Years of guiding on Mississippi’s Grenada Lake have given John Harrison an in-depth knowledge of crappie behaviors year-round, including September. (Photo: Keith Sutton)
September Crappie Secrets
by Keith Sutton
As September approaches, anglers prepare for the changing conditions of crappie fishing. The shift from long, hot summer days to the shorter, cooler days of early fall requires adapting our strategies on the water.
The methods we use will vary significantly depending on whether we’re aiming to catch a mess of smaller crappie for dinner or trying to land a trophy-class crappie for social media, tournament weigh-ins or just personal satisfaction. Different tactics are needed for each goal, and knowing which to use is key to success.
To help you make the most of this season, we’ve consulted three expert anglers and guides. In the following paragraphs, they’ll share their top techniques, including precise tackle choices, strategic bait and lure presentations, and tips on optimal locations and timing. Whether you’re looking to catch a large number of crappie or targeting the bigger, more elusive ones, continue reading to discover proven strategies that can take your September fishing adventures to the next level.
John Harrison
John Harrison of JH Guide Service has been crappie fishing on Grenada Lake for more than 40 years. He is a crappie-fishing tournament legend, having won many local and regional championships, and is a member of B’n’M Poles, SeaArk Boats, SeeLite, Gamma Fishing Line and Millenium Marine pro staffs.
Numbers Game
“As September approaches, fall is in the air, and temperatures start dropping,” says Harrison. “Crappie start fattening up for winter as the water temperature falls. My guides and I use two methods of fishing when water starts getting cooler.
“Our go-to is slow trolling with 1/2- or 3/4-ounce Capps & Coleman minnow rigs on 18-foot B’n’M Pro Staff trolling rods rigged with 8-pound Gamma line. Speed ranges from 0.4 to 0.8 mph.
“The second method, if water temperatures are above 70 degrees (when crappie are still very active and like to chase) is long-lining with Crappie Magnet Fin Spins and Slab Curlys. We like to pull them at 0.8 to 1.0 mph, normally with two 1/8- or a 1/8- and a 1/32-ounce Fin Spin rigged about three feet apart. For this, we use 6-pound-test Gamma line rigged on B’n’M Buck’s Graphite jig poles. We use two 16-foot, two 14-foot, two 12-foot and two 10-foot poles, which allows us to cover 38 to 40 feet of water from the back of the boat.
“These two methods can be combined, using one in front and one in back. Both provide plenty of action and fun for beginners or seasoned veterans.”
Big Fish
“The first step in catching big crappie is to find a lake that produces big crappie,” Harrison says. “A good example is my home lake, Grenada in Mississippi. I’ve found that the bigger, better grade of crappie may be in shallow or stained water. As the water starts cooling, the few larger fish will be found in more secluded areas and on points and drop-offs near river and creek channels.”
David Jones
Longtime tournament pro David Jones was the 2014 Crappie USA national champion and has more than 20 top-ten finishes on the tournament trail. He operates Green River Lake Crappie Trips in south-central Kentucky on an 8,210-acre reservoir he’s fished his entire life. He guides around 175 days each year.
Numbers Game
“September use to be a struggle for me on my lake until a few years ago when I discovered where these fish are,” Jones says. “This time of the year the water is starting to cool down, and our thermocline is disappearing. The crappie are in schools in some of our main-lake spots and are deeper than the previous few months due to the thermocline absence.
“I target smaller, more abundant crappie by spider-rigging them with B’n’M’s 12-foot Duck Commander poles. On part of the poles, I use Capps & Coleman minnow rigs, and on the rest I use Eye Hole jigs with Original Crappie Magnet bodies. I put Crappie Magnet Slab Bites in the eye holes for extra scent. These two combinations will put plenty of fish in the boat.”
Big Fish
“Some of our biggest fish this time of the year can be found shallow,” Jones continues. “I try to cover a lot of water using my forward-facing sonar, and seem to have my best luck in five- to 12-foot depths over structure. Mossback’s Root Wads are great for this depth and will hold big fish. The key is to cover water with the LiveScope.
I like one-poling these fish with the B’n’M 13-1/2-foot Diamond Series jig pole paired with the Original Crappie Magnet. My colors vary with changing light and weather conditions.
“Don’t get caught up messing with the smaller fish,” Jones concluded. “You have to pass up the little ones to catch the big ones.”
Kyle Schoenherr
Kyle Schoenherr of Oakdale, Illinois had one of the best runs in tournament fishing from 2010 to 2018. He won three national championship classic tournaments, two Alabama state championships and has more than 30 top-ten finishes around the country. He owns All Seasons Crappie Fishing Guide Service, providing full-time guided fishing on several lakes in southern Illinois.
Big Fish and Small
“Regardless of when you’re fishing or what you’re hoping to catch—big fish or small—the biggest key is understanding the water you’re fishing,” Schoenherr says. “Every lake is different, so it’s important to know the characteristics of each.
“Let me use two of the lakes I guide on as examples. On Rend Lake in September, we usually catch lots of nice average-size crappie, the kind you might want to take home to eat. But Rend’s crappie population includes big crappie, too. When I have clients who are wanting to catch trophy-size crappie, however, I would probably take them to Kincaid Lake where there are lots of bigger hybrids, black crappie crossed with white crappie.
“Kincaid is a deep, clear lake that develops a distinct thermocline. Fish there tend to hold as deep as 25 feet in September. Rend, on the other hand, doesn’t develop a thermocline. There we might be fishing much shallower because Rend has murkier, stained water. Different characteristics dictate that we attack the two bodies of water differently.”
“I usually fish jigs,” Schoenherr says. “But the manner in which I fish them can differ every day depending on the crappies’ mood. One day, fishing the lures dead vertical and still might work best. On another day, we may do better trolling. Whether you are successful or not depends on how you present your baits, and knowing the best way to do that comes with an in-depth understanding of the body of water you’re fishing.”
Keith Sutton is editor of our sister magazine at CatfishNOW.com. He’s been an avid crappie angler for more than half a century, pursuing his favorite panfish on waters throughout the United States. His fishing stories have been read by millions in hundreds of books, magazines, newspapers and Internet publications. In 2021, he was inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.
