Page 8 - Crappie NOW - September 2017
P. 8
Story & photos by John Neporadny Jr.
where the bottoms drop from 7 feet to 12
The bane of bass anglers in the feet.
fall can also lead to cases of anxiety for The Missouri guide also recommends
crappie anglers when cooler weather searching for active crappie suspended
arrives. higher in the water column near standing
Bass anglers frequently use the fall timber during the turnover. He suggests
turnover (see sidebar) as an excuse for the most active fish will probably be
their tough day on the water and crappie suspended 3 to 6 feet deep in the trees
anglers can do the same because the 15 to 20 feet deep.
turnover has the same numbing effect “Swinging big jigs” in the shallows is
on crappie as it does on bass. However Faulkenberry’s favorite tactic for turnover
savvy crappie anglers know fish will still crappie. He opts for a 2 1/2- or 3-inch
bite when a lake is turning over. “The tube bait with a 1/8-ounce jighead or a
turnover is just a hurdle but every hurdle 1/8-ounce Mr. Crappie Krappie Kicker
can be overcome,” Truman Lake guide Jig in white or chartreuse to pitch to the
Jeff Faulkenberry says. stumps.
The key to catching crappie during After pitching his jig to the target,
the turnover is finding the most active Faulkenberry gently jigs the lure as it
fish. Faulkenberry heads for the backs of swings back towards him. “A lot of times
creeks to find crappie then on a lowland they are going to hit it on the swing,”
reservoir with off-color water such as Faulkenberry says. “I am barely twitching
Truman. “When the lake is turning over that thing sometimes but I am always
in the fall generally the fish back in those twitching it. My jig is moving all the time
creeks are going to start biting,” he says. because I am looking for that reaction bite.
“I feel like the water with the highest If the fish is there it is going to hit that jig.”
dissolved oxygen content will hold the He believes this tactic allows him to cover
most active fish. So I am going to stay water quickly and put his jig in front of
away from anywhere I see a good algae more active fish than deadsticking a lure
bloom and stuff like that and I am going to in the cover.
get back in those creeks and try to catch Lake of the Ozarks guide Terry
those fish shallow.” Blankenship also heads for the shallows
Faulkenberry targets large hardwood when the fall turnover occurs on his home
stumps at depths of 2 to 7 feet where lake. “You can catch some big fish during
crappie hold tight to the cover. He believes
the dark stumps absorb lots of sunlight Former Crappie Masters National
which raises the dissolved oxygen content Champion Kyle Schoenherr goes deep to
near the stump and draws the fish closer find crappie on the clear waters of Lake
to the cover. He also looks for crappie Kincaid during the fall turnover.
along the tops of stump-laden ledges
8 Crappie NOW September 2017
