5 Tips: Summer River Crappie with Jonathan Phillips

By Greg McCain

The heat of summer typically brings a lull in crappie fisheries across the country.

Fish can still be caught, but not in the same manner nor in the same numbers of peak periods. Exceptions do exist to the summer doldrums, however, and river systems offer great potential for consistent crappie fishing.

ACC Crappie Stix pro staffer Jonathan Phillips regularly fishes the Alabama River, which borders the north side of Montgomery and then meanders through miles of south Alabama countryside, providing great potential for summer crappie fishing

“River systems in general excel in the summertime,” Jonathan said. “Summer fishing can be really frustrating for a lot of people because their lakes just don’t produce as well as they do in winter and spring. The river actually gets more consistent for me.”

Here are five things to know about fishing river systems in the summer:

1. Summer provides stable conditions. “As the rain slows down, the river fluctuation slows down, so you get a little more normality,” Jonathan said. “You know what the fish are going to be doing because they are not having to adapt to the changing water. There are usually no rains where it raises the water six or eight feet and then quickly drops three or four feet. You can find them more consistently in the same spots in the dog days of summer.”
2. Go with the flow. “The flip side of (stable conditions), even though there might not be a ton of rain, is there is some kind of flow that comes out of creeks and into the river. I learned this from swimming in the river as a child and still do to this day. When you stand up in waist-deep river water, you’re going to feel ice-cold water on your feet. The water may be much warmer at the surface, but there is a definite contrast with nice, oxygenated water a few feet down. Impoundments that don’t move just don’t have that. Those impoundments get stagnant, and the fish get lethargic. (The flow) fires them up – that’s my opinion, but I believe it’s true. I can literally go catch fish in four feet of water in 100 degree weather on the river. That makes no sense at all, but it has something to do with the way the water flows and maybe slightly stained water.” Jonathan notes that the contrast might be as much as 10 degrees from surface temps to just a few feet down. “Get on one of the sandbars, and it’s like ice hitting the side of your leg,” he said.
3. Where do you find summer crappie on a river? A common denominator, whether shallow or deep, is hard structure. Jonathan said, “If I’m not catching them in open water, then I’m looking for standing timber or I’m looking for big stumps. You can catch them on brushpiles, but I’m really looking for solid pieces of wood that create a lot of shade and a lot of cover and create current breaks for them.”
4. How do you catch summer slabs? Jonathan mentioned a variety of techniques. For shallow fish, a slip cork with a minnow or jig underneath works well, while he also casts to them. Jonathan recommends a 7½ or 8’ ACC rod for slip cork fishing, and the 6½’ one-piece for casting. “I can also go out on the main river and catch them in 20’ of water. That leads you to whatever your style is.” He mentioned that casting is always an option for deep fish, but current can create issues with the presentation. If the current is running heavy, Jonathan suggests an ACC jigging rod and a minnow rig with a ¼ or ½-oz weight. He likes the 15’ foot jigging rod but also noted that a person not accustomed to the longer rod might be better with a 12- or 13-footer. A final consideration for river fishing is dock shooting with any of the ACC casting rods up to 6½’.
   
5. Exploit the afternoon bite. On a normal summer day, they are going to generate some power. They’ve got to do that, so about 3:30 or 4 o’clock, the current will really kick on. It’s a tale of two tapes, like a fish feeder going off at the same time every day.” Jonathan said the current will group fish and make them easier to pinpoint. “They are going to start congregating,” he said. “They are going to eat for a couple of hours and then head back toward their morning spots. It’s an excellent summer pattern.”

For more about Jonathan and his fishing adventures, follow his personal Facebook page, Team Phillips Outdoors on TikTok, or Team Phillips Fishing on Instagram and Faceook. Jonathan has guided extensively in the past but has transitioned almost exclusively to digital creation recently. He offers short how-to videos for crappie and other species, many of them featuring his son Wyatt. “I want to be a beacon for that person who wants to spend time with their kids,” Jonathan said. “Maybe they will look at the videos and say, ‘I’m going to get out with my kids and do some of this stuff.’“