crappie fishing tips

[endless]

I have a lake picked out that holds crappie. I've never fished them in the spring, and was wondering if anyone would share some techniques for bringing in some decent sized fish.

 

Are they attracted to any one part of the lake?

 

Is there a certain depth range to target them in?

 

Are they feeding heavily pre-spawn? If so, where do they spawn, and where should you target them?

 

What kind of presentation has been successful for you guys? I've heard that a float with a ultra small jig below it can produce. Any other techniques? size 0 or 00 spinners?

 

The lake I plan it hit is about a 1 - 2 mile diameter oval shape. There is no marina, or docks to fish from. So I'll take out a canoe and see what I can find. The entire lake is very shallow. The deepest point might be 10', with the vast majority being 3-5' depth. The bottom is 99% mud/weed. There's a small stream running in one side, which flows into a very very shallow basin. There is one area that has a man made rock pile which drops into the lakes deepest water. Should I focus on a certain weed type, or are they around cover?

 

Thanks in advance. I realize it's a million questions. Just never been out for this kinda thing, and I figured I'd try to ask a few questions and cut down on the guess work. When I do get out I'll post a report and let you know how your tips worked.

 

Edited March 16, 2009 by endless

[Dnthmn]

Underwater trees and other structure will hold them for sure once they get near their spawning grounds. Don't be afraid to try drop offs to deeper water either. I usually get them either fly fishing or with minnows/wax worms run under a slip float.

 

If you are going to be jigging make sure you bring an ultra-light setup and keep it slow.

 

Good luck and let me know how you make out.

[endless]

Thanks for the tips.

 

Where do they usually spawn? Is there a certain depth of water that seems to hold the in the spring?

[Dnthmn]

Not that I have noticed. I like going for them in a shallow bay that I spend a lot of time on but it is attached to Lake Erie. In early spring if I am not finding them near the structure they seem to stick to I can usually find them in the channel near the mouth of the bay in deeper water. Right now you are looking for water temp in the low to mid 50's. As for depth, I've caught them in as little as 18" of water and I've caught them on 1/2 oz spinnerbaits when trying for bass in the later months.

 

It sounds like the lake you are going to is pretty small, you'll find them.

[Big Cliff]

The first place I'd try would be where that stream enters the lake, the water from that stream is likely going to be a bit warmer than the lake water so the crappie will concentrate on that area. Apart from that, the North/West shore of the lake where it will be getting the sun early and the water will tend to warm more quickly. Look for shallow areas and a bit of weed or cover.

 

I prefer to use a float (the smaller the better, sometimes the only indication that there is a bite is the slightest movement of that float) with a small jig suspended about 1-2' below the float. You'll have to play around to see what works best but I have had good results with chartruse (sp) twister tails, small flies, Gulp maggots...... but water quality will make a difference, darker water brighter bait. Just keep it small.

 

Timing can also be important, I have fished spots where at 4:00 pm, you couldn't get a bite, by 5:00 pm you couldn't keep them off your hook, and by 6:00 pm they were gone again. I would think early morning at that stream would be a very likely place to start but be patient until you figure out what their pattern is, you may find that they don't come in there until the sun gets up enough to warm up the water a bit.

 

Hope this helps a little.

[Garry2Rs]

This early in the season, on new water, I might start with live minnows as bait.

 

Crappie's eyes are near the top of their heads so they feed upward...you fish shallow because you want your bait above them. The water is still cold, so they might not want to move very far for a bait...In that case, you might need to fish a little deeper than the 1 -2 feet that will catch them next month...Adjust the length of your line below a small bobber until you find a depth that works.

 

As Cliff suggested, the North and West shores get more sun so the water is warmer. That makes it a good place to prospect in the Spring.

 

Traditionally Crappie are found around brush in the Spring, but where I live there isn't much brush in the water and I often find them on rocks and rock ledges at the start of the season.

