As the "Dog days of summer" come to an end, the thought of cooler temperatures and crisp mornings start occurring in the minds of most anglers and outdoor enthusiasts. This is the time of year when most people start cleaning their guns and get ready for the opening day of Dove season. What most people do not realize is this is the time to score BIG on fall "SLAB" crappie.

Fall crappie fishing can be some of the most exciting and predictable fishing there is! As the water temperatures start to drop, crappie start feeding in preparation for winter. They start gorging themselves on threadfin shad and small bluegill. What is so unique about this behavior is the fish prefer areas that have easy access to deep water but yet have the choice of shallow water for feeding purposes. If one is interested in spending time "farming" crappie, the work is well worth the effort.

Most people tend to make crappie fishing more difficult then it really is. They try and figure out what the crappie want and how to present their bait. It is very important that one must understand the food source first and try and figure out what is actually taking place. Crappie will start feeding heavily in late summer and early fall in preparation for the upcoming winter and post spawning season. In my opinion, thread fin shad are their primary food source and once you figure out the thread fin shad, your hardest work is over. During late summer early fall, thread fin shad start grouping up in huge schools and can be found in the back of coves and main lake points. Depending on wind direction and current flow, threadfin shad will suspend anywhere from 8 to 30 feet deep. Look for areas where main river channels bend and have cover. (I will discuss cover later on in the article). Threadfin shad really like to hold behind cover especially when current is present.

Over the years I have experimented trying to concentrate shad in certain areas by placing "cover" and "feeders". As I mentioned earlier, look for areas where the river channel bends and watch for drop offs. Place cover such as cedar tops and fruit tree limbs. Here is the key, when placing cover do not place it all in one place. Stagger the cover in stages according to water depths. Lets say you are in a area where you see a drop off and the water starts at 4 feet and gradually drops off to 35 feet. Place the cover at 10 feet intervals. The reason for doing this is as the water temperatures start to drop, the threadfin shad will suspend at different depths. Once the cover has been placed, now is the time to start thinking about placing "feeders".

"Feeders" over the years have really been productive for me. I get a 5 gallon bucket that has a lid with a rubber o-ring. These can be found at Burger King and Krystals. Once you get the bucket, fill it about 4 inches deep with quick crete. Let it cure completely. Once the crete has dried, drill several 1 inch diameter holes staggered along the sides of the bucket. Also drill about 15 to 20 1/2 inch diameter holes in the lid. You feeder is complete. To place the feeder, tie a rope to the handle and adjust the depth according to the shad schools. Go to your local hardware store and purchase some 1/2 inch concrete reinforcement rebar. Cut these to 14 inch length pieces. At the location where the feeder is going to be placed, drive the rebar until only 4 inches remain above the shoreline. Loop the rope around the rebar and pull the feeder out away from the bank. Let the feeder go slowly and presto your feeder is complete. Using any cheep dry dog food will do. I use ol roy which can be purchased for around 7 dollars for 50 pounds. Depending on current, the feed should last about a week. Once your feeder has been placed you will need to cover your "trail". Place rocks and limbs to cover your rope and rebar. After all of your hard work there is no need to advertise! To mark your feeder for future reference, take a can of spray paint that is not an eye sore and mark above or below your feeder. Spray a spot on a rock or a log the size of a baseball or whatever you will recognize. This will help finding it in low light conditions.

I have mentioned several times about current and if I had to pick, this would be one of the most critical factors on successful crappie fishing. Current has many effects on crappie and their food source (threadfin shad). Over the year I have found that my better days are on the days when current is present. If current is present, watch for the shad to stack up right behind the feeders and cover. The stronger the current the tighter to the cover the shad will be.

Now that you have placed your feeders and cover, now is the time to start paying close attention to depth finders and graphs. It is very important that you do not get "on top" of "your" fish! If you happen to accidentally go over the top of them, back away and come back 30 minutes or so. They will be there!!! A lot of people ask me how do I know that what I see on the graph is crappie. Well, I guess it is called putting your time in! It is text book when you pull up on a spot and see a big "ball or school" of shad and then right below them you will see larger fish. 95% of the time these are crappie. If you ever see it, you will know what I am talking about.

Over the years I have tried several different line sizes and have always come back to 4 pound test. There will be some who will argue that this is too light of line but I guess it is what you have the most confidence in. I like the smaller line because I can throw a very light jig with it accurately. I never use anything bigger than 1/16. 1/64, 1/32, and 1/16 are my choices for jig heads. On these I have several favorites when it comes to plastics. Bass Assassins, tube jigs and FIN-S are my most utilized baits. Adjust to size according to depth of water and current flow. It is very important that these baits are worked very slow. The slower the better. Good choice in color in these baits are chartreuse, white lightning, crystal shad, blue and white, cotton candy, white and pepper. Use lighter colors in clear water and brighter colors in stained to muddy water. Do not be afraid to experiment.

In conclusion, fall crappie fishing can be some of the most productive and exiting fishing there is. With a little work and time on the water, your success rate will "sky rocket". This is the time for BIG SLABS!