Questions About:

Crappie
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Why is post-spawn crappie so hard to catch?

Bill: Post-spawn crappie is difficult to catch for the same reason that post-spawn bass are difficult to catch. It begins with the challenge of finding them. That can be tricky because of the lack of concentrated females immediately after the spawn. It becomes more difficult as the wide-ranging tendencies of the species move them into less conspicuous places—even suspending in open water. This in-between stage separates the experienced crappie anglers from springtime’s temporary experts.
Compounded the problem is that once you find post-spawn crappie, you then have to try and get them to bite.
Mother Nature provides a fail-safe mechanism in sunfishes, a family of which crappie are members. They don’t eat while they are on the bed. So during a portion of the post-spawn period, the fish still have that ingrained into them. And they are tired and lethargic due to the stress they go through during the spawning process.
The first approach is to avoid fishing for post-spawn crappie. Fish lakes or areas of lakes where the crappie typically spawn later. But eventually you have to face up to the challenge…which as mentioned earlier, involves finding them, no easy task.
There are, however, three locations that seem to hold more post-spawn crappie than all others. These areas are the mouths of creeks, the mouths of bays and steep shorelines. Any are all are a good place to start.
Although most post-spawn crappie are found in 10-20 feet of water, note the clearer the water, the deeper the post-spawn fish.

Q. How important is putting out fish-attractors for crappie?

Bill: It can be very important and a useful bass fishing technique, especially in lakes where there is little cover or where the original cover is quickly deteriorating. Putting out fish attractors also helps you pinpoint concentrations of fish. You spend more time fishing where fish are or should be rather than where they could be. In short, your odds of success are increased knowing the locales of fishing attractors.
It has been clearly proven that the placement of fish attractors benefits crappie fishing. A cooperative study between 14 southeaster fish and game agencies on 207 acres of water at Lake Barkley’s Crooked Creek Bay indicated a 1-acre brush attractor yielded 575.8 fish pounds per acre—while a typically sparsely-covered acre yielded only four pounds.

Q. What’s the easiest way to distinguish black crappie from white crappie?

Bill: Of course, black crappie are usually a darker, spotted color than white crappie, but the easiest way to tell these two apart is by counting the number of spines on the dorsal fin. The black has 7-8 spines compared to six spines for the white crappie.

Q. What can you tell me about the growth and mortality rates of crappie?

Bill: Basically, crappie are slow-growing and short-lived fish. Research shows that in most water the majority of them live no more than four years. The ones that do are certainly considered slabs.
The rate at which they grow is regulated by several factors. The amount of food available, competition for food and water space, water clarity, water quality and other factors.
Research indicates crappie grow faster in new lakes than in old ones and good populations of forage fish equal good size for crappie, too.

Q. What is one of your most reliable methods for catching catfish?

Bill: It is hard to beat drift fishing in river current during the summer.  What you look for is a roller coaster-type bottom…ups and downs. Blue cats use this type of area in the summer. It creates vertical eddies and it is the areas where blue catfish often wait for the current to deliver them a meal.
Fishing skipjack/herring, I used a bottom bumping rig as I drift along.
I fish this method often in the Mississippi River during the summer months. When drifting with the current I keep my eyes on my graph and move with my trolling motor to maintain the depth level I am trying to fish. The ideal depth—where fish are holding—is apt to change from day to day. There are more helpful tips like these on my pro bass fishing video!

