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John N. Felsher's Crappie Fishing Adventures
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Go very slow and deep for big slab
crappies in cold winter waters
crappies in cold winter waters
Mitch Predmore admires a crappie he caught while fishing with
Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips guide service on Lake
Hamilton near Hot Springs, Ark.
Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips guide service on Lake
Hamilton near Hot Springs, Ark.
Chasing crappies in winter sometimes looks more like hunting than
fishing, but once anglers find a good concentration, they could often load a
boat.
In winter, crappies often go deep. Maintaining relatively stable
temperatures throughout the year, deep water shelters fish from
temperature extremes and fluctuations. A brush pile that concentrates big
crappies in May might not hold a single fish in January.
“Winter is a good time to fish for crappies, but it can be a little more
challenging,” said Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips in Hot Springs, Ark.
“On Lake Hamilton, we catch them along the main channels in 25 to 35 feet
of water. The average size of a crappie on Lake Hamilton is a little larger
than other lakes in the area. Most of the ones I catch average about one to
1.5 pounds. In January 2006, I caught my heaviest crappie on Lake
Hamilton, a 2.75-pounder. I know Hamilton has some 3-pound crappies.”
My sons, Daniel and Steve and their friends Mitch Predmore and
Jessie Talkington, joined Morris to sample the crappie action at Lake
Hamilton. One of three major lakes along the Ouachita River near Hot
Springs, Lake Hamilton holds about 7,200 acres. Almost right in downtown
Hot Springs, a dam separates Lake Hamilton from Lake Catherine. Farther
upriver, another dam separates Lake Hamilton from Lake Ouachita.
Ringed by hotels, resorts and condominiums, Lake Hamilton fills with jet
skis, pleasure cruisers, ski boats and other craft each summer, but in
winter, anglers have the lake to themselves.
Morris rigged slip-bobber rigs for the boys while I vertically jigged
chrome spoons. We landed several species, including black and white
crappies, largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegills, catfish, yellow bass,
white bass and redeared sunfish. The lake also contains populations of
stripers, hybrid bass, walleye and several other species.
“All of these fish are attracted to bottom cover and structure,” Morris
said. “Find the cover and you’ll find the fish. Whether they bite or not is
another story. Most of the fishing that I do on Lake Hamilton is just off the
main channel on the lower end near the dam. I like to fish the channels
around Goat Island, Hot Springs Creek and other channels in the area. In
the winter, the majority of the fish will hold on brush piles along the main
channel. Points near the main channel are also good places to try.”
Cold water makes fish lethargic and finicky, so limit lure action. Drop
baits down just above the cover. Crappies generally look up to spot prey
silhouetted against the surface and might not even spot something
swimming in the darkness below them. Also, use light, nearly invisible
fluorocarbon line.
“Vertical jigging with a small spoon is very effective in the winter,”
Morris said. “We use 1/8- to 1/4-ounce spoons. Don’t jerk the spoon as
long or as hard. Often, it doesn’t take a whole lot of movement to make fish
excited. Sometimes, just a little vibration gets fish to bite. Sometimes, I jerk
a bait up and down two or three times and then stop. Sometimes, the
spoon twists on the line and I just stop and let it unwind. I keep the rod still,
but the spoon twists and unwinds at the end.”
In winter, finicky crappies might approach a bait, taste it and leave
without the angler ever knowing a strike occurred. Fish frequently hit jigs or
spoons “on the fall.” Keep in contact with the bait as it drops instead of just
slack-lining it. Keep a finger touching the line to help detect subtle strikes.
“In the winter, it’s generally a light, subtle bite,” Morris said. “People
have to pay a lot of attention. A tremendous number of great crappie
anglers don’t catch as many fish in the winter as they do at other times
because they can’t detect an extremely light bite. It’s difficult to detect a
light bite in deep water. In deep water, an artificial bait often works better
than a live bait. Sometimes, we use a 1/16-ounce jig fished about 25 to 35
feet deep on a tight line when fish are biting very subtly.”
Add a little extra enticement when fish become lethargic by bribing
them into biting. A couple Berkley Power Bait nibbles add a bit of flavor in
several bright colors. Sometimes, just that little extra touch means the
difference between a strike and nothing when cold-blooded fish turn finicky.
