On Pool 13, the crappie fishing is really heating up as the water temperature cools down. Recently, I have been fortunate enough to discover some water that is new to me. The nice weather has enticed a quite a few fishermen out to the back waters recently. As a result, I headed to water that was new to me and off the beaten path, away from the crowds. The first picture is of my friend John. John has farmed in the area all his life, but had never fished the river. I took him the other day and here are a couple dandies he kept for the table.
Everything I’ve been pulling has been on either black/white tubes or chartreuse tubes. I’m getting most fish in 6′-7′ of water with very little current. The black have been producing with a minnow, but the chartreuse has been producing if they are naked. One of the things I really like about fishing is trying different things until I find something that works. I encourage you to not be afraid to try different things, if the crappies aren’t hitting. The picture of the crappies in the bottom of my boat came from some new water that produced nothing with the black/white tubes I was using. I was using only one rod that morning and it just wasn’t working. I was ready to move out of the area, and decided to try a chartreuse Gypsi Jig for a bit before I moved on. What good decision. For the next three hours, I pulled over 100 crappies out of the river and kept these 25 for my family. I keep enough fish for two meals a week and put the rest back. If I would have stayed with the black/white tube that morning, I never would have put all those crappies in the boat.
The last picture is of a few dandies that my dad caught when he came with me for a bit late one afternoon.
With the weather really cooling off, most people will be putting the boat away for the year. I encourage you to keep the boat out. Bundle yourself up and head to the river. The best crappie fishing of the year is yet to come. The best days are when the trolling motor is encased in ice after the run from the launch to the slough. I absolutely can’t wait. I’ll be heading back Thursday for a few more days. I hope to see you out there!
Thanks Jeff. I really enjoy reading your reports and seeing the fish pics. Crappies tend to bring out the little kid in all of us as they are so much fun to catch. Who can say they don’t enjoy the fast pace catchin that is possible with Crappies? Not very many thats for sure. Look forward to your next report Bud.
Thanks, Bill
I will give your reports a
enjoy reading them also, keep them coming 
Thanks guys!! I’m heading over to Bellevue in the morning for a few days. The high tomorrow is supposed to be 28 degrees with 38 on Friday. I’ll report when I get back.
I received 300 Southern Pro tubes from Cabelas and a bunch of jigs from Northland the other day. Those should get me through the weekend.
I’ll report when I get back.
Nice job and great post. I also appreciate the info. You are the man!
I haven’t done excellent this year on the crappies but still love to be out there. I’ve tried the berkley nymphs and catch a few pans here and there. Another friend does excelent on a bobber and a minnow but I like verticaly jigging myself. He catches more of coarse and lets me know about it every time lol. But for me its the challenge and satisfaction of angling by setting the hook from the feel through the rod. To each there own. I mostly fish tubes also but have been doing a little casting with Charlie Brewer Sliders. They have been producing decently mainly boating large and smallies with a couple walleyes off the rocks in 12. I landed a keeper northern on a live bluegill just below the dam in front of crooked slough, and had line spool off like crazy from a nightcrawler on the bottom but never saw that one. (the big one that got away lol). How do you keep your fingers warm and feel the bites at the same time? Good luck on thursday!
I rarely wear gloves, but when I do, the St. Croix Avid LF66 rods I use telegraph the bites as though I don’t have a glove on. You really need a sensitive rod like a St. Croix Avid to optimize your hookup percentage.
I see you use the same rods I do for crappies/bluegills Jeff. Those 6’6” St. Croix Avid light action fast tip rods are GREAT. VERY sensitive rods that became my favorite as soon as I used one.
These rods also have alot of backbone so a person doesn’t have to be afraid of the words ”light action.” They work very well for big stripers and an occasional bass a person my hook into too. 
Thanks, Bill