“In Arkansas, the shad move up into shallow water in November and December. The shad go into what I’m told is a second spawn. The crappie follow the shad. The November pattern, on a lake like Conway, is the crappie are going up shallow. Single-pole the grass in 1.5 to 2.0 feet of water on the edges of the grass. The grass comes out a few feet and the crappie hang out in it, probably as an ambush spot.
“I use a variety of jigs with MidSouth being my primary bait. I like a 1/-8-ounce pink or orange head. I like white-chartreuse, glow chartreuse and junebug-glow (Crappieholic color).”
“The technique is simple. Have two feet of line, a long pole and you don’t even need patience. If the crappie are there, they’ll knock the thunder out of it. A buddy and I went last fall and had a legal two-person limit of 60 crappie. They were all over 1.25 pounds and we had six over two pounds.
“This will last while the temperatures are in the 40’s and 50’s. A long period of below freezing will move the fish back out into deeper water.”
Jerry McCready is owner of Crappieholic apparel and fishes several national tournaments each year. www.crappieholic.com
