Page 5 - Crappie NOW - February 2018
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WINTER DOCKS
A dock with no roof provides less shade but
that’s not always a bad thing in the winter. Keeping a distance in clear water is
These docks are easier to fish so may be a sometimes necessary. Also, the fish may
top pick for a weekend fisherman. Flipping or be hanging near the corners of a dock.
short casts can be used for working along a
boat or walkway. Floating docks offer more
floatation to heat up with the sun. Piling style prime locations. Water may be shallow but it
docks give the most underwater vertical cover. will warm quickly drawing baitfish and crappie,
Covered docks provide walkways, especially when the dock is near deep water.
boats and underwater cover. Sunlight might
be limited but is an important factor. When the Pitching & Casting
sun is high, the shaded areas near the sunny Fish are suspended somewhere between
spots can be good. the bottom and the top of the surface so along
A third type dock is a covered or with shooting, a more simple pitching or
uncovered piling dock on lakes or rivers with casting technique can be often be used. Open
winter drawdown. When water is down it places docks are the easiest for these techniques but
more space between the water surface and the the edges and under pontoons can be worked
walkways giving more room to get baits into under covered docks with boats.
Pitching and casting along the walkways
or underwater covers are the most basic of
Typical shooting baits are 1/32- or fishing. All depths must be checked but after
a couple of crappie are caught at one depth
1/16-ounce jigs. the remainder of the presentations can focus
upon the strike zone. Keying in quickly on the
5 Crappie NOW February 2018
