Catching Crappie under docks

  Catching crappie under docks can be some of the fastest and easiest way to catch crappie once you understand how to do it. You'll think your taking candy from a baby after you discover how easy it is to load the boat with crappie, shooting docks. First of all you must understand that crappie can be found in large numbers under docks. They like docks because of the shade and cover it gives them. Docks also attract food for crappie the same way bridges do. The best way to catch crappie under these docks from a boat is to use a technique called shooting. First you need a Wally Marshall Mr Crappie 5.2– 6.5ft light action rod with a closed faced or spinning reel rigged with 4-10 lb Mr Crappie Hi-vis line and a 1/16 or 1/32 oz jig. Then you put out about 3-4 ft of line and use your free hand to grab the head of the jig. Only use two fingers and grab the head with the hook facing outwards. Now by pulling on the head of the jig pull till the pole bends a little bit, aim towards your target and release the jig head. Now this is of course going to be tough at first but if you can master this, you can put that jig up in the darkest places under that dock. I can also assure you most fishermen can't do this therefore that puts you at a huge advantage. When you get good at this you can shoot a 1/16 oz jig and place it with accuracy under any dock, yes even the ones with only 4-6 inches of clearance. Another way I get my jig under docks is skipping it. Just like you skip a rock, all you do is cast with a little force and keep the angle as flat as possible. Learning these two techniques can make the difference between catching none and catching your limit of nice slabs! Good luck!

Catching Crappie from bridges  

  Catching crappie from bridges is generally an easy thing to do year around. The crappie holds to the area for several reasons. The bridge offers the fish cover, shade, food supply, and year around comfort on deeper bridges.  The average angler will just tie up to one set of pillars on the bridge and set back with a couple of rods rigged with minnows and just wait till they bite. That’s fine for just relaxing but if you really want to catch some fish you’ve got to move around. I have found the best and most productive way is to use my trolling motor and work around each and every pillar, by the time I’ve fished 2-3 sets of pillars I know if the fish are biting there or not.  The season determines where you start fishing on a long bridge with lots of pillars. Here in Texas it’s not uncommon for the bridges to be ¼ - ½ mile long with pillars every 30 ft. or so deciding where to start can be very important. If you know the depth the crappie are at that time of year just start at that depth. Otherwise fish the bridge in sections. Let’s say its mid winter so you may want to start on the deeper pillars. Fish 2-3 sets and then move down to a different depth and try there and so on. Just remember deep bridges hold fish year around so unless the bite is just no good at the time your there you should catch some crappie. Remember also bridges are just one of many spots to catch crappie. So if you really want to be able to catch crappie all the time you’ve got to have more tricks up your sleeve. 

Trolling 

What is Slow Trolling/ Spider Rigging

  The slow-trolling method known as spider rigging has been used for years. It will work on nearly all bodies of water. Using long crappie poles, the idea is to cover as much water as possible to find the elusive crappie.

Loading up six to eight rods on the front of the boat allows me to cover a wide path and have a more stable boat while trolling. With two people sitting in the front of the boat, the added weight pushes the boat deeper into the water, stabilizing it. This prevents waves from constantly bouncing my poles and making my bait bounce up and down. Unlike white bass fishing or hybrid fishing most crappie will not hit your bait if it's moving fast.

I also have my transducer on my trolling motor and the graph is up front so I can position my boat over the break lines of a creek channel by keeping a constant look at my electronics and making constant adjustments with my trolling motor. In most cases I am fishing the sides of these drop offs and by watching my graph I am able to keep my boat directly over this area.

Gear & technique

  I troll with six to eight 10 foot Mr Crappie poles, mounted on a Bee-Ready rod-holder system. I usually rig my rods with two hooks by tying on a swivel and two leader lines of 12-pound test. The first leader is about 6 inches long. I run a bottom leader (dropper) of about 24- 30 for catching suspended fish. my rigs are weighted with an egg sinker attached to the 24-inch dropper, between the swivel and the bottom hook or lure. I secures the sinker by running the long leader through the weight 4 times then attaching it to the swivel. I favor a 1/2-ounce slip sinker, although I will switch to a 3/4-ounce on windy days or if I am fishing deeper than 35-40ft.

Winter is when I spider rig the most, because crappies hold deeper, and on the edge of the channels, relating to a break line. Since crappies can be scattered anywhere along a break line, I think my chances are better when spider rigging with multiple poles rather than trying to vertically jig with one rod. When spider rigging an open bank I will use the trolling motor to pull the boat at a speed at which my lines are less than a 15 degree angle I watch my lines carefully checking them at any hint of movement. I will lift my pole as soon as I detect anything unusual on my pole. Crappie can hit extremely lightly and if you don't lift your line you are probably missing fish. During the other seasons I don't troll much because I am able to catch crappie faster on the many lake docks and man made brush piles.

I will always troll against the wind, I can maintain much better boat control that way. If I get hung on something I can let the wind just push me back and I wont have to retrieve all my lines and turn the boat around. Good luck if you try this technique and be patient. At first it can be frustrating keeping that many poles going at the same time.

View other videos

12-16-08 catching Hybrid Stripers

How to remove a deep hook from a crappie

Catching fish on Cedar Creek Lake

Fighting a Huge 20lb Catfish

Catching White Bass in the Winter

Lake Records

Cedar Creek Lake Records 

Per Texas Parks and Wildlife

IT'S OFFICIAL ! NEW JR ANGLER STATE RECORD & WATER BODY RECORD- Caught while fishing with guide Chuck Rollins on Cedar Creek Lake on a calm May morning.

Bigcrappie.com is now responsible for the current lake record white crappie, Jr Angler State record, Jr Angler lake record for both white & black crappie. A total of 4 new records on Cedar Creel Lake.

NEW RECORD!

11-25-08 

Emily Campbell of Plano caught this 25.25 inch long Hybrid Striper that weighed 7.66lbs. The fish was caught on 11-25-08 using 6lb line and a crappie jig while crappie fishing

Below is a picture of Guide Chuck Rollins and Emily with her record fish!

LAST RECORD!

Five year old Michael Stroud from Van, Tx caught this 6.49lb Hybrid Striper while fishing with www.BigCrappie.com Guide Service. The Hybrid Striper is an official new Jr Angler Lake Record. It was a whopping 24.25 inches long and weighed in at 6.49 lbs.  It was caught on a 3/4 ounce spoon in 20 ft of water on 8-27-08  Michael hooked and reeled in the fish on an Abu Garcia spinning reel & an Ugly Stick rod spooled with 15lb test line. The fish fought 5 year old Micheal about 5 minutes being landed. This picture is courtesy of www.BigCrappie.com Guide Service. To learn more about catching big fish give them a call at 903-288-5798.

 

Below is a picture of Michael Stroud holding up the fish.

Behind him is guide Chuck Rollins of BigCrappie.com Guide Service.

 

 

Click HERE to view the TP&WD web site listing the new record.