While summer temperatures continue to rise, crappie fishing on many lakes is becoming increasingly more difficult. The time frame for catching them grouped up on shallow tops has come and gone until next year.
The rising water temperatures cause crappie to spread out and head towards deeper water, making them harder to locate. Even though chasing these fish in the summer may not offer the same fast-paced thrills as fishing the spawn, success is still possible for fishermen who want to put in the effort.
Calvin native Holden Higgs has cracked the code to the hot summer bite on Black Lake in Natchitoches Parish, and he was more than happy to share some of the tips that make him so successful.
Even though the crappie here also follow the typical summer pattern of scattering in open water, the large population of crappie on the lake make them easy to locate. Holden starts his search by targeting the main thing that crappie need no matter the season: their food source.
“I have two Garmin 93sv units,” Higgs said. “I ease around using one with side scan to look for bait fish. When I see a lot of bait, I drop my trolling motor and use the other Garmin with LiveScope to start scanning for crappie.”
Once he finds a single or a small group that looks worthy of some attention, Higgs follows them with the trolling motor to get close enough to target them. Once in position, he uses a specific setup to cast to these fish to prevent scaring them with the boat.
“I use a five-foot Outlaw crappie pole with fluorocarbon line in 10-pound test,” he said. “I also peg a quarter ounce weight about a foot above my jig.”
This allows Higgs to cast a considerable distance towards the fish, even in windy conditions. This is essential because the fish are more easily spooked in the summer.
“Boat control plays a big part in catching these fish,” Higgs said.
Natural-looking soft plastics
When it comes to the best bait to target these fish, you can leave your minnow bucket at home. Trying to keep shiners alive in the summer can be a chore, so this is great news. These fish prefer 1/16- or 1/32-ounce jigs instead.
“I never use live bait,” Higgs said. “I am strictly a jig fisherman. I use soft plastics from Pro Tuff Baits, Bobby Garland and Snacky Lures. I have found that natural colors generally bring success all year.”
On the rare occasion that the roaming fish aren’t cooperating, Higgs also has a backup plan. Because of the variety of natural tree cover on the lake, crappie can also be found on brush and trees in deeper water.
“If I can’t find fish roaming in open water, I will target brush in areas around 20 feet deep,” he said. “They will be there, you just have to look for them.”
Another benefit to this lake is that it is not as popular for pleasure boaters as other lakes in the area, which helps to keep the pressure down. This can make wandering around to locate fish much easier.
“I fish several different lakes, but the good thing about this one is that it gets much less pressure than the others,” Higgs said.
Black Lake certainly has plenty to offer summer crappie fishermen and should definitely be on your lineup this year.
