Page 8 - Crappie NOW - November 2017
P. 8
Story & photos by: Darl Black
– a very common occurrence during
W hen the “gales of November” the late fall on lakes which have a
blow across the Great Lakes, crappie gizzard shad population. The extreme
anglers in northern states realize it’s cold of northern lakes results in a high
time to go deep and go vertical on shad die-off as winter approaches.
inland natural lakes and reservoirs.
But the debate then turns to whether Enter bling baits.
to go with bling or no bling. Blade baits are teardrop shaped
I know anglers who only fish metal fins with a head of lead molded
for crappies in the cold water of late to the bottom front edge. Some models
fall with flashy jigging lures. Other have one treble hook while others
fishermen could not imagine using some have two trebles or two double
anything other than subtle plastic- hooks. The 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2-ounce
bodied jigs and live bait. models that are less than 2.5 inches
Of course the really smart anglers in length are the best choices. Among
are prepared with both. Here’s what the popular brands are Johnson Thin
you need to know to cover all bases Fish, Heddon Sonar and Reef Runner.
for late fall crappies up north. These lures are available in polished
First, a quick tip for locating metal or painted finishes, whoever I
crappies during the late fall coldwater have always found a chrome, silver or
period. Crappies in natural lakes gold finish to be superior for crappies
follow bait into deeper water, setting in fall.
up on hard bottom points and humps
– sometimes as deep as the silt line
where hard meets soft. In reservoirs, … lakes are clearer than
crappies tend to stack up around anytime during the summer so
natural cover (stumps) or man-made
cover (cribs) not far from either the natural colors tend to dominate
main river channel or major secondary when fishing very slowly.
creek channels – with fish on both
the channel drop and associated
deep flats. Depending on the lake’s Slab style and slightly concave
features, water clarity and forage, you jigging spoons which range from
will typically find crappies somewhere 3/16-ounce to 3/8-ounce in weight
between 15 and 35 feet deep. with lengths under 2.5 inches include
Bling Side Johnson Splinter, small Hopkins
Shorty, and others. As with blades,
Crappies are attracted to the polished metal finishes are better than
flash and fall of metal baits. This painted ones.
action resembles a struggling baitfish Typically blades are dropped
8 Crappie NOW November 2017
