During the summer months, crappies become a fish of mystery to many anglers.  How can a fish that seems to be so abundant and easy to catch in the spring disappear during the summer?  Oh sure, a few anglers catch a crappie or two here and there during the summer, but most of those are taking incidentally while fishing for bass or walleyes.  There are a few knowledgeable anglers, however, who consistently take crappies, including some huge ones, right through the summer.  Here’s how they do it.
 Crappies are just like most fresh water fish in that during the summer months, they will be close to their food source.  In many bodies of water, the crappie’s food source will be in the deep water.  Of course “deep” is a relative term.  In some lakes or reservoirs, “deep” is fifteen feet, in others it’s thirty feet.  Just remember that the fish will now be deeper than they were two months ago usually.

 A little work with a depth finder will be of help in finding the crappies.  Search for them on the tips of points and underwater rock humps.  Also keep in mind that they could be suspended out away from any form of structure.  They might just be cruising along with a school of baitfish. The Zercom Pro model flasher sonar is favored by many crappie chasers because it will instantly show fish that are suspended or holding near structure. Additionally, it will reveal fish that are only inches from the bottom, something many sonar units won’t do.

 Once the fish are found, lure presentation becomes important.  Crappies can be very spooky.  Although they may be in deep water, it might still be best to shut the motor off and cast to them to prevent spooking.  This is especially true if they are suspended.  Cast your lure so it drifts down through them.  Watch your line very closely for the slightest irregular movement that would indicate a strike.

 Jigs work about the best for deep-water crappies.  Gypsi jigs have a specially designed head that make them perfect for fishing deep water.  It is a thin head that slices through the water.  This design allows us to go with a lighter jig that still gets to the bottom quickly.  Tip the jig with a Power Wiggler or a small to medium sized minnow.  Try different jig colors until a productive one is found.  Crappies will at times be very color selective.

 I prefer a medium-light action rod for crappies.  This action allows the bait to be worked effectively, and also prevents tearing the soft mouth of the crappie.  The new Lightning Rods are really nice, and Fenwick has some great rods in the medium-light action also.  Team one of these with a size 1 Cardinal Premier reel spooled with four pound test XL and you’ll have a very nice outfit for crappies as well as walleyes.
 Find out for yourself that crappies can be caught right now on many bodies of water in deeper water.   You’ll be glad you did.
 

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