I don't see much about crappie

[plumbertom]

fishing on this forum.
I'm a fan of crappie both on my lightweight fishing pole and in the deep fryer.
Down south at Lake Nacimiento and Lake San Antonio near where I lived on Ca. Central Coast, both had good populations of crappie in the 1 to 2 Lb range. with the occasional 3lb or bigger fish to spice things up on a light weight pole and jig.
Anyone fish for them here?
I've read there are supposedly good populations of the slabs in Fern Ridge Res.
Also that some of the coast lakes produce well but that they are being out competed by yellow perch.
Any input or opinions?

 

[troutdude]

There are indeed a lot of slabs, in Fern Ridge. They are also plentiful below the dam, in the Long Tom River. You will also find plenty of them in, in Hills Creek Reservoir. There other local spots like Dorena Reservoir, Cottage Grove Reservoir, and large white crappie at Look Out Point Reservoir.

 

[PK Yi]

I got a couple videos of me getting them on the long tom a couple months ago. I've also caught some below fern ridge at kirk pond. also got them trolling at hills creek.

 

[plumbertom]

Wow, great to hear. fern ridge is just 7 miles. So do you fish them with jigs or bait?

 

[plumbertom]

Just ordered a local waters map and the Oregon panfish book
I hope they help my put more fish on my stringer.

 

[PK Yi]

grubs, jigs, and jointed rapalas. 2" inch grubs worked really well one day, then the next day it would be my rapalas. I'm sure anything will work long as it's the right size for them.

it might be slow now though - good luck.

 

[plumbertom]

Just wanting the info to study up.
I can't get on the water with my jon boat til next year. Can't afford to register it right now.
I could use my Kayak though, I suppose.

 

[jarhead2]

Try freeway lakes (Oak creek) just north of exit 228 (Corvallis exit). 3 old quarries connected by the creek. Trout and crappie as well as bass & other species. Try troll slowly a chartreuse marabou. Down south, AGAte, willow, and the Expo ponds. Caught 10 over 1.5 labs last fall in the ponds one day. One went 2.5. Pat

 

[troutdude]

^^^ Holy Crappie Slabs Batman!!!

 

[plumbertom]

Thanks for the info, I'll try and get there.
Is there reasonable bank access?

 

[jarhead2]

Bushwhacking, most likely. Others here may have better info. Boat ramp on smallest (easternmost) of three. Pat

 

[GraphiteZen]

I fish Freeway Lakes quite a bit. There are a few spots that are popular bank access but they are on the front two (smallest) lakes. The largest one, and large parts of the smaller two are fished much easier with a raft/kayak/toon/tube or whatever.

 

[TTFishon]

Tons of poison oak at freeway lakes too.

 

[Snake River]

course you could come to Eastern Oregon to Brownlee reservoir is the number one spot in Oregon or crappie by short report two days ago is 63° here today it's in the 50s they are catching fish in deeper water but they are catching them. I live about 6 miles from Brownlee I live on the Powder River.

 

[plumbertom]

Yeah, that's kinda out of my range.
I'm mostly interested I close by waters so I can day trip them.
I'd like to get out that way and give the flathead catfish a little hell.
I've plenty of experience fishing them on the Colorado river.
Understand there's reasonable channel fishing there also.

 

[Snake River]

Yes they do get pretty good size the channel cats they come behind my house on the Powder River up to 18 pounds are a lot of channel cats and Brownlee they start fishing for them early here in the spring all the way up until late fall November.

 

[gerald sinclair]

The wildest crappie fishing I've ever seen was when I was stationed at Klamath Falls. I think it was 58 or 59. K-falls was heaven for me with marvelous fishing and hunting. My idea of Shangra-La. I fished a flood control dam in the spillway on what I remember as Lost river. It was about 10 feet down to the water and the backs of the crappie were visible in the foam. I used white paper matches for bait with a small split shot and never had to cut bait or buy minnows. I could catch hundreds of fish before the matchstick got too soggy. I've always been able to find the crappie holes in most of the country except my present location which is Lake Champlain, but I'm still trying.