Bedding Crappie

When the water temp gets right what do y’all look for when hunting shallow crappie? I always quit chasing them to hunt turkey about the time they go shallow. I’ve tried hard bottom with structure but never seem to find them. We had water temps in the 62 range and they had left the bridges where I fish.Big G is my home water if anyone wants to be specific in a pm.😬

Docks, weed beds, bridges. Emphasizing weed beds

I find them super shallow. With a 1/32 oz jig, I’ll throw on the bank almost. Anywhere from 8” of water to 4 or 5’ is where I focus my time. Backwater coves and sloughs. Places where you’d normally bream fish when they bed. Stumps, rocks, submerged logs, sometimes mud flats with no cover. My favorite is places along the bank where a tree has blown over and left a hole underneath it. It’ll be deeper in that hole and they will bed right there. I’ve caught 20-30 fish out of a single hole before.

Some times I use a float above my jig. Use the smallest float you can find and a jig head that's heavy enough to pull it half way under. If that float moves and you didn't make it move, set the hook. Using a float makes it easier to fish over eelgrass.

Like the others said, structure in shallow water. Grass is structure just like a tree limb is.

I reckon I’m just unlucky finding them because those are the kinda of places I check. north shore vs south shore? Bottom type I assume hard or gravel bottom?

I can tell you some places pal if need be. Just holler at me

Yes please

My grandpa always taught us to go as far north as we could looking for Crappie. Hit the sloughs. Water temp is important. Right now I think the females are staging so look for ledges and the small ditches running up into sloughs. West sides of reservoirs heat up earlier. If all that doesn't work, follow your gut. Last thing: keep moving and cover water. If you're not getting bit on a stump, don't spend 30 mins there.

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I caught one on a 3/8 Spinnerbait Sunday that was 14" long and 6" wide. I had a bag of catfish fillets and crappie fillets from the day before i was gonna fry that evening, so she got a pass lol

Right now you can catch them shooting docks or piers, whatever you want to call it.

Last week first time in years I caught them shallow before turkey season. I went back yesterday and not a bite. I figured this cold spell pushed them out.

No invite? Shame on you….😀

If they come back next few days I’ll holler at you.