So if you can locate a large school of crappies, you have ‘hit a gold mine.’The best locations to find schools of crappies in the winter are in the deeper parts of the river or lake around fallen trees, brush piles, beneath rocks and other objects that can be used as a cover. A nice thing about crappie is that when you find one you usually find a bunch, especially at this time of year. On a spinning reel, we leave the bail open and let the bait sink to the depth we want and then we start a slow retrieve. They remain in the shallows where they can find an abundance of food and continue spawning throughout the season, making it the perfect time for crappie … The schools are bigger and more tightly compact, so you can sit in one spot and catch fish-after-fish. Hair jigs are very popular for catching crappie, especially in colder water. I try to pick colors that mimic natural baitfish in the area. MSRP $10.99.Outfit your 'yak for summertime angling in 6 easy steps.Want to test the outer limits of your shooting skill? Using a bobber that lays on its side when when it doesn't have a jig pulling it down helps. "Use the big weight to keep in touch with the brush or the bottom," McFarland explained. In conclusion, be patient, it may take a while to locate crappies and find the best lures during winter, but when you do, the catch will be impressive.CrappieFisher.com is a participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program – it is designed to provide an aid for the websites in earning an advertisement fee – by means of advertising and linking to Amazon.com products. So get your gear, you are heading to the deeper waters.I did mention that crappies feed more during the cold season; this means your chance of landing So this is what we found out. Please note that crappies are quite evasive at this time, they move slowly but are easily spooked, so you have to be careful about the crappie fishing method to be used.The first tip for crappie fishing during winter is planning your fishing trip during the midday. In most situations, a 5 … Crappie Fishing & Panfish Even in winter crappie have to eat, and they still hold to cover, such as wood and other brush.

Ice Fishing In early February, I look for crappie at the mouths of deep creek channels.

One last trick that works in the winter is using a slip bobber and incorporating the float 'n' fly technique with a small jig. During early winter you can catch the biggest crappie on highland reservoirs about 20 feet deep but when a cold front moves in or the water temperature continues to drop the bigger fish can be found in brush piles about 40 feet deep on the bottom of a creek channel.