Page 7 - Crappie NOW - July 2018

SHALLOW WATER SPIDER-RIGGING

in shallow water especially where there is Most rivers and lakes have shallow
vegetation such as duck weed, hyacinths, back water areas, like old sloughs or oxbows
gator grass (also known as eel grass) or coon that hold water throughout the year, and it is
water moss. This vegetation provides shade, those places that will have the crappie. Look
oxygen and places for forage to hide. The for those shallow areas that have some type
vegetation provides nutrients for the forage of vegetation in the water. That is the major
thereby holding the crappie. In many shallow component for a successful fishing trip when
water areas, there will also be cypress trees fishing shallow. Spider rigging is the most
that are magnets for shallow water crappie. effective way to dissect an area and catch fish.
Where there is cover such as stumps, logs
or bushes in the same area, those places - Ron Wong
will hold small schools of fish. Matt said it is
important to use your electronics to find the
cover in shallow water as these are the houses
that the crappie will live in throughout the hot
days of summer.
Some very good tips provided by Matt
to catch crappie in shallow water during the
summer are:
• Move slowly throughout the area and
when around a piece of cover, stop and fish
thoroughly
• Use electronics to find cover, especially
when fishing duck weed and other floating
vegetation
• Be quiet in the boat and keep trolling
motor on low speeds
• Use 16-foot poles if the water is clear to
prevent spooking the fish
• If the water is stained to muddy, add a
Midsouth Tackle crappie tube to the jig head
for more vibration and tip with small minnow
• Use 8-pound test line when possible, go
to 10-pound test in heavy cover
• Reduce number of rods when fishing
heavy cover laden areas; he has sometimes
used just 4 poles successfully
• Use different colored jig heads until you
can determine what color is most effective
• Many shallow areas will have small
ditches, follow them as vegetation will be on
the sides of the ditches
• When fishing very heavy cover, use a
single jig head tipped with a minnow to reduce
hanging up
• Be patient, as some time it will take a
while to cover an area until the fish are found
or a pattern is determined
• Remember to hydrate and use sunscreen
in the summer

7 Crappie NOW July 2018