Crappie anglers rejoice as cooler weather heats up the bite
Crappie anglers love October no matter where they fish.
It’s true for Capt. Travis Bradshaw, who loves fishing Jordan Lake this time of year. He runs Pigpen Guide Service (919-669-6989) and fishes this lake year-round, but he especially enjoys doing it this month.
“The summer weather can drag on, even into October, but for the most part, the days begin to get cooler this month and that improves the fishing for crappie, and for other species too,” said Bradshaw.
This is also one month that Bradshaw pays particular attention to the moon phase. He notices a big change in crappie behavior leading up to, during, and just after October’s full moon.
“The full moon drives crappie into deeper water. So if you’re not finding them at the normal depths you’ve been catching them, look for deeper water on ledges during the full moon phase,” he said.
Outside of the full moon phase, Bradshaw said crappie will still be found along ledges throughout the lake. They’re not ganged up tightly like they will be later this year, but they are typically grouped up more than they have been in many months.
“October is a transition month for these fish, and for anglers. And you never really know when the weather is going to cool down for good. But it’s going to happen at some point this month. It’s already cooler at least in the mornings during the early part of the month, but most years, we’re still wearing shorts on most days, even if we start the morning off with a hoodie or jacket,” he said.
Cooling off
That’s one of the reasons he enjoys fishing so much this month.
“In the summer, the strongest bite usually comes in the morning. By the time the sun gets up, the bite tapers off. But this month, especially once it really cools off, the sun will make the bite better. So you can fish longer – all day long really – without the bite slowing down. Plus, we as anglers don’t feel like we’re broiling under the sun,” he said.
One thing that doesn’t change this month is Bradshaw’s preferred bait.
“Live minnows is as good as it gets,” he said. “And I usually stick with smaller-sized minnows.”
He also relies on the same method to find crappie this month — his electronics.
“You’re going to find them in different places and in different depths. But once you locate them on your electronics, it’s just a matter of getting them to bite,” he said.
On some days, that’s easier said than done. But finding the fish is half the battle. When he locates fish that are lock-jawed, he will move on to find another ledge with crappie.
“Sometimes you’ll find fish that just won’t bite. It’s always tough for some folks to leave an area that they know fish are in. But sometimes you’ll find another group that’s biting. And you can always go back to the ones with lockjaw later in the day. Some days that’s all it takes is a little time, and when you come back, they’re ready to feed.
Forget the anchor
For the most part, Bradshaw is trolling over these fish, picking up a few as his minnows pass over or past them. Then he circles back around and passes over them again. That usually adds a few more to the fishbox. If that doesn’t work, he will often troll over them in the opposite direction. Sometimes that really cranks the fish up.
“If you find a big group and they’re biting really good, you might want to use the Spot-Lock feature on your trolling motor to hold you in place. But I prefer to troll very slowly almost always. Sometimes you’ll troll through and pick up one or two. Other times you’ll troll through and all your rods will go down at once,” he said.
Once he has all his rods rigged and baited, he casts them, then places them in rod holders spread throughout his boat. He has rod holders in the front, the back, and the sides of his Carolina Skiff, allowing for multiple anglers and multiple hookups throughout each trip.
“If you want to see a family or a group of friends have some fun, troll slowly with minnows once you find a group of crappie this time of year. At some point, you’ll have so many rods bend over that you can’t catch them all. But it sure is fun watching everyone try,” he said.
Equipment essentials
Bradshaw prefers a No. 2 Aberdeen hook, but will bump up to a No. 1 when he uses bigger minnows. He uses monofilament anywhere from 4- to 10-pound test, and as much weight as he needs to get his minnow down to the fish.
“I’ll use as light a weight as I can, depending on the wind and current. I’ll go as heavy as 1/2-ounce when I have to, but it’s usually smaller than that,” he said. “I prefer to use less weight which allows the minnow to swim around more freely. But sometimes you just don’t have a choice.”
Many crappie specialists swear by certain lengths of rod. Bradshaw doesn’t believe that to be terribly important. But he does like to use rods of different lengths to keep his lines from tangling when he’s making turns while trolling.
When it comes to keeping his minnows alive, Bradshaw uses an Engel bait cooler with an aerator attached. But he said on some days, dead minnows work well.
“If you go through all your live minnows and you’ve got some floaters in the baitwell, don’t give up for the day. When the crappie are hungry, they won’t turn down a dead minnow.”
So what’s Bradshaw’s overall feeling about crappie fishing on Jordan Lake this month?
“It’s probably my favorite month. Fewer boats are on the water, the days are generally cooler but not uncomfortably cold, the fish are beginning to group up tighter and the bite can stay strong all day. We also begin catching some bigger fish this time of year,” he said.
Black-nosed crappie
Jordan Lake is home to both white and black crappie. And Bradshaw has even caught a couple of rare black-nosed crappie here.
Black-nosed crappie are all black crappie with a recessive gene. They have a black stripe that runs down their back, all the way from the top of the dorsal fin, down the nose and onto their top lip.
On some black-nosed crappie, the stripe extends under the mouth and on the underside of the fish’s body. They are biologically identical to other black crappie, except for those involving hybridization. No pure white crappie has ever been recorded with this trait.
The first black-nosed crappie recorded by fisheries biologists came from Beaver Lake in Arkansas, so they are sometimes called Arkansas crappie or Arkansas black nose crappie. They have since been reported in more than a dozen states, including both Carolinas. They are quite rare though, with many lifelong crappie anglers never having caught or even seen one.
Black-nosed crappie have no trouble breeding, but they were once thought to be sterile. They are even used in fish hatcheries to create hybrid crappie by mating male black-nosed crappie with female white crappie. The result is a hybrid crappie that has the black stripe, although it is slightly less dark. This helps fisheries biologists track the hybrids created while using male black-nosed crappie.
Many fisheries biologists believe the black-nosed crappie has superior eyesight amongst other crappie. Due to certain behaviors they’ve witnessed from the unique fish, they believe the recessive gene that causes the black stripe also offers them improved vision.
Be the first to comment