Jeff Knapp with a Crooked Creek crappie taken during late December 2024. Jeff Knapp/Special to the Eagle

Like many activities, fishing is ripe with trendy expressions.

During the past couple of years, “flash bite” has become common, its usage applied to short periods of fish activity during which intensified feeding (and hopefully catching) takes place.

Flash bites typically occur during the twilight hours, more commonly at dusk this time of year. In the cold water of winter gamefish still feed, but with their metabolism at a low ebb it does not take much food to sustain them. While during the daylight hours you might have been able to conjure up some fish — by putting an easy-to-eat presentation right in front of their noses — come evening they are actively feeding.

Take, for instance, a trip I made during the next to last day of 2024 to Crooked Creek Lake. I chose Crooked Creek, one, because it was a windy afternoon, and often you can find a wind-protected area on this winding lake. And two, it has a robust crappie population, upping the chances of finding at least a few specimens to finish out the year on a good note.

The first couple of hours only produced a half dozen crappies, small ones, nothing over 9 inches in length. All these fish came from an offshore brushpile that lies in 20 feet of water near some old foundations, remnants of Tunnelville in the days prior to the lake’s formation.

They succumbed to a small blade bait yo-yoed near the woody branches. At times baitfish – gizzard shad – were so thick they blotted out the sonar screen and were occasionally snagged on the blade bait.

With about a half hour of daylight remaining, I eased the boat alongside a shallower brushpile, one that sits in around 18 feet of water next to the creek channel.

Holding the boat over the edge of the submerged wood, I lowered a 1/16-ounce jig dressed with a Bobby Garland Slab Slay’R, tipping it with a chartreuse Berkley Crappie Nibble. A No. 4 split shot helped the rig’s descent as I dropped into the hidden branches.

I had no sooner taken the slack out of the line when I felt the presence of weight. A hookset put a big bow in the light power, soft action spinning rod. A minute later, a 13-inch white crappie was in the boat.

During the next half hour, when approaching darkness sent me back to the ramp, I caught six more crappies, all quality-sized ones in the 11- to 13-inch range. And all on the soft plastic-dressed jig.

Flash bites are certainly nothing new. I have experienced them many times, particularly during the cold-weather months. Most often this has been when fishing for walleyes on the Allegheny River. And while frequent, they are not automatic.

One thing I have noticed over the years is if the action is consistent during the earlier hours, you are less likely to experience a late hour flash bite. But if it has been painstakingly slow, often it pays to stick around in the hopes of enjoying a last-minute flurry of activity. Also, when flash bites occur, not only are strikes much more frequent — at times one right after another — but the fish much larger.

Motivation to stick it out during a cold, slow day.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle