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Fall is the time when most Outdoorsmen think about hunting. However, for many of us Fall is the time when we want to get out on the Lake and go Crappie fishing. Fall can be an excellent time to fill the freezer with Crappie.

As the water cools off in the Fall, hungry Crappie move from their deep water Summer hangouts to the cooler water of the shallows as they follow baitfish toward the shore. It’s not uncommon to find Fall Crappie as shallow as 1 or 2 feet deep along a bank in the Fall. Once the first few cold fronts of the year move in, start looking for Fall Crappie near the first drop off away from the bank.

Fall Crappie can be caught with a variety of tactics in the Fall. One method I use to find Crappie when they’re scattered is using a Spider Rig. A Spider Rig consist of multiple rods rigged up to fish different depths. When you find Crappie hitting at a certain depth with this method, you can then set all your rods to the depth Crappie are feeding at and take advantage of their aggressive nature.

As most of you know, the best time to go fishing in the Fall is just prior to a major cold front. This is the time you can find Crappie very shallow filling up their stomachs on everything from Shad to insects.

As the front passes, expect the Crappie to move back off the bank, possibly as far back to their deep water drop off.

Slow drifting small jigs and minnows can be just the ticket to get post cold front Crappie to hit your bait. Don’t forget that post cold front Fall Crappie become less active and will not chase a bait very far. Even more so, many times you’ll have to have the bait right in front of their mouths.

The good news about Fall cold fronts is that typically the cold weather doesn’t last long. If Crappie turn off feeding for a few cold days, be back on the lake when the weather starts warming up. The Crappie will be turned on and feeding heavily. Make sure you’re there to take advantage of this feeding frenzy.

South winds can blow baitfish against the shore, presenting easy pickings for hungry Crappie. Use a Spider Rig or a Float and Jig rig to target these fish and fill your live well! Floats and jigs can be fished faster than minnows, plus since there is not rebaiting, you can keep your jigs in the water longer, catching more fish.

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