 

Their Spring schedule is something like this: During the Winter they were deep, as the water warms they move shallow to spawn...but they stage a little deeper before moving into the shallows to do the deed. Keep changing depths and locations until you do hook-up

 

In the Spring, I've often found that I was getting bites in a very small area. The whole school of fish must be keying on a single object because this could be a spot as small as about six or eight square feet! When I am prospecting, I like to move slowly along the shore and cast my bait every few feet. I imagine a grid of four foot squares and want to put my bait in each square. I cast my tiny jig, wait for the bait to sink, then twitch and drag the bobber and bait forward into the next area...to limit the number of splashes in a given area. At these times I generally use a little longer line, so the bait will rise and fall as I move it. That way I cover more of the water column in each area.

 

Crappie aren't nibblers, if they are there they will grab a bait that is within their strike zone. These are school fish, so once you find one you can generally catch a few more.

[OhioFisherman]

We used to target them every spring as a kids fishing with dad, far and away the best bait I have seen for them is an emerald shiner fished under a bobber. We used speaders here in Ohio, they are legal here check your local regs.

 

A number of different lures will work, blakemore roadrunners, 1 1/2 inch 2 inch tubes, small cranks and spinner baits. My neighbor that tournament crappie fishes(live bait is allowed) takes emerald shiner to all the tournaments he can even inland lake ones where they are not a natural species(also check your regs on that).

 

Shallow areas for the most part in the spring, the water warms faster and is the place to start looking, a dark bottom, mud and muck warms faster than a light colored one especially on the northwest side where it catches sun light longer in the spring.

 

Any type of structure, wood, rocks, weeds, is going to help hold them, especially if bait fish are present. Generally less than 4 feet of water, a drop off near by helps, a staging area for their move shallow to spawn. Clear water may move them deeper.

 

They can also be caught on a fly rod using streamer flies that imitate bait fish common in the area. A lot of docks in the area we fished a small spoon-fly combo called a no-name lure used to work well, just dragged along side a dock on a spinning rod. A nick name for them is paper mouth, to much pressure can tear the hook out of the soft thin mouth area.

[endless]

Cool, those are all great tips guys. The day the ice goes off I'm gonna be out there seeing what I can find!

[Nanook]

As Paul said, they are called "Paper mouths". The mouth is so thin its easy to rip the hook loose.

When I started on Crappie I was setting the hook too hard[too much Bass fishing LOL], I have found just a steady firm pull does the trick. But then, I'm no expert.

[muddler]

Fish northern exposed areas as they get the most sun ight and the water will be a bit warmer there. Find structure and you will find crappie. Boat dock, trees, rocks, sunken stuff, just about anything will attract crappies. The water around above water structure will be warmer and it also attract insects and minnows.

 

I built my own spring crappie rod from a 6 weight 8 1/2 ft. fast action fly rod blank years ago. I use nothing but 4 lb test. I get very good casting distance that way. I like a small slip bobber and I use plastics ALL the time. I got tired of freezing hands with minnows. I use small 1-11/2 inch tubes and 11/2 - 2 inch twister tails. 1/16 oz ( or lighter) jig and tube heads. I experiment with colours. Crappie can be very colour sensitive. One day yellow is hot the next day red and chartuse is it. I can usually do as well if not better that minnow fisherman by just finding the right colour combo. I've often fished around a group of minnow fishermen and caught piles of crappie on some wierd (weird to me) colour while they were getting skunked. Bait colour is usually very important some(most) days. I've also had days when it didn't matter what you used. Everybody was catching some. There is no exact science to this. I just carry a pile of differnt colours. If some else is cating crappie on a pink plastic then I'll use pink. If minnows are hot then I'll use yellow or white.

 

I prefer tube in still or light wind and twister tails in windy conditions. Using a slip bobber just bouyant enough to stay afloat I can experiment with depth until I find what works. 6 feet one day 2nd 2 feet the next is not uncommon.

