Find deeper cover for fall crappie

Most of our area lakes have been dropping toward winter pool. Carr Creek Lake has dropped around 6 to 7 feet and is going down more every day. As the water falls, shallow areas dry up, and crappie move from shallow-water cover into deeper areas of the main lake, where conditions are stable. Look for brush piles, stumps, downed trees, standing flooded timber and man-made fish attractors in deeper water. Whether that cover holds fall crappie depends on a few things, including the presence of baitfish such as minnows and shad, and whether the cover is at the depth the fish prefer. Crappie can be particular about depth, moving up or down in the water during the day. They can also be picky about the color of jigs fished around the cover. But my favorite crappie bait is a fat, lively minnow. You just can’t beat a minnow for crappie year-round. Even if you prefer artificial baits, you can start with a minnow to find out how active the fish are and the depth where they are holding.

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