October days are valuable, but a few should be spent crappie fishing.
Submitted photo
As hunting seasons open in October, a lot of crappie fishermen celebrate. Not because they can pick up a bow or shotgun. They’re happy the competition diminishes on the reservoirs for the best brush piles as the crappie action heats up. It really isn’t fair that October only lasts one month a year, because 31 days just aren’t enough to enjoy all the outdoor pursuits available. Regardless, you need to make sometime for crappie fishing.
Kris Nelson with Tandem Fly Outfitters agrees. An avid hunter, Nelson must balance his passion for hunting with his client list of anglers wanting to experience excellent fall crappie fishing. When in the boat with Nelson, you can look up at the changing leaves on the shoreline and wonder why you’re fishing when you could be in the timber waiting on a buck or a fall gobbler, but then you feel the thump of another slab and you’re reminded why you’re doing what you’re doing. Then when you haul your 15 fish limit out of the livewell, you’re thankful you reserved an October day for crappie fishing.
Temperatures outside are cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. It can be chilly early if you’re not dressed for a cold boat ride, you’ll regret not bringing a jacket. Thankfully, this time of year crappie are pretty easy to find so a long boat ride wasn’t necessary. When we fished recently, we didn’t motor more than a few hundred yards from the boat ramp before Nelson put the trolling motor down and began checking brush for fish. Almost immediately, he found them hanging in 15 feet of water surrounding a giant brush pile.
The tactics we employed to fill his boat with big, fall crappies could be used on any lake or reservoir with adequate brush. We were using basic medium-light spinning rods with 6-lb test line, and a 1/16th-ounce jig head with a blue and gray plastic body. Drop it down to the brush, or cast it. Either way, if the crappie are there, it won’t take long. They’re on the feed right now.
Weather in October can impact fishing drastically. Understanding how weather patterns affect crappie is a skill that takes a lot time on the water to develop. Travis Bunting spends countless hours crappie fishing each year, so he’s bound to face just about every set of conditions an angler can imagine.
“A lot of the time when a fall rain comes, so does the wind. The rain will normally drop surface temperatures, but the wind will heat the water up faster and add oxygen to the water surface. The wind will also blow plankton into shallow water, and the baitfish will follow. By moving down the lake, getting away from the new water coming into the lake, you can normally find warmer water and a more aggressive bite,” Travis said.
Aside from fall rains, sudden drops in temperature can also throw a wrench in a crappie fisherman’s plans.
“One typical weather change in the fall that will affect crappie is a cold front, Travis said.“During a cold front, our technique is to slow down.”
Knowing where to fish during each weather pattern is key, but just as important is understanding how to fish when you find to the right the right spot.
“We typically fish a 1/16-oz. jig. Color is important, but I believe profile matters as much as color. For instance, to change from a black and chartreuse 2-inch tube to a blue and white Southern Pro Hot Grub not only changes the color you’re presenting but also changes the presentation, profile, and the amount of vibration the bait is putting out, Travis said. “By tipping a jig, you can add scent and vibration, which is more important in stained water. A Berkley Crappie Nibble will add scent and color, where a shiner or minnow will add scent and vibration.”
Crappie filets from cold water just taste better to me. I know a lot of folks agree. When it comes time to fill my freezer, I like to do so in the fall. Here in the Midwest, crappie are a go to resource for bags of filets. Spending pays off when you’re frying fish in the summer.
See you down the trail…
Brandon Butler writes an outdoors column for The Republic. Send comments to [email protected]. For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast on www.driftwoodoutdoors.com or anywhere podcasts are streamed.
