01-03-2007, 02:19 AM
[cool][#0000ff]No easy answers here. Most of what I do is based upon a whole lot of experience, both on Pineview and other waters, fishing for both species. I'll see if I can keep it somewhat brief.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]First of all, I had some good information...from BFT reports and from my own "network". I knew before I went that the crappies were in about 50 feet of water, along the north side of the channel before the dam (narrows). I caught them there last year too and was familiar with the area and the "pattern". In fact, I was prerigged and never had to change all day, if I didn't want to. I had the right size lure, of the right color and dropped in into the area the fish were, with the right bait on the hooks and I worked it the right way.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Even though I DID use the same setup for both crappies and perch, I did work it differently. For the crappies, they are sometimes right on the bottom, but often a couple or three feet above it. So, for them, I dropped to the bottom and then did a slow "shivver lift", raising the jigs slowly, while wiggling. The key is to use your rod and watch the line and the rod tip. If you are reeling you will not detect the bites which are sometimes nothing more than a slight bit of extra pressure on the line as you lift. Often you just see the line twitch, even if the rod doesn't. At the end of the first 3 feet of shivver lift, drop your rod and take a couple of turns on the reel and do it some more again. Usually two or three lifts will either get you bit or you will be too high...not always. Watch your sonar.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When the perch come through, they are usually right on the bottom...not always. For them I drop to the bottom and then just raise it about six inches. I jiggle and wiggle it and then let it sit for a few seconds. Many of the hits will come while you are "dead sticking" and they can be easier to detect than crappies. Not always. sometimes there is just a "whisper" bite and you need either a spring bobber or a slip bobber rig to detect the bites. If you can't tell when the fish are there, you will not put many on the ice.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also, for the perch, for some reason they seem to favor the south side of the channel, so we went over there specifically for perch and that's what we fished for. We caught perch in the same area we caught crappies earlier, but nary a single crappie along the other side. They may have been there, but we didn't prove it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As a general rule, crappies like smaller jigs, fished slower. Perch can be more aggressive and will hit larger jigs with more action. Those things do no not always hold true but it is a good place to start. I actually caught all three of my largest 12" crappies today on the jigging spoon. And, I caught a couple of my largest perch on bitty glow wermz jigs with a single wax worm.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]First of all, I had some good information...from BFT reports and from my own "network". I knew before I went that the crappies were in about 50 feet of water, along the north side of the channel before the dam (narrows). I caught them there last year too and was familiar with the area and the "pattern". In fact, I was prerigged and never had to change all day, if I didn't want to. I had the right size lure, of the right color and dropped in into the area the fish were, with the right bait on the hooks and I worked it the right way.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Even though I DID use the same setup for both crappies and perch, I did work it differently. For the crappies, they are sometimes right on the bottom, but often a couple or three feet above it. So, for them, I dropped to the bottom and then did a slow "shivver lift", raising the jigs slowly, while wiggling. The key is to use your rod and watch the line and the rod tip. If you are reeling you will not detect the bites which are sometimes nothing more than a slight bit of extra pressure on the line as you lift. Often you just see the line twitch, even if the rod doesn't. At the end of the first 3 feet of shivver lift, drop your rod and take a couple of turns on the reel and do it some more again. Usually two or three lifts will either get you bit or you will be too high...not always. Watch your sonar.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]When the perch come through, they are usually right on the bottom...not always. For them I drop to the bottom and then just raise it about six inches. I jiggle and wiggle it and then let it sit for a few seconds. Many of the hits will come while you are "dead sticking" and they can be easier to detect than crappies. Not always. sometimes there is just a "whisper" bite and you need either a spring bobber or a slip bobber rig to detect the bites. If you can't tell when the fish are there, you will not put many on the ice.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Also, for the perch, for some reason they seem to favor the south side of the channel, so we went over there specifically for perch and that's what we fished for. We caught perch in the same area we caught crappies earlier, but nary a single crappie along the other side. They may have been there, but we didn't prove it.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]As a general rule, crappies like smaller jigs, fished slower. Perch can be more aggressive and will hit larger jigs with more action. Those things do no not always hold true but it is a good place to start. I actually caught all three of my largest 12" crappies today on the jigging spoon. And, I caught a couple of my largest perch on bitty glow wermz jigs with a single wax worm.[/#0000ff]
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