouth, speckled perch
and goggleye and they can be found
almost anywhere but the Chickamauga Lake
has many structures where they can be
found easily.You can fish for both the black and the
white crappie in this lake depending on
which one you prefer to catch. The two
are similar in many ways but they are
distinguished by the color and markings
they have. For instance, the black
crappies have spots on the sides and
seven to eight dorsal spines while the
white crappies have eight or nine
vertical bands on the sides and six
dorsal spines.Both types of crappies can be caught
using the same methods and basically the
same types of baits. The crappie is not
a very hard species to catch so any one
of the following three methods will work
very well.Casting Casting is an easy method used
to catch crappie on Chickamauga Lake. It
can be used when fishing from a boat or
from along side the edge of the lake.
When using this method don’t cast
directly in the center of a school of
fish. This will startle the crappies and
they will begin to scatter. Instead,
it’s recommended that you start fishing
along the edge of the school of fish and
work toward the center. Cast your line
around docks, ledges, rocks and any
other natural or man-made structures for
the best results. This is where the
crappies will be the most plentiful.In the warm months, it’s suggested that
you fish in the areas that are the
shadiest. The crappies tend to avoid
direct sunlight and won’t take your bait
in the areas where the sun is shinning
directly in the water. It can be
difficult to feel when the crappies take
your bait so watch the line carefully.
If you see your line moving sideways,
this may be an indication that you have
a bite even though you don’t feel
anything.Trolling Trolling is an excellent method
that is also used quite often to catch
crappie on the Chickamauga Lake. One of
the reasons it’s so popular is because
you can use several rods at the same
time. This allows you to fish at
different depths and use different types
of bait at the same time until you
discover what is working the best. Of
course, you will need access to a boat
equipped with a trolling motor and rod
holders in order to use this method.When trolling for crappies you will have
more success if you know a little about
this species and where they can be found
during each season. During the summer,
troll the deeper parts of the lake for
the best results. In the spring, it’s
suggested that you move in closer to the
shoreline.Drifting Drifting is a great way to fish
for crappies because it allows you to
move in on a school of fish very
quietly. This is a species that will
frighten easily so, any method that
allows you to get close without scaring
them away is very popular. When drifting
for crappies you will use the wind and
the current to move your boat downstream
through the schools of fish. Place a
buoy or some other type of marker in the
areas where you get bites so you can
maneuver around these areas and start
over again. When you begin to drift
off-course you can use your trolling
motor to get back on track. Using a
depth finder can help you locate the
schools of fish faster.All three of these ways are good methods
to use when crappie fishing on the
Chickamauga Lake. Many anglers prefer to
fish from the shoreline, banks and off
of docks while others prefer going out
in a boat. Therefore, the best one for
you to choose will depend on your
personal preference and the type of gear
that you have.Regardless of which way you choose to
fish for crappies, minnows or worms are
usually the best baits to use if you
fish with live bait. When using
artificial lures choose your color
wisely depending on the type of water in
which you’re fishing. The best time of
day to fish for crappies is in the early
morning and the late evening. This is
when they are the most active. They will
also bite rather aggressively on cloudy
days and when it’s slightly raining.The crappies tend to be less aggressive
during the winter months and you may not
get as many bites but you can still go
fishing for crappies. Just make sure
that you slow down your presentation
when the water is cold because they will
be moving much slower during this time
of year.
Ohio Sportfishing http://www.ohiosportfishing.com/