Q. Do you enjoy catfishing, and can you give me any tips on tackle to take after these whiskered fish?

Bill: I can’t begin to tell how much I enjoy catching these fish. It’s something I really look forward to every summer. Their brute strength, power and will to live will give you one of the biggest thrills in fishing once you get one hooked. Naturally, there will be days when the number of fish and the size of catches will vary.
When it comes to fishing rods for cat fishing, the aver­age cat man doesn’t need a lot of different rods to cover all the situations he’ll experience. More times than not, he can get by with one type rod action and length for most situations — when I say most situations, I’m referring to cases where you’re mostly fishing for cats in the 1- to 10-pound class.
For this, a moderate-fast, medium-heavy power rod is ideal. This action has a mod­erate tip. The upper third of the rod has a moderate fast ta­per. The flex of the rod carries into the midsection and the strong butt section does not flex at the hook-­set, which al­lows for better hook penetra­tion.
When I talk about rod ac­tion, I’m referring to the bend of the rod and when I say power, that’s the strength of the rod, and when it comes to strength.
A nice reel for this type of fishing is a Quantum Iron IR3W bait casting model that has a wide spool. It also has a solid frame, tough gears and enough line capacity for most conditions you fish. This size reel will support about 180 yards of 14-pound test mono.
It’s smart to use the strongest, low stretch monofil­ament line you can use. I recom­mend either 20- or 30-pound test. Those with a smaller diameter allow for greater castability and more sensitivity, yet provide plenty of strength to horse heavy fish. For example, 30-pound Magnathin Stren has an out­side diameter of about 17-pound test, and 20 has a di­ame­ter of about 12- to 14-pound test.
Since we’re discussing equipment, let’s spend a minute and talk about hooks.
In selecting catfish hooks, it’s smart to use the smallest hook you can get away with. Catfish have plenty of soft flesh around their mouths, and small hooks penetrate quicker than big hooks. Cats also have powerful jaw muscles, and when they clamp down on your bait, a smaller hook is easier to move on the hook-set. Regardless of the hook you choose to use, it needs to be strong and sharp.
Circle hooks are a favorite among some of today’s cat anglers. The majority of the fish I catch when using this hook are hooked in the corner of the mouth. This makes it much easier to remove. I find that the most productive size is the size 1 for most situations. For big­ger cats the 2/0 - 4/0 sizes is a good choice.
When it comes to bait for cat­fish, the list is endless — there are dip baits, dough baits, paste baits, meat baits, dead and live baits.
An ideal rod and reel to use when fishing for really big cats with heavier sinkers and line would be a Catfish Stick that has a moderate tip action, but ta­pers fairly quickly into the mid-section to more of a medium-heavy action with a heavy action butt section. This beefy action allows you to han­dle a sinker weight of 3- to 6 ounces fairly easily, and the ac­tion of this stick allows you to handle a re­ally big cat if you’re fortunate enough to get him on.
As far as reel goes for this rod, my suggestion is to use a much larger one, similar to a light, saltwa­ter version equipped with at least 30-pound test line.
A Quantum Iron reel that I often use for big cats has a 6.1:1 retrieve ratio and will retrieve on a full spool almost 34 inches of line per turn of the handle. It has an easy-to-get-to spool release lever, a synchro­nized level wind, a one-piece aluminum frame, high perfor­mance magnum gears and an extra strong power handle. It’s an ideal reel for large cats.
When fishing for bigger fish, my choice in hooks would be Kahle style in a 4/0 to 7/0 size.
If you want to have more doggone fun—or should I say cat-gone fun—than you could ever imagine, get yourself some good equipment and head out to some creek, river, lake or pond and give this type of fishing a try. I promise, you won’t be sorry!
If you think you might like to give the Mississippi River a try — I suggest you time your visit from about late summer to early fall.

Q. What do you think holds the most crappie—natural cover, stumps, logs, etc. or manmade mats, stake beds, etc?

Bill: They all hold fish. But when it comes to holding the biggest fish, it is hard to beat stumps and I am talking about big stumps. A big stump doesn’t hold as many crappie as a smaller one, but it will hold the largest crappie. Many people fish a brush pile or two that they sunk themselves. These brush piles never seem to hold the slabs that stumps attract. It might make more sense to look for big stumps than to sink brush piles—depending on the age of your lake or the amount of cover that is available.

