Q: How important is brush in late fall and early winter?
Buck Worthen, OK, says, “On Gibson in Oklahoma, the crappie will be on 18 to 25 feet brushpiles. The brush can be fished in different ways but I like to two pole jig with a pole in each hand. I like to feel the thump. It’s best to just take your time and work the brush.”
Billy Williams, GA, team Johnson Fishing, says, “For November fish you better find some brush. The fish are holding tight to brush. We will be spider rigging. We won’t be moving, just setting down on top of the brush.”
Travis Bunting, MO, two-time classic champ, says, “We use a 2.5 to 5.5-inch jerkbait on Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. It’s basically open water fishing but we also throw it over brushpiles, too. The fish we are targeting are 10 to 12 feet deep and can see the bait for a long distance. We cast, jerk, jerk, then pause and let the bait suspend in the water.”
Tim Blackley, TN, says, “At Kentucky Lake the fall migration has been in place with crappie chasing schools of shad. The fish are feeding heavy and many of them can be found in 10 to 12 feet of water but the fish might be suspended up. The general rule is if you find a brushpile in the 10 to 12 foot range you’ll catch a crappie. A 2-inch Strike King jig tipped with a minnow is what I’ll be using.”
