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Plan on really focusing on crappie this year at Peabody WMA. I've caught some massive one's while bluegill fishing. Anyone that has fished this WMA knows the water is literally as clear as bath water. So, what are the best tactics in such clear water?
[QUOTE=ron1;560864]Plan on really focusing on crappie this year at Peabody WMA. I've caught some massive one's while bluegill fishing. Anyone that has fished this WMA knows the water is literally as clear as bath water. So, what are the best tactics in such clear water?[/QUOTE]
we always have our best luck sight fishing for crappie
there are lots of times you can see them on the cover, then you just have to feed them
best luck on waxworms
For clear shallow waters I cast small jigs with plastic tubes and a light weight foam bobber. Comey Bobbers about 1" long in bi color so to better see the bobber. A 1/16 oz lead head jib with a plastic bait on it. Bass Pro Shops Squirmin Squirts and or Bobby Garland Baits with scent on them. Johnson Minnow Scales scent works too I'm told. Berkley Crappie nibbles.
Try various colors to see what the fish want that day or hour. As the sun climbs up and more light penetrates into the water the fish may seek shade. The back side of a submerged tree or stump or even submerged vegetation or grass will hold fish. The under side of Docks can hold good fish too even if the water is clear. Especially if the water is clear.
Fish deeper with a drop shot in very clear water. Fish that are 12 to 20 ft deep are not spooked as much by a boat over heard as they would be in shallower waters.
In shallow water it's best to use stealth and sneak up on the fish and not cast shadows over them. Cast out from the boat and stay quiet. Fish spook easier in shallow waters and if it's clear water they will spook easier. They have to watch out for birds of prey that can swoop down and pluck them out of clear shallow waters. Eagles for example or oxpreys so the fish have learned to be careful in clear shallow waters.
I use 2 lb. test Stren clear line in shallow waters. Some guys will use Gamma Hi Vis line to better see the line while fishing. Try them both and see which one works best.
Water has what's we call a Refractive Index value. Some clear fishing lines have a similar refractive index value and will blend in with the water better. The more similar the Refractive index of the line is to the water the better it will blend into the water and be less visible to fish and others. Fluorocarbon line may have a Refractive Index that's closer to water than some other lines. I've used the fluorocarbon lines but I found that they break down faster in sunlight. I think that the Ozone reacts with them and tends to make the line break and or crack over time. So if you use these type of line make sure that you change them often with new line. P line was one that I had that just fell apart after a year or so on the reel. I forgot to change it as it's more expensive. That's how I found out about how it started to break apart.
Get to know the fishing lines you use.
I also will cast small spinner bait type baits for crappie in shallow clear water. They will attack these small safety pin type spinner baits with a flashing silver metal petal on them and a plastic bait. I used them at Patoka Lake in the early days to catch some of the smaller Black Crappie that frequented the main lake weeds on the Northern Shoreline. They would actively chase those baits at times.
I go ultra light when the water is clear and smaller baits can work well in gin clear water.
And don't forget live bait for clear waters. Bee Moths or wax Worms are great baits as are crickets. Tip you hooks with bee months or crappie nibbles or minnows. Smaller minnows still catch big fish but they also will catch lots of little fish too. To eliminate the little fish go with a larger bait to target the larger fish.
[QUOTE=ron1;560864]Plan on really focusing on crappie this year at Peabody WMA. I've caught some massive one's while bluegill fishing. Anyone that has fished this WMA knows the water is literally as clear as bath water. So, what are the best tactics in such clear water?[/QUOTE]
Thanks guys. I fish primarily out of a float tube, so stealth is not a problem. The " sight" fishing sounds interesting. I've done that with slab bluegill and the monster shellcrackers they have down there. Hopefully will be able to give a positive report soon.