How would I find Crappie in strip-mine lakes this time of year?

[harryhh]

I live in the northern half of Illinois and will soon have a small used boat.

At a nearby state preserve there are half a dozen coal strip-mine lakes accessible to boats. While there are a few shallow areas, I would say that 80 to 90 percent of the waters in these lakes are over 30 feet. One that I checked out with a depth finder was generally 50 and 60 feet deep. Almost all the banks are way too steep to stand on and that steep slope continues into the water. They get deep fast.

How would I find Crappie in these lakes at this mostly end of season? Do they go deep, shallow, suspend? Do they look for the few sticks or logs in the water? There are areas with lots of shrubs overhanging the banks.

Harry
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[wiperhunter2]

When you get that boat, will it also include a fish finder? If not, that would be a worth while purchase and could help you locate those crappie. With out that, it could be tough to locate them but the shrubs overhanging the banks, would be a good place to start. Can you use live bait in that state? If so, that might help, if you tried them below a bobber. As far as the depth to fish, that would be guess work without a fish finder. Good luck.
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[harryhh]

Thanks [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/community/community.cgi?do=user_page;pg=user_profile_view.html;username=wiperhunter2"]wiperhunter2[/url],

I went and got the boat late last night and it does come with an older fish finder. Hummingbird 100sx. I also have a Hummingbird Fishin' Buddy. It has a simple down looking beam, but also has a sideways 10 degree cone that goes from about just below the surface with the other edge of the cone looking about 10 degrees down. So I have some help. (Although I don't really believe in using them as 'fish' finders. Those new things with that side view that almost looks like a picture could be different.)

Illinois does allow live bait and so does the Start Preserve with the strip-mines where I plan on doing most of my fishing.

I was going to do flippin' for bass in those bushes, but you're right, that could be a good place for crappie. Right now I'm not too sure about how to get a lighter crappie size lure down in there, but we'll see. I've been mostly away from fishing since about 1988. I suppose I could even get live bait close by the bushes.
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