Tiny Tubes for CrappieTiny Tubes for Crappie By Ken Sturdivant
Lots of schools of crappie gather under docks
in the cold weather and these fish can be caught
by the patient angler. But you'll have to fish
deep and have several places to fish on the lake.
In the fall and winter, fishing is really great for
these schooling fish.
Most of the lake will be deserted because many
people winterize their boats and fishermen have
the lake to themselves. But best of all is the
fact the the crappie school up very tightly and
it's a lot easier to find and catch lots of fish
under cold water conditions.
As the water cools down, the crappie will be moving
to the deeper waters and will be feeding as the the
water temperate starts dropping off. But the colder
months does not mean they cannot be caught.
In late fall to early winter, anglers can catch
schools of crappie under the docks as well as
some of the larger spotted bass. The spots and
the crappie in Lanier bunch up in schools under
deep docks and you'll see them on a quality Lowrance
depth finder. The trick is to use tiny lures and a
slow presentation. The Creme Lure Company and
Bass Pro Shops both make small mini tube jigs and
anglers use these small jigs on light 4 pound test
line. An ultra light rod and reel and the vertical
jigging technique is the best winter time method for
these fish. Adding some scent can also help when
the bite really slows down. Add some Jack's Juice
to a zip lock bag and then put the baits in the bag overnight.
The baits will absorb the scent into the
plastic and will not wash off like other scents.
By slowly doodling these lures in a variety of colors
in deep water, these tiny baits look like candy to
the fish. The strikes are always very light and you
have to pay close attention to the line and the feel
of the rod. But once you learn to fish these lures
deep and very slowly the fish will bite even in the
coldest months. Once the water gets too cold for
the usual fishing techniques, try this trick with
the mini tube jigs. The fish are almost always
under the deeper docks, so when you find them all
you have to do is make them bite.