late Fall through early Spring Crappie fishing can be difficult. One day they're sizzling hot and another day you can not get a bite to save your life. Another area that is unnecessarily tough is the weather. A weather front can sneak in and the weather can turn threatening literally without warning. This is another reason fishing for Crappie in Fall and Winter on the lake is so difficult for many fishermen. However, not all is lost. There are many late Fall through early Spring Crappie that are caught below boat docks in the late Fall through early Spring. Here's some advice on finding your share of the Ole Papermouth.

The weather is probably the single largest variable a fisherman has to deal with when trying to locate and entice Crappie to bite during the Winter time. Fronts can blow in with little notice. The wind can change direction, pick up speed or become calm all within an instant. Is it any wonder we have a hard time finding and catching Crappie in late Fall through early Spring!

There is one place where Crappie fishermen can go to get out of the weather and have a reasonable chance at catching enough slabs for a fish fry. These places are boat docks. But not any ole boat dock will work. We're looking for boat docks that have Crappie beneath them! This is sometimes easier said than done. But with a little practice and a little research, you can learn how to find the best boat docks for Winter Crappie.

To start, look for boat docks that are over deep water, Preferably near a creek or river channel. Once you've found docks over deep water, look for ones with structure. Many slip owners will sink bruch piles around the slip where their boats are tied up. It will pay to search out these slips with brush below them, especially the ones in deeper water near drop offs. Some Marina owners also sink brush piles below their docks. It may pay off big time to stop by the Office and enquire which slips have brush below them.

Once you've found a Marina near deep water, with docks near or over drop offs, the next step is to find out what the Crappie want to bite. I use small minnows to begin with to find where the Crappie are holding. Some days, they're suspended halfway between the brush and surface. Other days they'll be holding tight to the brush. On the rare warm days, I've even found them in less than two fee of water.

Once the Crappie are found by using Minnows, you can try and switch over to jigs. If the action is hot enough, you can fill your stringer quicker with jigs than with Minnows. I have no scientific study to prove this, but it seems I also catch the larger slabs in Winter on jigs rather than minnows. The Crappie will also hold in the same areas beneath different slips over deep water. If you catch them at 18 feet beneath one slip, you'll likely catch them beneath most slips at 18 feet. This is the beauty of Winter Crappie fishing.

Some Marina's now have indoor heated fishing docks. These are great when the weather is fit for neither man nor beast. I've had many a great day fishing for Crappie in a heated dock passing away the time talking to other fishermen. This is also a fun way to introduce Kids to the sport of Crappie fishing!

Sadly many Crappie fishermen miss out on the fabulous fishing at other times of the year. These people only think Crappie can be caught in the Spring. Oh well, that means there'll be more Crappie for you and me! I'll see you at the docks! You bring the coffee!