 

On calm days cast out to likely spot, let the tube setup sit there for a couple of minutes. If nothing happend then GENTLY move the bobbeer a couple of feet and wait again. Sometimes crappie will hit when the tube is falling. Pay attention to when and where you got your hit. Repeat the process and if it happens again you've hit on a system. Stick with it. If the bite suddenly stops, try a differnt colour or change the depth (usually shallower). Watch the depth that other are using to catch crappie.

 

On a windy day I go with a jig and twister tail (all crappie size) and let the wind and waves do the work for me.

 

You don't have to cross the crappie's eyes to set the hook. A gentle sweep to get out the slack works fine.

 

There is NO sure thing that works ALL THE TIME. Be observent and experiment. You'll gain confidence and be sucessful each time you go out if the conditions are right.

 

 

Muddler

[ozaibak1]

I've been researching crappie feverishly for the past few weeks, as I too plan on targeting them for the first time. There's some really really great articles on the net out there I'd recommend you read. A google search for 'spring crappie fishing' and variants there of pulls up a treasure trove of information! The first couple of sites are gold.

 

Basically from what I've read when the days get longer and water warms up they move into shallow water around structure to spawn, and then move out. Fishing with a bobber and minnow, or bobber and small jigs w/ small tubes seems to be the ticket. I would be targeting the mouth of tributaries or any water flowing into the lake initially, moving into the shallows and tributaries eventually looking for structure in shallow water.

[tonka-toy]

Fish northern exposed areas as they get the most sun ight and the water will be a bit warmer there. Find structure and you will find crappie.

 

 

Muddler

Couldn't agree more.That one little tidbit is a great start and will produce for most species early -on in the year.Another saying is to always start on "south- facing" areas.

[Kerry]

Fish northern exposed areas as they get the most sun ight and the water will be a bit warmer there. Find structure and you will find crappie. Boat dock, trees, rocks, sunken stuff, just about anything will attract crappies. The water around above water structure will be warmer and it also attract insects and minnows.

 

I built my own spring crappie rod from a 6 weight 8 1/2 ft. fast action fly rod blank years ago. I use nothing but 4 lb test. I get very good casting distance that way. I like a small slip bobber and I use plastics ALL the time. I got tired of freezing hands with minnows. I use small 1-11/2 inch tubes and 11/2 - 2 inch twister tails. 1/16 oz ( or lighter) jig and tube heads. I experiment with colours. Crappie can be very colour sensitive. One day yellow is hot the next day red and chartuse is it. I can usually do as well if not better that minnow fisherman by just finding the right colour combo. I've often fished around a group of minnow fishermen and caught piles of crappie on some wierd (weird to me) colour while they were getting skunked. Bait colour is usually very important some(most) days. I've also had days when it didn't matter what you used. Everybody was catching some. There is no exact science to this. I just carry a pile of differnt colours. If some else is cating crappie on a pink plastic then I'll use pink. If minnows are hot then I'll use yellow or white.

 

I prefer tube in still or light wind and twister tails in windy conditions. Using a slip bobber just bouyant enough to stay afloat I can experiment with depth until I find what works. 6 feet one day 2nd 2 feet the next is not uncommon.

 

On calm days cast out to likely spot, let the tube setup sit there for a couple of minutes. If nothing happend then GENTLY move the bobbeer a couple of feet and wait again. Sometimes crappie will hit when the tube is falling. Pay attention to when and where you got your hit. Repeat the process and if it happens again you've hit on a system. Stick with it. If the bite suddenly stops, try a differnt colour or change the depth (usually shallower). Watch the depth that other are using to catch crappie.

 

On a windy day I go with a jig and twister tail (all crappie size) and let the wind and waves do the work for me.

 

You don't have to cross the crappie's eyes to set the hook. A gentle sweep to get out the slack works fine.

 

There is NO sure thing that works ALL THE TIME. Be observent and experiment. You'll gain confidence and be sucessful each time you go out if the conditions are right.

 

 

Muddler

 

Couldn't have said it better! Tubes rule.

 

Kerry