Page 6 - Crappie NOW - June 2019

NO BOAT NO PROBLEM

the depths to find out which thermocline the
fish are sitting in. Treat your line with a line conditioner, like
Reel Magic, for longer line life, longer casts,
A thermocline is temperature level in and slabs like this.
the water column. Take, for instance, a tall
glass of water. Looking at the side of the
glass, imagine every half-inch from bottom at different lengths of cast. Then move five
to top has a different temperature. The or six steps and repeat the process. Once
bottom would be the coolest and the top you reach the opposite side from where you
the warmest. The levels in between vary. started, and you had no hits or caught any
Without electronics, you can figure this out fish, it’s time to change methods.
yourself.
Remember the acronym CBR. Color—
c. Just cast a jig, don’t use the float, Bait—Retrieve. Change colors based on
sinker and hook method— If you can’t find cloud cover and water clarity.
minnows or you don’t have the time to mess
with bait buckets, rigging and just want Change bait to change frequency levels
to cast a jig, use fan casting. When you that fish pick up from their lateral lines. If
approach the bank in the manner described you used a curly tail with no luck, try a profile
above, go to the extreme right or left on the body with a straight tail or a tail with multiple
bank. Fan cast from 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock appendages.

6 Crappie NOW June 2019