Follow the Shade for Summer Crappie

Learn how a veteran crappie fishing guide uses shade to his advantage for summer fishing success.

When you hear experienced crappie angler Terry Blankenship say: “I learned something new,” it’s time to stop what you’re doing and pay full attention. This Lake of the Ozarks guide has long been considered one of the best in the country at finding and catching crappie in every imaginable situation, so for him to have such a revelation had me all ears. When he learns something, all crappie anglers stand to benefit.

The Situation

Summer 2023 finds Lake of the Ozarks in a situation similar to that of many lakes in the region – around normal level but getting seriously close to needing a good rain. Particularly interesting is how clear the water is for the period when the lake is normally just beginning to settle. April and May showers were sporadic this spring and the usual volume of runoff just didn’t happen.

“I can’t remember ever seeing our lake this clear at this time,” Blankenship said. “Mid to upper lake areas have visibility of 6 to 8 feet, and on the lower end it’s more like 8 to 12 feet. The conditions do have our fish deeper as a result. They were getting as deep as 25-30 feet, but the thermocline is building and has pushed them back up some.”

In its simplest explanation, a thermocline is a distinct zone of transition between the warmer mixed water in the upper surface levels and the cooler calm water that lies deeper below. It’s a relatively thin line of stratification, and one that usually shows up quite well on a boat’s sonar unit with sensitivity up. Of interest to fish, and therefore to fishermen, is the fact that during this stratification the dissolved oxygen levels below the thermocline are much less. Fish can venture below the thermocline, but generally won’t spend much time there. The optimum comfort zone for fish is just above the thermocline and shallower, and that’s where anglers should focus their efforts.

The Discovery

On Lake of the Ozarks, the clarity has crappie wanting to go deeper because of light penetration, but a thermocline is pushing them shallower, so how do the crappie cope? “They’re hiding under docks,” said Blankenship. “We have tons of docks on our lake and the crappie are really loading up under them. I mean, they always do that now anyway, but even more so this summer because the lake is so clear. Some schools I’ve found appear to have 1,000 crappie or more congregated together. It’s crazy and it’s fun!”

On a trip this week, Blankenship had his clients positioned and ready for action by 6 a.m. He was thinking the early time would have the crappie scattered across the network of adjoined docks and easily accessible to his anglers. Instead, his Humminbird electronics showed a different story. The school was there and big alright, but tightly grouped and discouragingly positioned at a spot dead center amid the complex of docks. An expert dock shooter, Blankenship revels in such challenges when by himself, but their location was less than ideal with customers aboard.

The crappie were indeed cooperative when the anglers successfully landed a Baby Shad or Baby Shad Swim’R nearby, but the limited access was preventing the high level of success that Blankenship had envisioned from the massive school. Then things began to change. More fish started being caught. And then more. And more. That’s when he started noticing on his sonar screen that the school was moving, and more surprisingly, it was moving toward his boat. The crappie continued to get closer and closer, ultimately to the point that they were at the edge of the docks and alongside the boat. The movement made for excellent fishing and an outstanding morning on the water.

So, what happened? The answer was as clear as the water. “It’s the shade!” Blankenship realized. “The elevating sun and brightening sky were illuminating the water column farther into the depths on the sunrise side of the docks. Yet, we remained in full shade on the opposite half and the fish were moving with the shadows right to us. It couldn’t have worked out any better because we ended up with fish all around us.”

The dock-fishing guru learned long ago that crappie best like the dark spots around docks – the shade under boat lifts, under jet ski platforms, and under swim docks, etc. On this outing though, his eyes were opened even wider to just how influential light is in positioning, and even moving, schools of crappie, as he watched it real time on his sonar and experienced the change in fishing success.

Which Docks?

