# Choctaw crappie



## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Went out today and got our first mess of nice crappie. One over 13 inches. The rest 10 plus. Water still too warm to make them school. Water Temp still about 61 degress. 5 to 10 degrees colder will make a difference, but if we have another warm winter like last year I don't look for a bite like a couple of years ago. 

Caught a few short specks and one keeper bass on a green with black/silver glitter Scoot-a-jig. 

Boats were all over the place looks for specks and reds, but a few mullet anglers were at the hole.


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## Faithnfishin (Dec 5, 2010)

Hey great job, did not realize there were crappie in Choctaw, do you use mostly live bait? I lived up in NC for a few years and used to tear them up in the large lakes. I never knew we had much of a fishery here but am now wondering if it is just that most folks don't know how to fish for them.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

The Choctawhatcnee River system is not known for great crappie fishing, but you can find a few here and there. I use live minnows but would like to learn more about using jigs. I have a snowbird friend who comes down each winter and we fish a good bit together. He a jig expert. Looking forward to his arrival next month and more lessons on jig fishing. It hard to break the minnow habit though. 

I hear of some crappie catches over in the Escambia River, but not sure about Blackwater. 

The best fishery nearby is Lake Sminole and Lake Talquin over toward Tallahassee. These are huge lakes


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Is the water low right now?


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

CatHunter said:


> Is the water low right now?


It's the choctawhatchee...it's always low :thumbdown:


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

Thanks for the report fishwalton. Where ya'll fishing minnows around treetops and stumps or in main water?


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## kevin32435 (Apr 17, 2008)

River level is around 2' at Caryville best fishing for me is between 3.5' and 4' some folks like it around 7-8' to fish the backwater which is my favorite level to fish bush hooks on a slow rise. there are crappie in the river it is not a well known place just have to know how and where to fish for them they are like the other fish in the area waters probably have taken a beating between the droughts, fishing pressure, and flatheads. sounds like fishwalton had a productive trip.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Water is only about 2 ft at Caryville. That's the gauge I watch. I like it about 3.5 to 4 or 5. Color is clear. You would think fishing would be good upriver but that's not the case. Hardly anyone fishing north of hwy 20. Most of the activity seems from 6 or 7 miles up the river from the bay. The further up the up the river the lesser fishing activit. except for hunters. Plenty of hunters in upper river.

There is a heck of a lot of Alabama boats now in the lower river down to the bay.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Was using tuffy minnows I bought in Dothan a few days ago. This time of year I get a supply when I visit up there and keep them in holding tank. Change about 3/4 water every other day. Fishing structure is best find them but you have to do a lot of looking. I have a couple of spots I always fish but haven't really found many that are consistent from year to year. Still a lot to learn. This is only third season I have targeted crappie. Last year the catch was poor. Hoping it will be better this year.


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## kevin32435 (Apr 17, 2008)

May want to fish the treetops in a slow deep eddie in the main river most of the fish should be there I have caught some along the willows in the main river


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Good idea Kevin.......depending on weather I hope to give them another shot on Monday. Would like to find a couple of good spots to hit when my snowbird friend from Kansas gets down here next month. 

Incidentally, the mullet are still around in the usual holes, most of them seem to be running small compared to a couple of months ago.


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## firespan1 (Sep 7, 2011)

On gantt and Point A they are packed in any hole 25 to 30 feet deep,suspended at the 16 foot range.Minnows spider rigged at that depth will catch many,lots of small ones though.Fishing at night with a light hung out over these holes is deadly!


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## Desert Eagle (Apr 25, 2012)

Don't be looking for crappie anywhere in Backwater!!! Spoke to FWC and they tell me the insect population is too low to support a crappie fishery... I'm originally from Columbus, GA and fished crappie from West Point to Lake Eufaula. I love to catch and eat them more than any other fresh water fish......


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

I guess you mean blackwater and not backwater?


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

I think Desert Eagle meant Blackwater. 
Anyway, last year my crappie fishing in the Choctaw River area was the pits. This year been out 3 times and caught a few only once. Will keep trying now and then. Love to catch and eat them.


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