The Crappie may be holding tight to the brush. If so, you will need to work a jig in tight to the cover. A light line and light rod will help you "feel" your way around the brush. It is possible that you may lose both jigs and crappie when they stay in the cover. At other times Crappie will suspend above the brush, these are the better targets. Fishermen who do not have a boat or have already put them away for winter storage can also get into catching cold-water Crappie as well, although they will need to work a little harder. Fishing from a dock into deep water is possible. I will cast toward known drop offs and submerged brush. Along these drop offs and brush I usually find the Crappie. Not all marinas allow fishing from their dock, so be sure to ask. If no dock is available bridges are another good place to cast from. 
Catching cold-water Crappie is great fun. They just like other fish get hungry and need to eat. The weather affects the Crappie just like it does Bass, slower metabolism and staying tight to cover makes them a bit more difficult to locate, but with patience and knowledge you can bring them to the boat and the dinner table. My friend Joey Moneleone had a great day on the water this last weekend. I look forward to hearing his tips for the cold water slabs he is proudly holding, so stay tuned and I will ask him for his tips. Tennessee Wild Side Guide Joey Monteleone shared some of the highlights of his weekend of fishing and filming an upcoming segment of Tennessee Wild Side. The upcoming program will feature a piece dedicated to Panfish, and Joey is the perfect teacher for all things fishing. Here in this post, Joey will share more fishing tips with us in his own
A bass fishing technique that was imported Japan several years ago to become a popular technique used by anglers all over North America is known as the deadly drop shot. Light line on a spinning reel is the beginning to a great finesse technique. The drop shot rig is simply a sinker at the end of the line with a small hook tied with a palomar knot 12 - 24 inches above the weight, rigged
Artificial lures are supposed to imitate a baitfish and other forage. They need to look like an easy meal to a Bass or at least resemble competition from a smaller predator. A realistic presentation mimicking these traits is what gets the bass to strike. A good tips is to watch the bait fish while you’re on the water and learn from ol’ mom nature.
Post Spawn Bass can be difficult to catch on some days. Water temperature and weather conditions as well as brightness of the sun dictated by the time of day have a great influence on the feeding habits of bass. When fishing docks for post spawn bass, don’t cut corners. I learned this when reading an interview with Kevin VanDam. A quote about the topic
In this post we will take a look at the advantages of the square bill crankbaits that are designed to cast it toward lay downs and logs and other wooden cover. These crankbaits are great for post spawn bass fishing. The bait will produce bass from lakes or river systems when they are holding to wooden cover. One cast and you will realize how effective these baits are as the
Growing up on Dale Hollow Lake, in Tennessee, fishing with his family in the shadow of legendary bass angler, the late Billy Westmorland, gave young Mark Bilbrey a solid foundation in the sport of fishing. Mark became an Eagle Scout through conservation projects on Dale Hollow lake and other area parks. He received a skipper certification through the USCG at the age of eighteen navigating and fishing Dale Hollow Lake. Now, after many years as a businessman, Bilbrey has completed professional fishing guide training at Foley/Belsaw in preparation for a future in the industry. A registered Master Angler in Tennessee, and an Ambassador to the World Fishing Network he shares his tips, techniques and stories in hopes to help teach new anglers how to locate and catch fish. His articles have been featured on the web sites of the North American Fishing Club, Monticello Big Bass, and Catfishing Journals. Mark was recently on ESPN Radio's "Set the Hook!" with Pat Rose talking about, what else? Fishing!. Bilbrey holds memberships in several fishing organizations including B.A.S.S., NAFC, and FLW. His passion for sport fishing has been recognized in a promotional video on the World Fishing Network and he was recently selected as "Ambassador of the Year" by WFN. He credits his passion for fishing to his wife Donna and his childhood fishing with his father, Billy Bilbrey, his three older brothers and to his cousin Jack Huddelston, owner of Dale Hollows, Horse Creek Dock.
