Crappie help?

[FishGut]

A city lake has been growing some nice crappie over the last year or two (12-15 in.). For the first time today, while fishing a brush pile for gills, I hooked up with over a dozen 3" crappie. Where (or when) should I start looking for the bigger fish? Hit the brush at dusk? Deeper water? Any help would be appreciated...

[lives2fish]

try using a little bigger bait. You wont get as many hits but they will most likely be better quality. I've seen crappie take shiners that are just an inch smaller than they are.

[fishermantim4]

what were you using for bait today? and have you ever fished the lake at dusk? how deep is the lake generally

[bucketbass]

just my 2 cents but most bodies of water are polluted being close to cities
thats the first thing i would look into 
then i would try minnows for the bigger fish

[FishGut]

The lake is clean, having undergone a multi-million $ rehab. Depths range from shallow spawning bays, to 4-6 foot flats, to basins around 14-16 ft. Lots of healthy weed beds during warm water. I was using a #12 marmooska that used to be green/chartreuse, but has lost all its paint and is now metallic. Tipping with waxies. The brush pile was in a small cove, 12 FOW. LIVE minnows are illegal, to lessen the chance of undesirable fish being added to the lake. I can legally "trade up" by catching small panfish and using those as bait. Dead minnows are OK (should I want to use minnow heads or something similar). No, I haven't gone at dusk yet because of work scheduling. Evenings come free for the next three weeks starting Monday, though...

[jimyoumook]

what lake are ya fishing

[jimyoumook]

never mind

[Irrgang131]

Blue gill are prime indicators of water quality.  Many cities stock them in there water supplies for part of a detection program to tell if their h2o is polluted or terrorized.

[wetboots]

I would start in the deepest hole in the lake and use a hali with a perch eye or gill eye for bait.   This lake looks small so ther might not be enough oxygen shallow .   

[teardrop]

On the local lakes in northern Indiana we jig tube jigs tipped with waxworms or spikes. Experiment with colors  but it does make a difference. We usually use 1/8 oz. jigs or smaller and usually two jigs a foot or two apart on the same rod. Depends on the lake, but usually first and last light is generally the best time, but sometimes all day long. Just some thing different you might give a try. hope it works Teardrop

[river_scum]

im with the guys that suggested larger minnows. also go at dusk/night with lantern light and fish till at least midnight. sometimes they dont start till later in the evening and other nights it a flury at dark, or both. 

[mealworm]

im with the guys that suggested larger minnows. also go at dusk/night with lantern light and fish till at least midnight. sometimes they dont start till later in the evening and other nights it a flury at dark, or both. 

took the words right out off my key board