Q. What are the advantages of using a longer fishing rod?

Bill: It allows for more casting distance. You can cover more water (casting longer distances). It helps lures like crank baits achieve greater depths and keeps them in the strike zone longer. It allows you to move line quicker. It provides better hook-sets from a distance. It provides an even shock-absorber action, much like a fly rod. Finally, it also can give you more leverage on fish during the fight.

Q. What does rod action mean and what are a fast action rod and its benefits?

Bill: Simply put, a rod’s action or power describes the amount of flex in a given rod. Light action rods are more flexible and less powerful than heavy action rods.
To answer the second part of your question—a fast action or fast taper means the diameter changes rapidly as you progress from the tip towards the butt of the rod. A fast tapered rod flexes most in the first few inches from the tip.
And finally, its benefits are: more accuracy and can be better used for shorter, more accurate casts. Fast tapers are extremely sensitive because the responsive tip and stiff backbone transmits vibrations very efficiently.

Q. Can you offer some advice on spooling open-face spinning reels?

Bill: Line capacity can affect a reel like this just as it does a bait casting reel. If you fill the reel to the top of the spool, you run the risk of having the line blow off the spool. If you are using light-weight lures, it is best to fill the spool up to about 1/8-inch of the spool lip.
The less line you have on the spool, the greater the amount of tension will be. This could lead to line breakage. As the diameter of the spool gets smaller, more force is required to pull line off it. Another trick for reducing line twist is to close the bail manually while lifting on the rod tip to take slack out of the line. Otherwise, when you turn the handle to close the bail, you run the risk of throwing a looped section of slack line on the spool and winding over it. This is one of the major causes of line mess with spinning reels.

Q. What’s the best rod length and action for Carolina rigging?

Bill: A good Carolina-rigging rod is usually a minimum of 7 feet long, with a medium-heavy to heavy action. The long rod allows you to make a long cast and to effectively handle the long leader hanging from the rod tip (sometimes that can be 3 feet or longer, alone, depending on cover you are fishing). As with a standard worm rod, excellent sensitivity is a must for a good Carolina-rig rod. You will need this feature to help you feel the bottom, structure and subtle strikes. The medium-heavy action will provide the rod with the backbone needed to get a hooked fish through heavy cover and provide a good solid hook set time after time.

Q. What about rods for catfish. What should I look for?

Bill: When it comes to fishing rods for catfishing, the aver­age cat man doesn’t need a lot of different rods to cover all the situations he’ll experience. More times than not, he can get by with one type rod action and length for most situations — when I say most situations, I’m referring to cases where you’re mostly fishing for cats in the 1- to 10-pound class.
For this, a moderate-fast, medium-heavy power rod is ideal. This action has a mod­erate tip. The upper third of the rod has a moderate fast ta­per. The flex of the rod carries into the midsection and the strong butt section does not flex at the hook-­set, which al­lows for better hook penetra­tion.

“Most of the reels on the market today offer a wide range of ratios, ranging from as low as 3.8:1 to as high as 7:1. What do those numbers indicate?”

The ra­tio numbers tell you just how many revolutions the spool makes during one complete turn of the reel han­dle. Example: a 7 to 1 gear ratio retrieves

Is there any reason I can’t fill my reel spools to less or more than the recommended line capacity?

Absolutely! When your spool isn’t full, it requires more revo­lutions of the handle to take up line. This also means, your lure speed is going to be slower when you begin the retrieve after a long cast than it’ll be as it gets closer to the rod-tip. In other words, your lure speed increases through-out the retrieve even though your cranking action re­mains the same. If you fill them fuller than recommended, you’re going to have lots of backlashes!
Your line almost twice as fast as a 3.8:1 geared reel

What is the advantage of us­ing a short length butt on a fish­ing rod versus a longer-handled one?

Good question! The shorter butt length allows for better con­trol and maneuverability. This can be very important when fishing in and around tight cover, because it provides better accuracy in casting. Now for open-water fishing, a longer butt length is more ideal especially where long, two-handed casts are required. You can get the lure out there better, plus the longer handle provides a lot more lever­age when fighting a fish.