For booking trips, call Morris at (501) 844-5418. On line, see www.
familyfishingtrips.com.
fishing, but once anglers find a good concentration, they could often load a
boat.
In winter, crappies often go deep. Maintaining relatively stable
temperatures throughout the year, deep water shelters fish from
temperature extremes and fluctuations. A brush pile that concentrates big
crappies in May might not hold a single fish in January.
“Winter is a good time to fish for crappies, but it can be a little more
challenging,” said Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips in Hot Springs, Ark.
“On Lake Hamilton, we catch them along the main channels in 25 to 35 feet
of water. The average size of a crappie on Lake Hamilton is a little larger
than other lakes in the area. Most of the ones I catch average about one to
1.5 pounds. In January 2006, I caught my heaviest crappie on Lake
Hamilton, a 2.75-pounder. I know Hamilton has some 3-pound crappies.”
My sons, Daniel and Steve and their friends Mitch Predmore and
Jessie Talkington, joined Morris to sample the crappie action at Lake
Hamilton. One of three major lakes along the Ouachita River near Hot
Springs, Lake Hamilton holds about 7,200 acres. Almost right in downtown
Hot Springs, a dam separates Lake Hamilton from Lake Catherine. Farther
upriver, another dam separates Lake Hamilton from Lake Ouachita.
Ringed by hotels, resorts and condominiums, Lake Hamilton fills with jet
skis, pleasure cruisers, ski boats and other craft each summer, but in
winter, anglers have the lake to themselves.
Morris rigged slip-bobber rigs for the boys while I vertically jigged
chrome spoons. We landed several species, including black and white
crappies, largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegills, catfish, yellow bass,
white bass and redeared sunfish. The lake also contains populations of
stripers, hybrid bass, walleye and several other species.
“All of these fish are attracted to bottom cover and structure,” Morris
said. “Find the cover and you’ll find the fish. Whether they bite or not is
another story. Most of the fishing that I do on Lake Hamilton is just off the
main channel on the lower end near the dam. I like to fish the channels
around Goat Island, Hot Springs Creek and other channels in the area. In
the winter, the majority of the fish will hold on brush piles along the main
channel. Points near the main channel are also good places to try.”
Cold water makes fish lethargic and finicky, so limit lure action. Drop
baits down just above the cover. Crappies generally look up to spot prey
silhouetted against the surface and might not even spot something
swimming in the darkness below them. Also, use light, nearly invisible
fluorocarbon line.
“Vertical jigging with a small spoon is very effective in the winter,”
Morris said. “We use 1/8- to 1/4-ounce spoons. Don’t jerk the spoon as
long or as hard. Often, it doesn’t take a whole lot of movement to make fish
excited. Sometimes, just a little vibration gets fish to bite. Sometimes, I jerk
a bait up and down two or three times and then stop. Sometimes, the
spoon twists on the line and I just stop and let it unwind. I keep the rod still,
but the spoon twists and unwinds at the end.”
In winter, finicky crappies might approach a bait, taste it and leave
without the angler ever knowing a strike occurred. Fish frequently hit jigs or
spoons “on the fall.” Keep in contact with the bait as it drops instead of just
slack-lining it. Keep a finger touching the line to help detect subtle strikes.
“In the winter, it’s generally a light, subtle bite,” Morris said. “People
have to pay a lot of attention. A tremendous number of great crappie
anglers don’t catch as many fish in the winter as they do at other times
because they can’t detect an extremely light bite. It’s difficult to detect a
light bite in deep water. In deep water, an artificial bait often works better
than a live bait. Sometimes, we use a 1/16-ounce jig fished about 25 to 35
feet deep on a tight line when fish are biting very subtly.”
Add a little extra enticement when fish become lethargic by bribing
them into biting. A couple Berkley Power Bait nibbles add a bit of flavor in
several bright colors. Sometimes, just that little extra touch means the
difference between a strike and nothing when cold-blooded fish turn finicky.
For booking trips, call Morris at (501) 844-5418. On line, see www.
familyfishingtrips.com.
