Our crappie along the coast didn't play yesterday either. You could put a jig in front of em and you could see em move away from it on the sonar. I tried every trick i know and crappie bites were few and far between for us yesterday.Fished Badin yesterday and found tons of bait and fish but was tough to get a bite. Zeroed on crappie long lining and casting with jigs and minnows. Only players were 1 small channel cat and a 25” fat healthy striper. Caught on a small, monkey milk colored crappie jig. It’s stomach was empty, the catfish puked up about 20- 1 1/2” shad.
There are just so many small shad in the winter all ganged up and every fish in the lake it seems is hanging out there with them. You might be pulling 8 or 10 baits in a spot with millions of natural baits, looking for a bite.That is the bad part about Badin...she can make you a hero or a zero as fast as any I have ever fished.
you might consider fishing on the bottom under the shallowest bait you can find. if the bait is closer to the bottom it may help as well.There are just so many small shad in the winter all ganged up and every fish in the lake it seems is hanging out there with them. You might be pulling 8 or 10 baits in a spot with millions of natural baits, looking for a bite.
I've sat around thinking about this before - is it a matter of being there on the wrong day, or would it be more productive to find some fish holding well away from bait? I know at least one good fisherman who says he stays away from big shad schools.
That exact thought did cross my mind. Im fairly new to crappie fishing at Badin. Its the closest place to my home at about 20 minutes away. Im not giving up yet but if i cant get on em, ill abndon that lake for anything but bass and cats.There are just so many small shad in the winter all ganged up and every fish in the lake it seems is hanging out there with them. You might be pulling 8 or 10 baits in a spot with millions of natural baits, looking for a bite.
I've sat around thinking about this before - is it a matter of being there on the wrong day, or would it be more productive to find some fish holding well away from bait? I know at least one good fisherman who says he stays away from big shad schools.
Ive personally never allowed the shad to influence my winter crappie fishing.There are just so many small shad in the winter all ganged up and every fish in the lake it seems is hanging out there with them. You might be pulling 8 or 10 baits in a spot with millions of natural baits, looking for a bite.
I've sat around thinking about this before - is it a matter of being there on the wrong day, or would it be more productive to find some fish holding well away from bait? I know at least one good fisherman who says he stays away from big shad schools.
There are just so many small shad in the winter all ganged up and every fish in the lake it seems is hanging out there with them. You might be pulling 8 or 10 baits in a spot with millions of natural baits, looking for a bite.
I've sat around thinking about this before - is it a matter of being there on the wrong day, or would it be more productive to find some fish holding well away from bait? I know at least one good fisherman who says he stays away from big shad schools.
Yeah, I know y’all wear them out once they get in there. Especially in the evenings. Im not sure its a matter of “allowing “ the shad to dictate, thats just where the bulk of the fish are. I am wondering if there are more catchable fish elsewhere though.Ive personally never allowed the shad to influence my winter crappie fishing.
We have tried and true holding spots that the crappie school up very hard. Once there catching them is usually not an issue although it takes work.
Deep brush piles produced very well for us in winter in the past at HR, but I haven’t found the same at Badin. Either I haven’t found the right ones, or the fish behave differently.you might consider fishing on the bottom under the shallowest bait you can find. if the bait is closer to the bottom it may help as well.
but that's on any lake not just badin.
Like wise fishing brushpiles versus suspended schools.