I just purchased my first open-face spinning reel and since then, I have had nothing but trouble with it. Any tips on how I can eliminate all the line messes?

Well, I have a couple of tips to help eliminate this. For one, never over-fill your spool. We touched on this sub­ject in a previous question. When you fill line all the way to the top of a spinning reel spool, you run the risk of having the line balloon or blow off the spool. This is much more of a problem when using light weight lures versus heavier ones.
The other tip is to close the bail manually with your hand while lifting the rod tip to take the slack out of your line. Otherwise, when you turn the handle to close the bail, you run the risk of flipping a looped section of slack line on the spool and winding over it. Then, on your next cast, here comes the cobweb mess!

“I’ve often heard the saying, ‘There’s no substitute for qual­ity.’ I can understand that in fishing reels and mono line, but why is quality so important in a rod? Aren’t they all similar?”

I think that’s about as silly as buying a $20,000 bass boat, and putting it on a $200 trailer. You get what you pay for. Sure, you can buy a fishing rod for under $20, but because of the lower quality and overall construction, the rod is not going to perform as well as a premium one. Qual­ity rods are made of better mate­rials, they’re more sensi­tive, lighter, cast-better for more con­trol and accuracy, which adds up to better lure presentation and more productive casts.

Q. What causes a catfish to come to your bait?

Bill: The answer to this one is right under your nose — it’s by smell. But they smell a lot differ­ently than we do. Catfish have chemo receptors all along their body that trigger not only their olfac­tory sense but the sense of taste as well. The catfish smells a bait and actually tastes the bait at the same time. So for catfish to smell and taste scents in the water, all they have to do is come in contact with that odor in the water.
Surprisingly, that odor can come from a long distance, depending on sev­eral factors: the amount of bait put in the water, the speed of the water currents and width or the ex­panse of the water in which that odor has been placed. These ole boys have small openings located on the top portion of their head between their eyes and upper lip. They are called “nares” and lead to small chambers with a series of folds. Catfish have more folds than any other fresh water fish. These folds increase the surface area for smelling, and with over 17,500 taste buds on the surface of their body, you could say they are virtually a swimming tongue. For more tips like this be sure to pick up the bill dance fishing video!

Q. in your opinion, what is the best bait to catch a big blue cat?

BILL: Well, there are several: crawfish, night crawlers, large grasshoppers or even a gob of catalpa worms from time to time. But fresh bait either cut or whole, is among the most popular. Skipjack herring, threadfin and gizzard shad are top choices in many areas of the country. Up north, chub suckers are a good bet. For more tips and tricks check out bill dances bass fishing guide (Bill Dance DVD).

Q. Do you have any tips that might help locate post-spawn crappie?

Bill: There are three areas where post-spawn crappie are espe­cially abundant, according to the experts. Here are some helpful largemouth bass fishing tips:
•   The mouths of bays. When crappie leave the shallow back of the spawning bays, they usually move out to the en­trance of the bay where it meets the main lake. Look for them to hold around vegeta­tion, brush or wooden structure on drop-offs bordering the open lake.
•   Creek mouths. Crappie that have spawned along the shore­lines of a creek will move to the mouth of the creek and hold along brush or weedy cover that is positioned along a change in depth. A key to lo­cating these fish is re­member­ing that stressed crappie will avoid the current from the creek. They will usually be positioned off to the side of the creek mouth where the water is calmer.
•   Steep shorelines. In shore­lines that have varying degrees of depth (like a long point), crappie will use struc­ture on the shallowest portion to spawn and then move to brush or vegetation in deeper water for the post-spawn re­cuperation period.
•       If adequate cover isn’t avail­able nearby, many post-spawn crappie simply suspend in open water—the pan fish spe­cialist’s nightmare.

Q. I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. My Dad and I were fishing for flathead catfish at the Colorado River last fall and when it started getting colder we could no longer catch them. What should we do in this situation?