I quizzed Blankenship hard on how he picks the docks he fishes. Why choose this dock over that one? Is it depth? Is it orientation? Is it the type of dock? Is it the location? “Well,” he usually starts, and then the knowledge begins to flow and just keeps coming. For the many years we’ve been acquainted, I’ve always known Terry to be generous in sharing his crappie fishing knowledge and a straightshooter about it. And there’s no doubt he’s an expert with electronics and has the finest at this fingertips. The longtime Humminbird pro has always made the most of that company’s Side Imaging capabilities to “peek” under docks, and now he’s further complementing his exploratory prowess with Humminbird’s MEGA Live technology.

But all electronics aside, Blankenship notes that he still relies heavily on his own eyes and fishing acumen to put him in and around prime docks that offer the best crappie-holding potential. He says these are the same things that most any boat angler can do, as can anglers who have access to fishing from docks.

• Combo docks, or “community” docks, the ones with several slips and that have boats in them, offer great cover to crappie and can harbor big schools of the species.
• Docks with external lighting deserve attention, and especially the ones that are on every night, because they attract bugs, minnows, etc., which in turn attract crappie.
• An isolated dock along a stretch of deep water because it can be the most prominent cover for the area.
• Docks near channel swings. Channels are fish highways and provide a constant flow of fish coming and going.
• Docks with large swim platforms or other close-to-the-surface coverings that provide large areas of darkness directly underneath.
• Docks with some depth underneath, maybe 20 feet or more, simply because they allow a greater vertical movement of fish according to needs, whether the driving force be water level, current, shade or forage.
• Pay attention to extensive spiderwebs (spiders know the action spots), vertical dock-anchoring pole and other extending structures, including cables, that can serve to hold and attract crappie.

Blankenship stresses the importance of always exhibiting dock-fishing courtesy for the benefit of all anglers. He notes that most of his self-imposed rules are just good common-sense ones. For example, he avoids fishing docks with people present so as not to interfere with their activities. He approaches/departs docks with care, and is respectful of boats and structures while maneuvering around them to fish.

Dock Shooting

Dock shooting is the name for the technique in which the angler uses a rod and reel to “shoot” a jig bow-and-arrow style so that the lure skips or “flies” under obstacles to reach areas beyond what traditional methods, like casting, can achieve. Blankenship has several instructional “How To” videos for the technique on YouTube, with a couple specific to his gear and practicing tips here:

Crappie Dock Shooting On-the-Water Tutorial 

Learn How to Crappie Dock Shoot 

Blankenship’s Top Baits & Colors

Blankenship makes no bones about the fact  he’s a Bobby Garland pro staffer and proudly relies on the company’s many lure shapes and colors for all of his crappie fishing. “Best baits, best colors. I never use minnows because I don’t need them; enough said!” Among his favorite Bobby Garland choices for summertime dock shooting on Lake of the Ozarks are:

Baby Shad and Baby Shad Swim’R - Both styles imitate real baitfish, and sometimes the Swim’Rs swim-foot action can make a difference in triggering a strike. Colors: Monkey Milk, Blue Ice, Purple Monkey

Minnow Mind’R - Round solid body with a flexible cupped tail that’s split for tantalizing action. Colors: Blue Ice, Monkey Milk, Glacier, Love Bug, Ice Out

Slab Slay’R -  “Skips beautifully, and I like both the 2 inch and 3-inch sizes on our lake!” Colors: Blue Ice, Sour Milk, Bone White/Chartreuse, Sweet Tea with Lemon

Itty Bit Slab Hunt’R - This 1.25-inch bait is my #1 choice for July and August because it “matches the hatch” perfectly. I’ll rig it on a 1/48-ounce jighead, with a split shot crimped to my line about 12 inches above, and I will ‘shoot’ this rig, too. Colors: Blue Ice, Mayfly, Bluegrass, Monkey Milk

Mayfly - Winged-insect profile of popular crappie food item common to summer docks. Scented and packaged in “wet” bag. Colors: Mayfly, White Ice, Monkey Milk, Spring Fling, Mo’ Glo Green Lantern