Page 9 - Crappie NOW | August 2015

Hump Fishing for Summer Crappie

bump on a flat may hold a single bass, while
a hump may hold a school of crappies. Of
course, a hump may contain multiple bumps
which certainly enhance its attractiveness to
fish.
On man-made impoundments, humps
are more prevalent on flatland reservoirs
where water has flooded a rather uniform
stretch of land with gradual depth change
from the shoreline to the mid-section of the
lake. On these impoundments, a hump may
be attributed to natural contour of the land as
well as man-made structures such as the rise
around a house/barn foundation, elevation
of a roadbed/railroad bed over a low area
around a creek, rock spoil piles from mining/
agriculture, etc. Regardless of the source of
the rise, once it is flooded with water the hump
becomes a beacon for fish.
Crappies in particular are attracted to
humps during the summer. Mature crappies
typically target young-of-year shad, emerald
shiners, or other open-water preyfish species.
But crappies also have an affinity for certain
types of cover. Mid-lake humps with some type
of cover (stumps, weeds, rock piles or man-
made cribs) are the perfect summer home
for crappies. With a feeling of security due to
cover, crappies simply hold on the structure
waiting for roaming forage fish schools to pay
a visit.
Pymatuning Lake on the Ohio/
Pennsylvania border is one of several
impoundments in the immediate area with both He keeps color selection simple, but
always includes chartreuse baits.
humps and a strong population of crappies.
During the spring, anglers fill the shallows to
fish for crappies. But with the arrival of summer after retiring from bass competition, decided it
heat and a shift in forage source, crappies was time to return to his roots.
move offshore. Only a handful of anglers “Here on Pymatuning there is no shortage
follow them. of offshore structure and cover for crappies to
“Hooker” Brakeman, a partner in Hills Country choose from. Structure is the physical change
Store in Westfield, Ohio, is one fisherman who to the bottom, while cover refers to vegetation,
never gives up on crappies. wood or rock located on structure,” explains
“When it comes to summertime crappies, Brakeman.
every day is Hump Day for me,” says Hooker. Finding the right combination of cover on
After nearly three decades of competing structure begins with a good lake bottom
in regional and national bass tournament contour map and sonar. Hooker employs
circuits, Hooker traded in his high-horsepower Humminbird sonar to locate likely spots.
gelcoat bass boat for a used tin boat and a 20 “My favorite humps are isolated
HP motor. He fished for crappies as a kid, and somewhat from other structural features, and

9 Crappie NOW August 2015