Bill: I am not familiar with the cat fishing in the Colorado River. I can only use the Mississippi River as a reference. In my neck of the woods it is big blue catfish that are notorious for their wintertime bite. Channels and flatheads are more difficult to catch than blues during the winter months. Blue cats, on the other hand, not only feed better in winter but they also are more concentrated and roam less in the colder months.
My suggestion to you when fishing for any species is to zero in on the food sources available at a particular time of year. What’s their favorite at that time? (Oh yes, they have favorites that vary from season to season. Along the Mississippi River, where I live, blue cats favor shad over herring (skipjack) in winter. In summer they tend to favor herring.)
Decide the available baits/forages and take some of each. Experiment. It could be a lot of things in your area (mussels, shrimp, liver, cut shad, etc.) The cats’ tastes can even vary from day to day.
In the Mississippi River, we catch a lot of cats in winter near transitional zones in the currents — where current and calmer areas meet. This may be at the mouths of a tributary or behind a dike. Basically, the catfish are there because the shad are there. The bait is lethargic in the cold water and the catfish are taking advantage of the situation. Such transitional zones (were current and slack water meet) might also be something you want to seek out and fish on the rivers in your area.

Q. What are some advantages to vertical jigging for crappie?

Bill: It allows you to fish cover where casting and retrieving is not practical—dropping a jig or bait straight down into pockets or branches. It also lets you lift a fish straight out of cover with less chance of his hanging you up. The extra rod length lets you get your lure out to cover a wider area and depth around the boat (as well as prevent spooking fish in shallow water) making this a very helpful bass fishing tip.
Another advantage to vertical fishing, especially when crappie are suspended or inactive, is that it allows you to keep your bait in one spot longer with better depth control. And, it allows you to cover a wider depth range faster to locate the most productive depth zone. Of course, the right technique and tackle will help you catch more fish—only if you are fishing the right spot at the right depth.

Q. Can you give me some information on crappie fishing in the winter?

Bill: Sure. Although there are times when you have to shake the ice out of the rod guides, winter (November through January) can produce some surprisingly good largemouth bass fishing.
Although Wilson says that the temporary warming trends produce the best fishing, crappie will feed even better in the bitter cold. But water temperatures of 40 and below produce sluggish fish that often must be finessed into feeding. Tiny jigs and spoons (1/8- to 1/16-ounce) presented vertically at a painstakingly slow pace is the best approach. Pinpointing the exact depth of crappie is even more critical in the winter when the fish simply won’t pursue bait if it takes much effort.
The double-hook tight-line right works well during the coldest days because it enables you to present baits at two different levels and can be fished slowly. Some anglers use a somewhat similar two-hook right that places a jig about 18 inches above a minnow impaled on a No. 1 hook. Just above the hook, they place a bullet-shaped weight that helps them maintain better contact with the bottom.
Look for winter crappie to be around any type of wooden structure on drop-offs and ledges in 20-40 feet of water. Deep main-lake structure is usually the most productive.
Crappie can be caught every day of the year. It takes determination and dedication, but knowledgeable pan fish anglers know that crappie can be coaxed into cooperating with the proper approach—regardless of the season.

Q. I have seen where you talk about how picking the right color for bass lures is important in your bill dance fishing course. Is this also true for crappie jigs.

Bill: Picking the right color of crappie jig is also important. Some colors will out-produce others. And using the proper color can change from morning to afternoon or even from hour to hour. The reason for this is that sunlight penetration governs the shape, size and color of things be­neath the surface.

Q: What can you tell me about crappie and how they relate to structure?

On bill dance outdoors I have talked about how crappie, like bass, are structure-oriented fish that relate to key irregular fea­tures with cover such as drop-offs, submerged islands, ridges, points and channel ledges during the summer, fall and winter months. But what about the times when they move to the shallows?
Even then, some of the best catches of crappie might come shallow, but they will be relating to cover with a depth change close by.

