Advice needed for crappie fishing

[mr blizzard]

Good morning. My son(14) and myself have had the pleasure of spending many happy hours fishing together for a variety of species, but we have never tried for crappies. Looks like fun. WITHOUT asking for any secret spots, could any OFNers tell us what to use, besides worms and an area north or northwest of Barrie where we could try. We have a boat. Any help is appreciated.

[Stoty]

PM sent!

[Governator]

Not sure of north, south you can hit Bradford. Minnows under a float seem to be most productive (I've always been told to avoid worms) but also micro tubes work when the bite is on, like these: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_74243____SearchResults.

 

I'm not an expert but look for fallen trees, or cover to cast to.

[OhioFisherman]

I always caught far more Crappie on minnows that worms, and actually more on lures than worms. Just for me worms wouldn`t be a first choice of bait for them. Micro tube will work, a jighead and 2 inch plastic grub, or a roadrunner jig also will work. Also caught them on crank baits and bass style spinner baits.

[Syn]

Crappies are so easy to catch and fun. Thill shybite bobber or mini shybite with split shot and yellow fly or 1/16 jig yellow microtube (no split shot used). 4lb test line on an ultralight rod and 1000 or 500 series reel. Twitching it really makes them go for it by making it seem alive. Another tip is vary the line depth from the bobber to the jig until they keep hitting it over and over. I like to make sure the jig hook is sharpened and I bend it out slightly (open it).

Edited April 7, 2010 by Syn

[ehg]

Many lakes north of Barrie to try. Mactedesh, Dalrymple etc...were good to me long ago.

The slip bobber/ microtube setup Syn explained above, works the best.

Usually put the jig/tube 2-3 ft below bobber and fish shallow were weeds would grow later.

[Sinker]

Man, if you want crappies, you gotta come out to the Kawartha's. All these lakes here are infested with them. I guarantee your son would have a blast, and you's would both come home with a good feed of fish!!

 

Pick a lake and have atter!!

 

 

 

S.

[mr blizzard]

Thanks everyone for your advice and tips, really appreciated, sorry for not getting back on the board yesterday, had to work late, thanks again, cheers.

[Harrison]

Now you know what to use for them, now you got to find them.

 

Right now they are either staging at the mouths of canals, cuts, or bays to move in shallow or they are already in shallow(mostly in from what I found). Look for back bays with cuts or canals and/or marinas(with wood dock posts). Preferably on the northern shoreline, darker the bottom the better, out of the wind, and WOOD (docks, stumps, trees). These areas warm the fastest and the wood retains heat.

 

You see an old duck blind, fish it.

 

A school of crappie will push the bait right to the back of a canal, cut or marina where the feast. You find one crap, there is more.

 

Crappie eat "UP" I find, therfore if your fishing 4 ft of water use a 12-15inch lead from your float I find works best. Some may differ, but I rarely go more then a foot or two below my float- max. Usually under a foot.

 

Try some micro Rapala huskies too

 

Get into them... and lets see some pics...

 

Good Luck.

Edited April 8, 2010 by Harrison

[mikethespike]

i've had much luck with berkley gulp 2.5" minnows in watermelon color, cut the head and rig on a jighead. i use a slip float with a stopper about 12-18" and adjust depth with trial and error. good luck

Edited April 8, 2010 by bravo_3

[Big Cliff]

Man, if you want crappies, you gotta come out to the Kawartha's. All these lakes here are infested with them. I guarantee your son would have a blast, and you's would both come home with a good feed of fish!!

 

Pick a lake and have atter!!

 

 

 

S.

 

Well, they were last weekend. I hadn't planned on going out last night but the rain didn't materialize so I snuck out for a bit. One of the places we were pounding them last weekend netted me one mid size fish. I think finding them again is going to take some work, water temps are changing too fast right now. It is making them hard to locate.

[MJIG]

One of the places we were pounding them last weekend netted me one mid size fish. I think finding them again is going to take some work, water temps are changing too fast right now. It is making them hard to locate.

 

I think it is the overcast sky that has changed things for the past two days. They were on fire after those recent days full of bright sunshine heating up the water. Last night, after two days of dark clouds, I got the same temperature readings everywhere I tested, near shore and off shore. The flurries in the forecast for the Kawarthas tonight aren't going to help much either. The excitement should resume with the next full sunny day, and/or the return of warm air temperatures (whenever that is).

[mr blizzard]

I want to thank also Harrison, Bravo_3 Big Cliff and MJIG for their addition help. Thanks again everyone. Much appreciated and more info learned. Have a great weekend everyone, tight lines ti u all. Cheers.

[Harrison]

Well, they were last weekend. I hadn't planned on going out last night but the rain didn't materialize so I snuck out for a bit. One of the places we were pounding them last weekend netted me one mid size fish. I think finding them again is going to take some work, water temps are changing too fast right now. It is making them hard to locate.

 

Heya Cliffy, just move out alittle onto the flat or first break, the buggers will be schooled up just outside your areas waiting for the bait to move shallow again.

 

No problem Mr Blizzard, when I hear of a teenybobber that enjoys fishing, I'll do what I can to help. I know first hand how fishing can give you something more productive to lookforward too versus the "other" things when your a teenager.

Edited April 9, 2010 by Harrison

[crappieperchhunter]

 

 

No problem Mr Blizzard, when I hear of a teenybobber that enjoys fishing, I'll do what I can to help. I know first hand how fishing can give you something more productive to lookforward too versus the "other" things when your a teenager.

 

 

So next summer when my grandson turns 3 and I plan to get him hooked you will help me too . I hear GPS co-ordinates to productive waters are especially helpfull in raising a child through those difficult years

[Harrison]

So next summer when my grandson turns 3 and I plan to get him hooked you will help me too . I hear GPS co-ordinates to productive waters are especially helpfull in raising a child through those difficult years

 

good one! And seriously, I sure will, via PM though. I have had some practice hunting down water for my 4 yr old lil gal, who is a wicked lil fisher gal that makes her Daddy very proud. She's had the nic name "Crap Master" since she was an infant, but now it's more for her ability to get the biggest slab of the day.

Edited April 9, 2010 by Harrison

[crappieperchhunter]

good one! And seriously, I sure will, via PM though. I have had some practice hunting down water for my 4 yr old lil gal, who is a wicked lil fisher gal that makes her Daddy very proud. She's had the nic name "Crap Master" since she was an infant, but now it's more for her ability to get the biggest slab of the day.

 

Your a good man Phil, but you know I was just messin with you. Half the fun is finding them yourself.

 

Our little Lucas for sure is THE crap master now....totally disgusting and not fishing related however. But grandpa has one hard and fast rule...he doesn't do diapers EVER. And so far it's working.

[mr blizzard]

Crappieperchhunter and Harrison; I guess crappies then can be good or , not so good depending if they come out of the water or are in a bucket. Your comment re diapers brought back memories of when my wife went on a 1 month binge to save the earth and use real cloth diapers. . I washed them once and thought they would have to carry me out on a . Thankfully save the earth mode only lasted 2 weeks. , which gave us more time to . Honest truth I used to be on my knees when our son was trying to form words. I had a plastic boat that he use to use in the bath, and the first word we got him to say was boat, long before mom or dad. You can never start them to young. Cheers everyone, have an awesome weekend.