Crappie Fishing tips in the fall ~ Let the dog hear your tips

[waterdog]

Best fishing tips and tricks for fall crappie fishing, anyone have some good advice?
Where is the best place to go?
Water temperature?
Bait and what to use to catch them in numbers?
~Water Dog

[SWOHRIDER]

I do a lot of crappie fishing in the fall, but it's on inland lakes in SW Ohio, so if you're planning on fishing them at Erie this may not be much help. I usually fish lay down trees or brush piles in 10-20 ft of water. Fish are usually in the bottom half of the water column. Evening's usually better than morning. I usually fish Bobby Garland baby shad jigs, but a slip bobber/ minnow is always a good choice. Especially when the fish are being difficult or I'm getting hung up a lot jigging. I've only tried once recently. We caught prob 60, kept 21 in a couple hours. Should get better as the water cools. And a far as water temp goes, I start catching them really as soon as it gets out of the summertime temps. Seems like as soon as the water starts to cool, they move back up to feed up for winter. And i catch them all the way thru winter, either thru the ice, or open water. I caught a limit on Christmas day last year... Good luck

[Phatphil]

I'll be interested to see other's replies. We're in West Harbor, I fish the docks with drop-shot rigs, doll flies, twister tails, and minnows under pencil bobbers or slip corks. I've been experimenting with trying to follow the contours of the steep dropoff into the boat channels as this goes from 4-6' down to 12' the length of the harbor using slip corks and minnows(only during the week when there is not much boat traffic). Producing a few but not good numbers yet this fall, water may still be too warm and crappies are scattered. Always interested in learning new tricks. Best of luck and good topic.

[pimplepounder]

Sandusky Bay, any structure, lilly pads, docks and channels. Pretty much typical crappie routines. I use the same methods as for Spring Specks, Small rubber tails on lead heads, and an ice cork. Minnows same method. Mid Oct. Any of the harbors and river mouth areas on the lake same way.
Erie has some serious slabs!

[island troller]

Starting to get so small ones around the boat docks on the Portage River. Thats is a good sign. The last coue of years the river has been high which made it tough to fish the docks. I am predicting a good fall this year.