Q. Is there any information you can pass along about the growth rate of crappie?

Bill: Basically, crappie are slow-growing and short-lived fish. Research studies show that in most waters, the majority of crappie live no more than four years. The ones that do are considered slabs.
The rate at which they grow is regulated by several factors. The amount of available food, competi­tion for food and water space, the turbidity of the water, the water quality and other limiting factors all play an important part in how fast crappie can grow to produce good fishing. Research also has shown that growth is more rapid in a new lake compared to an old one, and bodies of water with a good population of forage show increased growth in their crappie population.

Q. How actively do crappie feed and what affects their feeding patterns?

Bill: Many crappie fishermen believe that as abundant as they are, once you find them you can catch them all day long. This is very wrong. Although we would like them to, crappie just do not remain active and in a feeding mood throughout the day. You are going to experience those inactive times if you fish very much.
One major thing that can really have an effect on crappie behavior is the changes in baro­metric pressure. Changing weather highly affects a fish’s equilibrium. Shallow fish are affected even more than those in deeper water. After a front has passed and high skies return, crappie move into tight, tight cover, or drop off into deeper depths and become very inactive.
The colder the water, the more it lessens their activity. It is during these inactive periods that vertical fishing is one of the most effective techniques. You can get right down into or alongside the cover and hold a bait in a highly productive strike zone for a longer period of time than by trying to cast and retrieve. A non-aggres­sive or negative fish is not going to chase a bait very far. And putting a jig on his depth level or a shade above that and holding it there can and will make all the difference in the world.

Q. Can you give me some tips on fishing for crappie on windy days?

Bill: Something I’ve noticed is that they will invariably position themselves to face into the wind current, rather than turn away from it. Also, a good largemouth bass fishing technique is always best to position your boat with the bow pointed into the wind. This will allow you to work an area much slower.

Q. Can blue cats be caught during the winter?

BILL: Absolutely! The biggest catfish often comes from water below the 40-degree mark. Most other game fish are sluggish in water this frigid, but not blues. They’ll bite aggressively and put up a world class fight. For more tips and tricks check out bill dances largemouth bass fishing guide (bass fishing video).

Q. How can a hook that almost forms an interior circle with its shank, bend and point catch fish?

BILL: It’s amazing, but it does, and most of the cats you catch on it are hooked in the corner of the mouth. Once the hook is in the mouth of the fish, it slips and slides without catching hold until it reaches the corner of the mouth. There, the struggling cat grinds the hook home. Once set, it’s almost impossible for a fish to get free, unless the hook tears out.
When using this hook on a rod and reel, never set it with a sharp hook set. Instead, apply steady pressure against the fish that has taken your bait. When the line tightens, lift your rod tip firmly, but never sharply, like you would do a traditional hook set because this will usually pull the circle hook right out of a fish’s mouth.

Q. When fishing a wing dam on a river with a strong current, what locations are best for active cats?

BILL: Normally, there are three key locations for actively feeding cats. The upper current facing of the submerged dyke, the top of the dyke, if it’s deep enough, and perhaps the best location of all is along the submerged outer por­tion of the wing dam where the strongest current exists. Here cats will posi­tion themselves along the counter current between the slower current caused by the eddy and the fast current. These areas normally produce best during low-wa­ter periods from mid-summer to late fall on most major river systems.
Another angler had this question.

