During the summer season, crappie can be challenging to catch. Crappie often seem to disappear during hot weather due to a variety of factors
Unlike many sunfish, crappie often move into deeper, cooler water during the summer season. Crappie may also change their behavior in order to target a food source.
When targeting crappie during summer, the following tactics can help anglers improve the odds of a successful trip:
Look for thermoclines, areas where lakes and streams converge, deep pools, or other cool water locations.
Move around an impoundment until schools of crappie are located.
Try fishing live minnows or other freshwater baits along dropoffs.
When crappie are finicky in rivers and creeks, try vertical jigging with small jigs tipped with bits of nightcrawlers.
Troll jigs or jig-minnow combos, slow and deep.
Choose tube rigs or other soft plastics that can be casted and allowed to sink into vegetation with minimal fouling.
Experiment with different colored lures.
Try dropping a bait into aquatic vegetation using a cane pole or special crappie pole.
