...

Barb Catch Fishing

winter crappie fishing from the bank

Winter bank fishing for crappie presents unique challenges but also exciting opportunities for anglers. 

By understanding their behavior and habitat preferences, anglers can significantly improve their chances of success. 

Crappie are one of the most popular fish to catch in the winter months, so let’s discuss how to do it from the bank.

Key Points

  • Deep Water: Crappie seek warmth in deeper areas like pools or drop-offs during winter.
  • South Side of the Lake: Target the deeper south side in larger water bodies, where crappie gather near dam structures or creek outlets.
  • Target Wood: Look for submerged wood, a favorite spot for crappie year-round.
  • Stay Out of the Wind: Fish in sheltered areas to avoid windy conditions, which can deter crappie and make fishing uncomfortable.
  • Fish Slower: Use slow, subtle bait presentations like jigging and drop-shotting.
  • Best Crappie Rigs: Try versatile rigs like bobber and jig setups or drop shots to target crappie at varying depths.
  • Best Baits: Use effective baits such as marabou jigs, minnow soft plastics, and mini tube baits to entice crappie in cold water conditions.

How to Find Winter Crappie

First and foremost, you need to be able to find crappie to catch them. 

And crappie can be a bit harder to find than other sport fish like bass. 

But, as long as you keep the following things in mind, you should be able to find them.

Deep Water

Fishing for crappie deep can be tricky when bank fishing in the winter. You can really only fish as deep as you can cast. 

But don’t worry, you don’t need to be out in the very middle of the lake. 

Just find areas of your lake or pond where there is a deep pool or drop off. 

The crappie, like any fish, stick to the deeper water in the winter time to stay warmer. 

Fish the South Side of the Lake

If you are fishing a small pond, this will most likely not make a difference. But in bigger ponds or lakes, the south side will usually be the deeper end. 

There will tend to be a dam, spill way, or creek outlet at the end of the south end. 

This makes the water flow towards that end, and carves out a bit deeper water on that end. 

In the winter, crappie will stack up in on this side and feed up on the small baitfish that have moved there as well.

Target Wood

No matter what time of year it is, crappie are going to hold to wood. 

It can be hard for bank anglers to find submerged wood, especially when you are looking in the deeper water. 

But if you regularly fish a lake or pond, you should have a good idea of what types of cover are subsurface. 

Stay Out of the Wind

Wind is your enemy for two reasons when winter crappie fishing. First, the wind makes the water colder and crappie don’t like that. 

They will either leave that area or hunker down and not eat until the wind passes. 

Second, the cold wind is super uncomfortable for us fisherman. Nobody wants to be out in the blistering wind, freezing their tails off. 

There will be areas of the lake that are protected from the wind. This is where you should focus your time and attention.

Fish Slower

Part of the reason many anglers ice fish for crappie is because winter crappie prefer much slower and more subtle baits. 

So it doesn’t hurt your chances to just sit in one spot and shake around the jig. 

Winter crappie are sluggish and don’t want to chase after energetic prey. 

Fish your baits very slowly so that you make it easy on the crappie.

Best Crappie Rigs for Winter Bank Fishing

I pretty much only use two setups when winter crappie fishing. These are the bobber and jig setup and a drop shot.

Bobber and Jig

The classic bobber and jig setup is the most widely and successfully used crappie technique for bank fisherman. 

It allows you to fish slowly and vertically from the bank. Boat fisherman have the luxury of being able to park right over the fish and drop their baits straight down. 

But for bank guys, like myself, we need a bobber to hover the jig in front of crappie. 

You can play around with depths by sliding your bobber up and down the line. 

Or, you can use double, or even triple jig setups that give you multiple jigs going up your line. 

These allow you to find out exactly where the crappie are feeding without adjusting your leader.

Drop Shot

Drop shot? Isn’t that a bass fishing rig? 

If that’s what your thinking, you are kind of right. The drop shot is traditionally a bass fishing setup. 

But I have grown to love it for crappie fishing, especially in the winter time. 

One of the advantages of a small drop shot is that no matter what depth you are fishing or what drop off you come across, your bait will always be the same distance off of the bottom. 

In the winter time, crappie are most likely holding tight to the bottom. So a drop shot rig that always presents your bait 1-2 feet of the bottom is awesome. 

This is very useful if you are fishing a bit bigger lake and are having a hard time finding the crappie. 

You can fish the bait a bit faster without your bait swinging up and getting out of the crappie’s range.

Best Baits for Winter Crappie

  • Marabou Jig

    • Lifelike movement mimics small baitfish and insects, attracting sluggish crappie in cold water.
    • Use natural colors and vary sizes based on water depth and conditions.
 
  • Minnow Soft Plastic

    • Realistic profile and swimming action make it irresistible to hungry crappie.
    • Rig on jig heads or as trailers on other lures; vary retrieval speeds for best results.
 
  • Mini Tube Bait

    • Subtle movements mimic aquatic prey, a favorite among crappie.
    • Choose colors like smoke or shad patterns; experiment with different rigging techniques.

What About Live Minnows?

Live minnows are certainly one of the most popular baits for catching crappie. 

But in the winter time, they are not a great option. In the cold water and cold air, the minnows lose their “live bait” quality. 

Even if you are hooking the minnows properly, they are going to die very quickly. 

Dead minnows can still work on a jig head or drop shot, but it is not worth the effort of buying or catching live minnows because they are going to die quickly.

Reeling this In

Successful winter crappie fishing hinges on understanding their behavior and using the right techniques and gear. 

By focusing on deep water, targeting sheltered areas, fishing slower, and using effective rigs and baits, anglers can increase their chances of a productive outing. 

Remember to adapt your approach based on water conditions and stay patient, as winter crappie may require a more deliberate presentation to entice them into biting. 

With these strategies in mind, you’re ready to tackle winter fishing for crappie and enjoy a rewarding angling experience.

Seraphinite AcceleratorOptimized by Seraphinite Accelerator
Turns on site high speed to be attractive for people and search engines.