Q. Can you suggest some key locations to catfish on a small river or big creek?

BILL: Well, since I live within a cast of a small river, let me tell you about some of my most productive ar­eas. Catfish in small waterways use basically the same types of structure as they do in the big river systems — typically, deep holes along the outside edges of sweeping bends, eddies, any mid-stream cover, secondary points, mouth of ditches, shoals, deep water bends, behind points, under cut banks, and even dead water areas close to a current line. Creeks and small rivers are great little fisheries especially during the summer and fall months, and there are good rea­sons for this. Reasons include:
•   Water levels are normally more constant during these periods.
•   Current is almost always present and current is usually the key factor which determines where cats locate and feed.
•   Water temperature tends to be more moderate here year round due to the rolling action of the cur­rent.
•   Because of the mixing effect of the current, levels of dissolved oxygen tend to be higher and nearly equal from bank to bank as well as from the surface to the bottom.
•   Water temperature is equal throughout the water column and somewhat cooler than in ponds and lakes.
•   And finally, moving water offers an abundance of different kinds of food.
    As I said in the beginning, cat fishing is really becoming a popular sport in many areas, and I can promise you from my own personal experience that if you give it a try, you’ll get hooked just as I did a long time ago. For more tips and tricks check out bill dances pro bass fishing guide (bass fishing DVD).

Q. Where I live many cat fishermen call the blue cat a white cat, so is this the same fish?

Bill: Well, that makes me wonder if the writer is from Middle Tennessee, because I have seen and heard the same thing. To answer your question, they are not the same. In fact, they’re sometimes even mistaken for channel cats. A sure way to identify each is by counting the number of fleshy spines or rays in the anal fin. Whites have between 19 and 23 rays. Channel cats have between 24 and 30 and blue cats between 30 and 36. Whites average only 2 to 4 pounds in most parts of the country and large ones rarely exceed 10 pounds. Beyond 4 years of age, the channel’s growth rate continues to esca­late while the white cat stagnates. This fish is native primarily to the eastern seaboard states from New York to Florida, but they have been stocked in rivers and lakes along the west coast, as well as a few northern states. For more tips and tricks check out bill dances bass fishing guide (Bill Dance DVD).

Q: Can you give me some information on bluegill and what makes good big bluegill waters? 

Bill: Sure, I’ll be glad to. Did you know that over 25 million American pursue the bluegill? Of course, this is with good reason…no other freshwater fish exceeds it in ounce for ounce fighting ability and their taste favor. Bluegill are the kind of fish all anglers can catch regardless of their age…experience…or where they live. These little battlers are found just about everywhere in the continent United States. However, in some areas of the country, and certain environments, they grow large and there are good reasons for this.
I am sure many a bluegill angler has wondered why one body of water produces large blue gill and one over the hill or down road does not. It is a fact that all lakes, river, and ponds will not have extra size bluegill in it. When I say big…I am talking about fish in the 12- to 20-ounce class, and even bigger. Ok, let me share with you a little secret about “bull-sized” bluegill waters—you can boil it down to two things.
One would be numbers and the second would be nutrition. First let’s discuss the numbers game. As far as big bluegill are concerned, overstocked bodies of water probably affect overall bluegill size more than anything else? Growth actually stops all together when the carrying capacity of the ecosystem is exceeded.
As simple obvious example of this, is the presence of stunted fish. When you find a lot of runts in a lake, it’s best to look elsewhere. Your chances of catching bluegill over 8-10 ounces are very slim.
Now, nutrition is the other necessary part of the big bluegill secret. It can also be ascertained without wetting the line. Invariably those waters that drain fertile soil will provide a rich food chain, and resident fish populations will have a decided advantage, as long as the carrying capacity isn’t exceeded.
In farm country, look for lush crops, or good fertile pasturelands. In forested areas, look for healthy tree growth. Get in touch with any tree expert or the U. S. Forestry Service.
They can tell you what areas grow trees faster than others and then take a look at bluegill potential in the vicinity.
When you find fertile soils with undisturbed wetlands, where aquatic hatches are prolific, well, you’ve found the home of the big bluegill.
Something else I’ve noticed in bodies of water that produce larger fish is that the “sho nuf” good ones will be somewhat deeper.
Something else you might find interesting is that a successful lake or pond has to have a good supply of microscopic organisms, such as insect larvae, small minnows and crustaceans. Bluegill must have a good source of food to grow in length, and put on weight and develop sexually.
Thus, lake fertility plays a major role in producing big bluegill. Surprisingly, most big bluegill lakes or ponds—not all, but most—are characterized by a very good population of small bass. A few big bass may be present, but the lake is normally full of small bass and even schools of these small bass are always on the move looking or small bluegill. Thus, the bluegill are kept in balance and many of ’em can and will grow to tremendous size.
Well, that’s all for today. But we will pick up this and other such fish-related discussions in my next column. Meanwhile, catch one for me!

