Summer crappies on spinnerbaits targets extended weed points using artificial bait.
As water temperatures rise throughout the summer, many species of fish re-locate to deep structure. This could be man-made cribs, brush piles or natural deep humps or weed points. The structure and species you are targeting often dictates your choice of bait presentation. Let’s say you are fishing a deep brush pile for pan fish. If throwing deep water crank baits, there is a good chance you will spend more time trying to get the bait out of the brush then actually catching fish. In this case maybe a slip bobber rig or small jig and plastic counted down would do the trick. The same goes for deep weed points. First consider the depth you will be fishing. This will give you a starting point on the best bait options. A good locater will show depth, weed height and often the fish and bait fish in and around the area. In this case we have chosen small spinner baits. Depending on the depth, activity of the fish, and how high the weeds are will determine the weight of spinner bait. Typically points located in 25 feet of water or more a 1/8 ounce bait will often be used. This offers a faster drop rate and more control. In this case the weed point is located in 14 foot of water. The weed clumps are four to six feet high. Here a 1/32 or 1/16 ounce spinner is the answer. The key is to cast out and count your bait down until it bumps the tops of the weeds. Then rip the spinner up and off the weeds. Continue this all of the way back to the boat. If the fish are active, a 1/16 ounce spinner works great. It has a faster drop rate compared to a 1/32 ounce which will trigger these fish. The lighter 1/32 ounce can be used on neutral less active fish. This has a slower drop rate and will stay in the strike zone a bit longer. There are many small pan fish spinners available on the market. In this video we were using a mimic minnow manufactured by Northland Tackle. As for colors a good starting point would be bright colors for stained water, natural colors for clear water. The plastic two inch tails can be replaced with a Berkley Power Bait twister tail. In an upcoming video Pan fish tips and videos will look at throwing lipless crank baits for fall pan fish. Good luck fishing!