Fishing Tips

Here's the best tip I can pass along to anyone.  Hookup with a very good fisherman, close your mouth, open your eyes and ears, and soak up the knowledge.  In the picture below is Maurice. I met him probably a year and half ago at BPS.  I've been learning every since. He is the best jig fisherman I know.  Thanks for the lessons Mo.

General Tips:

The general rule among most crappie fishermen is to use small jigs and small minnows for crappie fishing. I agree with this for the most part, however; I think the larger white crappie can be caught with large bait at certain times of  the year. One of those times is "post spawn feed". The larger fish will spawn in deeper water than the smaller fish. One place you can find them is around the bridge pillars. After they spawn they are very hungry. The larger bait allows you to target the bigger fish. I use 2" jigs for post spawn fishing. The amount of fish you catch may decrease but you can avoid some of the much smaller fish. This is also a good time to use shad. If you've never used them you're going to be surprised when a Crappie swallows a shad which is three times the size of a  minnow.

Another good time of the year is the " fall feed". The fish are very aggressive during this time of the year. They know winter is coming and they are trying to put on a little fat to get ready for the cold.

I don't think the previously mentioned rules apply to Black Crappie.  Over the last three years I have been fishing Lake Fork. Black crappie are the dominant Crappie in the lake and they seem to prefer smaller jigs.. Smaller is definitely better at Lake Fork.  I need to fish at other lakes where the Black Crappie are dominant to determine if this is the normal behavior of  black crappie or specific to Lake Fork.

Cedar Creek

I started fishing Cedar Creek in the 2nd half of 2003 and every since I've been wondering why I waited so long.  It's a beautiful lake with some of the biggest black crappie I've ever seen.  I'm talking about the kind you see in the crappie magazine. The only tip that I can give at this point is to learn how to shoot docks.  I received some good tips by the man you see above and I also attend a seminar given by none other than Mr. Ernest Patty. The man knows crappie fishing. If you get a chance I strongly recommend attending one of his seminars or purchasing one of his videos.

Black Crappie are the dominant crappie but there are some very nice white's in the lake as well. I've only fished the bridges and the docks thus far. Both were productive. The lures preferred by the fish are almost identical to that preferred on Lake Fork. I had to fish with some smaller jigs to shoot the docks. The larger ones fell too quickly and I usually got hung up. I fished a 1/24 oz  which I started tying last year. I call it the "BUG EYED JIG". Check it out.

Crappie Condo's

Lake Specific Tips:

Lake Lewisville 

I have been fishing Lake Lewisville for the last 12yrs.  The Crappie fishing has slumped over the last 3yrs.  The best advice I can give anyone who is planning on fishing Lake Lewisville, is follow the water release on TPWL website. I don't like fishing when the gates are open but if I decide to go anyway the release has to be less than 500cfs. Another factor is the water clarity.  The lake gets muddy after a good rain and sometimes takes 5 to 7 days to get back to normal  in depths less than 20 feet (this is also wind dependent).  The fish get lock jaw when the water is muddy.  I suggest fishing in deeper waters if you are fishing after a rain.  The water clarity should be better in depths of 20 to 30 feet.  If  you choose to fish the muddy water I suggest using live bait.