LET’S GET VERTICAL

It is that time of year to get those long rods ready for action on Lake Shelbyville for the vertical jigging bite on and off structure!!! Isolated shallow timbers are going to be the structures that will hold your bigger class of fish throughout this start of the winter pattern. During this pattern, bait selection can be the difference maker and HAIR JIGS need to be FISHED daily!!! Fishing the “open water” is not only some of the most exciting fishing but during this time that is where you will find your biggest fish consistently.

When most people think about crappie fishing they typically think of dipping jigs down near a tree and catching fish. That is exactly how we are catching crappie right now on Lake Shelbyville. Traditionally crappie hold in water from 3-15 feet deep and are looking to feed up for the winter. Using a longer rod right now is beneficial for reaching out from the boat and not spooking any fish. Daily on my guide trips we are using 13-17 foot long rods by Power Crappie to keep our distance from the fish. While fishing shallow water expect those crappie to be holding high in the water column and expect them to be very aggressive. When dropping your bait in the water, be mindful of the impact your bait makes as it enters the water. The softer you can land your bait on the surface will give you more chances to fish a structure or an independent fish without being detected. Expect to find larger schools of crappie in the 10-15 foot water columns and expect to find bigger fish in the 3-10 foot water columns. Fishing an extended shoreline with timber littered throughout it is an ideal place to be able to cover multiple structures but also cover multiple water columns looking for the best depth to fish. Areas that have isolated structures are ideal places to find that bigger crappie holding alone. That solitary crappie can be caught more times than not but be cautious on how you fish that particular fish. As you approach that structure anticipate they’re being a big crappie on it and fish it very slowly and really try to avoid getting hung up and bumping that fish off the structure. More times than not this is where you will find your biggest “structure fish” of the day during this time.

Hair jigs are always one of the better baits as the water temperature drops for the winter. I fish the Dean Martin Custom Hair Jig collection and will switch between the 1/16th and 1/8th ounce sizes. For the past several years the “hair jig” bait option has been growing in popularity and the reason behind that is…THEY CATCH CRAPPIE!!! When fishing hair jigs I slow down the pace of my presentation allowing that hair to pulsate and drive those crappie crazy. Vertical jigging or corking shallow waters during this time are two techniques that can produce big numbers of crappie and even BIG crappie!!! Already this year the “NUCLEAR” hair jig by Dean Martin has produced several personal best crappie for my clients and it also helped me catch my Illinois personal best of 1.85lbs and just shy of 15 inches. The proof is in the REACTION that the crappie gives once they detect that bait around them. The goal of a 2lb crappie is in the sites  and during this pattern the hair jig will no doubt deliver!!!

The OPEN WATER is where the true GIANTS are holding. Using the Garmin Livescope to find those roaming crappie is exactly how we have been catching our biggest class of crappie. Searching the 3-13 foot water columns daily is where we have been finding those roaming crappie looking for their next meal. Dropping down on open water crappie and watching them nose up to the bait before the hit is a client favorite every time it happens. Open water fish can be caught from inches below the surface all the way down the mud on the bottom. Generally the active depth will be between two and seven feet below the surface where you are getting your most bites. As much as I advocate for BOAT FLIPPING CRAPPIE this is the time to have your nets out and ready!!! The odds of catching the biggest crappie of the year are the best right now so if you are looking for that one fish to put on the wall the time to fish is NOW!!!

In closing, I would like to thank all the readers, clients and other people I have met this year. This has been a tremendous year of fishing and we are looking forward to another great year of fishing next year. To book a trip please visit www.englandexpeditions.com or call 217-520-3653. “CATCHING MEMORIES ONE FISH AT A TIME”