priest crappie

[Headhunter]

yesterday, pic of livewell after first 30 minutes, only got to fish a couple hours, ended up with 22. did not catch any under 10"

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/crappie_zpsaca4a876.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/crappie_zpsaca4a876.jpg.html)

I have crappie fished on priest for 25 years or so. I enjoy reading everything that is used to catch crappie, colors, etc. The guy that taught me how to locate and catch crappie and myself will tell you we use every color known to man, so long it is white. I rarely have trouble catching crappie on priest in the spring and all I have ever used is 1/16 oz jig head, 2" white twister tail, with and without float. Before there were limits on crappie it was not uncommon for us to keep over 200 in a day. The past few springs have been awesome, fish under 10" are rare, amazing lake Priest is.

[XxthejuicexX]

Fish under 10" are rare..... I must be fishing a different priest :) It sounds like you had a pretty good day. Weather permitting and if I am over this flu/stomach bug/food poisoning thing I have I want to hit Priest up saturday.

[commdd]

headhunter, thanks for the post, keeping it simple sounds great, i am guilty of taking too much stuff with me when fishing, mostly due to not the insecurity of not having the "right" color. also last i went it was windy so switched to an 1/8 oz head and it really seemed to slow down the bite, its tough fishing 1/16th in the wind but worth it!

[creekcrappie]

Fish under 10" are rare..... I must be fishing a different priest :)

Looks like I fish the same priest you fish.

[Alphahawk]

Nice mess of fish. Better hope there are a bunch of smaller crappie in JPP or in a couple of years won't be any to catch. TWRA stocked 250,000 black nose just in 2013 alone....all of those were between 2 to 2.5 inches. Those can grow 4 or 5 more inches in a year so if half of them survive then at end of year should be 125,000 6 to 7 inch black nose. I don't catch any short crappie at Nickajack either but that has to do with the spots I fish more than anything.






Regards

[Headhunter]

Nice mess of fish. Better hope there are a bunch of smaller crappie in JPP or in a couple of years won't be any to catch. TWRA stocked 250,000 black nose just in 2013 alone....all of those were between 2 to 2.5 inches. Those can grow 4 or 5 more inches in a year so if half of them survive then at end of year should be 125,000 6 to 7 inch black nose. I don't catch any short crappie at Nickajack either but that has to do with the spots I fish more than anything.






Regards

Been this way for me the last 4 or 5 years. After the 10", 30 fish limit was passed, it used to almost alternate years. One year I could limit out in 30-40 crappie and the next it would take 100 to catch 30 that measured 10+". Last 4 or 5 years has been great, best crappie I have ever caught in Priest.

[Headhunter]

headhunter, thanks for the post, keeping it simple sounds great, i am guilty of taking too much stuff with me when fishing, mostly due to not the insecurity of not having the "right" color. also last i went it was windy so switched to an 1/8 oz head and it really seemed to slow down the bite, its tough fishing 1/16th in the wind but worth it!

when I fish for crappie this time of year, I use a 1/16 oz jig head regardless of wind and I fish everyday I can.

[Headhunter]

I do not take many pictures anymore, but lost count how many times we have done (limit each for him and myself) this since the limit was imposed. The guy on the righht in the pic taught me all I know. Him and his dad are 2 of the better fishermen that have ever fished in middle Tennessee, bass or crappie.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/taycrappie_zps3070ae3a.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/taycrappie_zps3070ae3a.jpg.html)

[XxthejuicexX]

Would you guys mind a answering a few questions I have? If not it's fine. What are you guys looking for when catching these fish? I mean are you fishing laydowns or are they staging off points moving to coves or the backs of creeks, or fishing flats leading the the backs of coves or creeks? I am not real familiar with the movements of Crappie, I have read articles but insight from the lake I fish is always better. I am not asking for specific locations just what to look for on my navionics map and my sonar.

[Alphahawk]

Juice I don't fish JPP anymore but fished it from the bank about 4 years ago. I caught a lot of crappie there but got to where I could no longer crawl the rocks so quit going. JPP will be like any other lake though as for how crappie relate. They like cover but that can mean a bush.... a tree.....very sharp drop in depth...a wall....even a single stick in the water. They will also hang out around the rip rap...mostly black crappie do that. It would take a lot of typing to discuss catching crappie and since JPP is Headhunters lake maybe he will give you some tips.


Regards

[Headhunter]

I do not fish visible structure. It gets hammered. You can catch crappie from it but way to much work. Try to find the right depth with gravel or rocks. right depth can be anywhere from 2 to 6 feet for me. I caught most everything in 2' recently. I used to catch big bunches off of one spot, but anymore once I catch 7 or 8 I move. Flats are good places to look. I have structure out but all I use for the most part is a copule of 12" blocks and maybe a small limb. If it is to big others will find it. If you find fish and people start watching just leave and come back. I try to be as quiet and appear the worst fishermen on the lake.

[XxthejuicexX]

Thank you guys for the responses. I will start looking for a few areas Saturday If the locations I know do not pay off.

[Heiny57]

I have a question if you or anyone could help I would appreciate it.

I put in at Elm Hill because I live in Franklin and it is just closest. Every one on here seems to fish up river toward Fate Sanders. Is there any decent crappie spots down toward the dam I could try without burning so much gas to go up river? Or at least confirm there is, so I could have hope for finding them. Suggs Creek area maybe? I have done well at night under a light in the summer, but I am sucking in the spring for crappie during the day.

[XxthejuicexX]

I have a question if you or anyone could help I would appreciate it.

I put in at Elm Hill because I live in Franklin and it is just closest. Every one on here seems to fish up river toward Fate Sanders. Is there any decent crappie spots down toward the dam I could try without burning so much gas to go up river? Or at least confirm there is, so I could have hope for finding them. Suggs Creek area maybe? I have done well at night under a light in the summer, but I am sucking in the spring for crappie during the day.

Man, I wish i could help. I don't venture up that way to much. I know a few places to bass fish but no crappie spots. I have fished that lake for most of my life but it's all been south of Bryant Grove.

[creekcrappie]

I used to go trolling bandits in the summer with a guy up there near smith springs.

[MNfisher]

I have a question if you or anyone could help I would appreciate it.

I put in at Elm Hill because I live in Franklin and it is just closest. Every one on here seems to fish up river toward Fate Sanders. Is there any decent crappie spots down toward the dam I could try without burning so much gas to go up river? Or at least confirm there is, so I could have hope for finding them. Suggs Creek area maybe? I have done well at night under a light in the summer, but I am sucking in the spring for crappie during the day.

They are there. As the water warms, well right about now, fish the wind blown coves with trout mags. Caught very many last year this time of year in coves around the dam area.

[Heiny57]

Thanks guys for the hope...... LOL I will be giving it a try tomorrow. :D

[Headhunter]

for the next couple weeks, I would not waste money on crappie magnets, bobby garland, etc or any expensive crappie lures, and I would not worry about colors (well white, I buy 2" or 2-1/2" white curly tails by the pound, usually 5 or so pounds at a time) and use a float and a 1/16 oz lead head and I almost never fish deeper than 5'. Cover a lot of territory and you should be able to find several fish. Really helps to have cover or some type in the middle of a cove, flat, etc. that cannot be seen above the water. Anything that can be seen gets hammered on Priest for crappie.

[commdd]

headhunter, do you use a float thats fixed or a slip float? thanks as alway!

[Headhunter]

I move the float constantly depending on water depth.

[commdd]

got ya, thanks!