Spring Crappie

[love2fishhave2work]

This will be my first time in 10 years venturing out for spring Crappie. Unfortunately as my name indicates, the amount of time I spend fishing is limited. Given that Simcoe, Rice and some of the other Kawartha Lakes are all within reasonable driving distance for me, which in your individual opinion are the better lakes to maximize potential of success in my limited available time. All feedback appreciated. The boat advice I received thus far has been fantastic.

[Guest skeeter99]

Hit scugog man they are exploding the last couple of years

 

closest to the city 14 and 15 inchers all over

 

easily catch 30 to 40 fish

[Dondorfish]

when do the crappie open on scugog and is there open water yet?

 

 

Don

[98Fahrenheit]

when do the crappie open on scugog and is there open water yet?

Don

 

April 28 .... REGION 6

[love2fishhave2work]

Surprised by Scugog, certainly the closest of the Kawartha's for me. I have rented boats and fished from a marina on the Island before but never for Crappie. Thanks.

[Dondorfish]

Thanks 98 Fahrenheit - thats how I read it but I was hoping that I missed an exception somewhere - guess i'll have to wait!

 

 

Don

[Guest skeeter99]

u are correct last saturday in april same as the trout opener

 

div 6 rice/pigeon/sturgeon/scugog etc

 

 

** tip 1 inch or 1/2 inch tubes (if u can find) red body white tail, blue gray fin-s minnow cant go wrong

Edited April 8, 2007 by skeeter99

[98Fahrenheit]

Thanks 98 Fahrenheit - thats how I read it but I was hoping that I missed an exception somewhere - guess i'll have to wait!

Don

 

But I think there is a sanctuary .... so May 12 should be the actual date. I could be wrong ..... so check out the regulations guide on the MNR site for the notes on the lakes.

[Sinker]

The tri-lakes and rice are a good bet for crappies. I haven't fished them in Scugog yet, but we pulled some bruisers out of there thru the ice!! May have to give it a shot this year.

 

Opens the last saturday in april on all these lakes. Not sure about the sanctuary on scugog, I believe its only south of the causeway, but check if you go!

Sinker

[Guest skeeter99]

yes there is a sanctuary till the second saturday in may 300 metres either side of causeway hwy 7A

 

 

it is div 6 plain as day go to the mnr site

 

there are no execptions

 

perch and crappie div 6 last saturday in april to nov 15 **I dont know how clearer than this it could be**

 

 

just call up causeway live bait and ask for richie, he has been fishing them for about 8 years since they got in

[love2fishhave2work]

This will be my first time in 10 years venturing out for spring Crappie. Unfortunately as my name indicates, the amount of time I spend fishing is limited. Given that Simcoe, Rice and some of the other Kawartha Lakes are all within reasonable driving distance for me, which in your individual opinion are the better lakes to maximize potential of success in my limited available time. All feedback appreciated. The boat advice I received thus far has been fantastic.

 

Do you stay close the the causeway without going into the sanctuary or do most typical crappie spring spots hold fish?

[Guest skeeter99]

I fish the typical crappie spots

 

they are all over the lakes in the back of bays and any little cut or creek or even tricle of water coming into the lake, pine point has lots of crappie fish in the dead rice from last year and you will get them

[Guest skeeter99]

and of course any stick of wood or stump will hold them bigtime in most cases on scugog you can sight fish them cause they get out and sun themselves with the first warm weather after the season opens

[frozen-fire]

are they only accessible by boat in scugog?

what about for those of us (like me) who don't own a boat?

it's true that they are in there... i've landed some big slabs from shore late last summer.

[Beans]

Each spring is different as far as color of tubes is concerned but all white tubes or a small white twister tail on a 1/16 or 1/32 oz. jig under a slip float is good for starters...once you find the depth they will hit at, peg your float at that depth...try different color combos (pink/white, red/white, chartreuse, chart/white, green with black specks/yellow tentacles were hot in Rice Lake a couple of years ago) Keeping the bait moving slowly helps entice hits sometimes...

 

Small live/salted minnows are good but we found the Fin S Arkansas shiners worked as well or better than live ones...

 

Shallow back bays on the north or west shores of most lakes are usually the better spots in the spring...water warms up there earlier...

[ehg]

A couple of years ago i posted a question about crappie on Scugog and received

a bunch of PM's from people trying to keep their existence there hush.

 

Can't beat microtube jigs under floats in muddy shallow south facing bays

in early May anywhere in Kawarthas now it seems.

 

Good luck,

 

ehg

[nelly]

Simcoe for size and kawartha for numbers. I avoid Rice as it get alot of pressure. Better on Pigeon or Buckhorn but you got to know where to find them. Did alot of scounting last year and bang hit the mother load. Nothing big but lots. Got them around wood pile, lilly pads and bull rush. Come on crappie! Forgot to mention, you need a boat. No live bait required, I prefer the white fin-s. Not much time myself this year as I am also busy.

[love2fishhave2work]

Simcoe for size and kawartha for numbers. I avoid Rice as it get alot of pressure. Better on Pigeon or Buckhorn but you got to know where to find them. Did alot of scounting last year and bang hit the mother load. Nothing big but lots. Got them around wood pile, lilly pads and bull rush. Come on crappie! Forgot to mention, you need a boat. No live bait required, I prefer the white fin-s. Not much time myself this year as I am also busy.

 

Do you fish Cooks bay or the norther parts of the Lake?

[nelly]

I can't sleep and need to be up before 7:30am...

South of Cooks Bay in the holland river (Alberts Marina) or North on Lake Couchiching. There is also a couple of other spots on Simcoe that shall remain nameless for now. I don't want to upset anyone.