Pitching is, by far, one of my favorite ways to catch slab crappies in the Winter! When the water cools off and the fish are beginning to Stage, Suspend and huddle for the Winter – Pitching timber and ledges can mean an ice chest full of Slab Crappies and can arguably produce some of the best Crappie Fishing the season has to offer!

In this article I’ll share with you:

• How to locate schools of Crappie in standing timber and steep ledges
• Some of my favorite plastics for pitching
• How to Pitch these areas of cover to stack the odds in your favor!!

Key#1 – Pitching for Winter Crappie

Location

As the water cools, Crappies can often be found in Timbered Coves and along steep weed edges feeding on shad. 

I use my side imagining to find schools of Crappie holding in Standing Timber adjacent to Creek Channels.  They use these structure to hold up in for protection but also as ambush points for shad and other bait fish.

I also target and scan edges of weed lines and steep ledges as they attract bait fish for crappie but equally as important – they offer quick access to deeper water – a “nice-to-have” when the water Temps Plummet!!

Key#2 – Pitching for Winter Crappie

Lure Choice

During the winter – crappies’ metabolic rate slows down making them sluggish.  For this reason – many anglers use smaller profile baits to appeal and cater to a less aggressive mood – to entice the fish to feed.

Personally, however, I prefer to use larger baits… at least to start out with… to gauge fish activity! Smaller baits definitely work in cold water situations, but in my opinion, sometimes using larger baits will entice the fish to expend a bit more energy and commit to the strike.

This is especially true for some of the larger fish in the schools!

Shad are a favorite food source for crappies all year round.  So when fishing deep timber and steep ledges for suspended fish – I typically begin with using 2″ baby shad plastic minnows by Bobby Garland and start with a double or triple rig presentation.

See how to tie the Double or Triple Rig here: https://youtu.be/_kqXz3TRW0A

My Favorite winter plastics are:

• Ghost, Monkey Milk & Ghastly Minnow – for clearer water conditions
• High-vis/dull patterns like the Vegas Minnow where water water clarity is stained

Key#3 – Pitching for Winter Crappie

Pitch and Pendulum

When I locate Crappies in standing timber or along steep ledges and breaks – a  pitch pendulum presentation is my foremost go-to for catching slab crappies.

I often use a 10′ Jig pole when as it offers just the right amount of leverage in length to pitch/pendulum the lures while at the same time allowing me to stay far enough off the timber to not spook the fish. The Key is to make sure the Jig settles just above where the Crappies are holding.

To do this, I position myself adjacent to the timber I’m fishing. With the target dept pre-set on the reel line stop, I pitch the presentation past the timber… and without reeling, allow the lure(s) to swing through the water column and settle to rest right under the rod tip – holding the rod at a near 3 o’clock(horizontal) position and then hold.

Crappies feed upward – so the entire time the lure is swinging into a vertical position above them – they’re watching it!  You may have to make a few pitches to entice finicky fish to commit, but if the fish are active – it usually isn’t long after the lure is at rest before I’m loading up the back of my Jig pole with a nice fish!!