You can catch small fish by being careless, but to catch one like Clay Blair is holding
requires being stealth and using a good presentation. (Photo courtesy Clay Blair)
How NOT to Spook Crappie
by Tim Huffman
Have you ever wondered why fishermen in other boats catch more crappie than you?
It may not be a better spot, bait or presentation. It could be because they are spooking fewer fish than you. When your dad said, “Be quiet, you’re scaring the fish,” he was right. Experts share a few tips and tactics to guarantee more bites.
Fisherman-created Noise
This includes dropping objects in the boat, letting a livewell lid slam, bumping baits against the boat or even talking too loudly.
Clay Blair, tournament fisherman, part-time guide and pro staff for War Eagle, B’n’M Poles and others, says, “The shallower the water, the more important noise becomes. Laughing and talking might spook fish in very shallow water, but I personally haven’t seen it to be a problem. But most noises become more critical in shallow water. Get deeper than 10 feet and most sounds becomes less critical. If you do spook them in deeper water, they will come right back.
“Dropping items in the boat is bad. Also, something as simple as how you place the jig in the water is important. If you present a jig and let it splash in the water, that fish may swim off. With a long pole, it’s important to ease the jig into the water so you give the fish as little notice as possible that something is happening. I cast a lot to get the bait further away from the boat and I cast past the fish.”
Boat Control
Good boat control is critical to not spooking fish. Fishing legends Ronnie Capps and Steve Coleman have always preached that good boat control is the number one factor for successful fishing.
John Harrison, JH Guide Service in Mississippi, says, “The number one thing for me is to never go over the top of the fish. It’s the kiss of death. Another thing is to position the boat to have less wave slap. The noise of waves slapping the sides of a boat causes more spooked fish than most fishermen realize.
“When possible, I go with the wind and use brakes on my boat. If you go into the wind, especially with an aluminum boat, you’ll hear the wind slap. If you can hear a little wind slap you may not think it’s loud, but the fish certainly knows you’re coming.”
Distance
Getting too close is an easy way to spook fish. It applies to open water fish, fish on cover, shallow spawners and other crappie.
“Too close is bad,” says Harrison. “Crappie located in cover might feel it’s safe compared to fish in open water, so they may be less spooky, but all fish are usually spooky to some degree.
“Distance, when fish have very little pressure on them, they might allow a fisherman to get up on them at 12 feet. A lot of pressure, like at Grenada Lake, means the big fish may spook when you get closer than 25 feet. The first fish to leave a stump will be the big fish, every time. I’ve watched it over and over.”
Tony Sheppard, classic champ, says, “I fish Kentucky Lake a lot and the water gets pretty clear. When I approach a stake bed, I’ll start seeing fish leave out the back side of it. I might see 10 fish on it at 50 feet. At 30 feet they start to sink down in the bed and some fish may leave. At 15 or 20 feet from them, there might be only three fish left in it. Weekend fishermen never see this with regular sonar. It’s important to know they do this, whether you’re seeing it on electronics or not.”
Trolling Motor Noise
Trolling motor noise has a major impact on fishing.
Terry Stewart from Mississippi has a long history of tournament success and is a part-time guide.
“I try to be as quiet as can be. We go fast now when looking for fish, but when you see a fish, you ease up on the trolling motor. Bump the motor again and they’ll swim off. Even moving a motor left or right will change how they hear it and might produce a squeak you don’t even hear. And sound really carries in water. You can still catch smaller fish, but the big fish pick up on it immediately.”
Other Notes
Blair says a fisherman can see crappie spook.
“Since (forward-facing sonar), I see a lot of fish go down to the bottom. You put a jig in front of their faces and they go down. The pressure on the fish has blown up in the past few years and they get chased a lot. More fish get caught and released because it’s more of a sport today than food to eat. Fish learn and have become spookier.”
Harrison says, “At some lakes fishermen can keep any size fish they catch, but on the Mississippi lakes I fish, a crappie must be over 12 inches long, so they have time to be caught and released a few times throughout their life. They get more educated about fishermen. Like a big buck deer getting smarter as he gets older.”
Are we spooking fish with transducer noise?
There’s no argument that the noise is louder and stronger with the new forward-facing sonar units. Experts are mixed on the amount of spookiness transducer noise creates. The primary theory is to turn it off when you believe it could be spooking fish, especially in shallow water or in situations it’s not necessary.
NOT spooking crappie is critical for success. Do everything possible to reduce the things that spook fish. Put the odds in your favor and outsmart the big crappie on the waters you fish.
Senior writer and recent Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame member, Tim Huffman, has a new 2024 book, Papermouth, Modern Fishing Techniques, available in Kindle or papermouth at Amazon or link from his website, www.monstercrappie.com
