John Day Crappie

[jmw22]

Anyone have any experience catching crappie on the John Day River below the narrows? I'd like to try it out and get the kids into some easy bobber fishing up there as they're just not quite ready for cast and retrieve bass. We'll try the bobbers for bass too, but crappie are delicious!
Talked to a guy at the ramp last summer and he mentioned he got into a few up there, but he didn't give any specifics. Any help would be appreciated!


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[wapiteaser]

The only thing I caught up that way was bass, pumpkin seed, and bluegill. Did hear about some really nice crappie caught right at the park and out towards the freeway bridge...

[adrenaline]

Don't know about the John Day arm, have caught Crappie in coves in the Col rv, around The Dalles tho, was not hot by any stretch.

[uhmw]

The crappi will school along the rocks at the mouth by the campers at dawn dusk and at night. I caught alot of them with a cane pole and a red and white jig in frount of camp site 1,2 and 3. Last year the fish were the biggest I have seen in a long time.

[puckfisher]

Originally Posted by uhmw

The crappi will school along the rocks at the mouth by the campers at dawn dusk and at night. I caught alot of them with a cane pole and a red and white jig in frount of camp site 1,2 and 3. Last year the fish were the biggest I have seen in a long time.

I could not find these elusive crappies last year. You will catch some nice small mouths by accident for sure. Year before last found them up by Phillipi campground bays. Further up you will find the cats in May. Don’t wait too long, these waters get weedy and tough to fish. Put a crappie jig with a short skirt under a bobber about 3 ft. And cast near shore. The kids will catch many species. Apiece of worm on a hook works well for the gills and the many pumpkinseeds.

[jmw22]

Thanks for the info! It gives me a good place to start, and the structure to look for...

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[Puffin]

My buddies neighbor was up there last year for their annual cat fishing trip he said they couldn’t keep the walleye and 12 inch Crappie off the hook spent the weekend trolling small plugs around whacking Crappie to 12 inches and lots of walleye they quit fishing for catfish it was so good for the other species. He said they were getting 50 walleye a day can’t remember quite when it was but spring early summer.

[OldFishermanGuy]

wow.............walleye? what section of the John Day????

[uhmw]

Be up there this weekend with my 2018, 230 hp 12 ft super charged bass boat.
Im gessing I will be able to get way up the narrows with it quite quickly for some cat fish action, so Im packing some beer batter in the camper. Bringing my colapsable 16 ft cane pole too. That thing was the hot rod off the rocks last year.