Q. Can you tell me more about fishing for deep-water crappie?

Bill: As covered in my bill dance fishing video when it is springtime and the crappie are shallow, fat and spawning, the entire world is a party.
For it is during this time that crappie are easy to locate and, normally, simple to catch. The bedding ritual moves them shallow near shoreline cover that is easy to find. And the protective nesting instinct makes them relatively easy prey to any live bait or artificial lure that crosses their path.
In the South, mid-March through mid-April means prime-time crappie fishing.
During the spawn, everyone is an expert because the fish are most vulnerable at that time, being shallow and around cover. It’s the other 80 percent of the year when crappie fishing is tougher and you separate the men from the boys.
Everybody likes to fish in the springtime when the fish are spawning. Most people operate under the assumption that crappie more or less disappear after spring.
At the end of the spawn, a lot of people will hang up their tackle for the rest of the year until spring rolls around again. They deprive themselves of some great fishing because crappie do not dry up after the spring spawn. There are just as many crappie swimming around in a lake in July as there were in April. But the primary difference is where you find the crappie, where they’ve gone to.
That’s why it is important to learn to fish deep water.
The dreaded deep-water fishing, where marine electronics replace the naked eye for locating fish, is no more popular with crappie enthusiasts as it is with their counterparts in bass fishing. Deep-water fishing offers  none of the comforts of shallow angling, where sight comes more into play and crappie are both easier to locate and, generally, simpler to catch.
Most crappie fishermen avoid deep water simply because they have never learned how to fish it. But during the 80 percent of the year when the popular pan fish are not spawning, limits are seldom caught in shallow water. And fishing in the so-called off-seasons is so productive that it is worth the time and effort to learn the methods for going deep for crappie.
Once you master deep-water crappie the fishing can be very dependable.
There is no real off-season for crappie. They will hit 365 days a year if you can determine what depth they are holding. But most people keep on fishing the same shallow cover after the fish leave it. Rather than moving with the fish and changing when fish changes, they stay in the same place. That’s why the season is over for them as the post-spawn occurs.
According to the annual migration pattern of the species, crappie, generally, spend the majority of the year in deep water (for the sake of clarity, deep is defined as 10 feet or more). Crappie come shallow in preparation for spawning and the actual bedding stage, but are more difficult to locate the remainder of the year.
But one you locate deep-water crappie, the experts say it is often the same easy-to-catch creature that makes its shallow appearance each spring.
The first step toward finding deep-water crappie is studying a quality topographic map, which is available on most major lakes and reservoirs. Since crappie will likely be around invisible structure and submerged cover, it’s important to look for deep-water ledges, creek channels, roadbeds and old submerged sloughs. The elevation markings on the map offer and indication of areas that might contain those structure or cover-types.
From there, it takes a little skill with electronics to pinpoint potential deeper-water crappie havens and then actually locate the fish. The consistent crappie angler has mastered the use of a flasher, chart recorder or liquid crystal unit, which can read the bottom contour with amazing precision. He will use a map to put himself in a likely position, utilize his flasher to locate the ledge or channel and examine the area closely with a graph or liquid crystal unit.
Start your hunt for deep-water crappie by scrutinizing likely areas such as creek channels and sloughs, looking for sharp drop-offs.

Best Wishes for a Big Bass Year,



P.S. How can you lose money? You've got nothing to lose. Your completely protected by my 365-day guarantee. That’s right you have a full year to return the Bill Dance "Complete Bass Fishing Course " if it doesn’t work for YOU and get your FULL purchase price back.

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