Crappie day

[CRAPPIE]

Went out to check my luck still good or not. Got more than 50 Crappies but just keep reasonable decent size and let the rest back to swim for future fun. Also add youtube for video viewing

[Big Cliff]

Very nice, I still haven't been able to find them here on Sturgeon Lake through the ice but soft water cometh!!!

[BillM]

Sweet!! I was actually thinking on making a thread about Spring crappie patterns.. I've got a lake that I know has a bunch of crappie in it, but I still can't catch the damn things, lol.

[Big Cliff]

Sweet!! I was actually thinking on making a thread about Spring crappie patterns.. I've got a lake that I know has a bunch of crappie in it, but I still can't catch the damn things, lol.

 

Well, about the only help I can offer for spring crappie is: shallow bays, with mud bottoms, very close to shore, water temp. 58 - 62°F. a float with about 12-18" of line and use small finS minnows or grubs.

[BillM]

Cliff, I was thinking very similar patterns to that. Live emeralds, small tube jigs, even some of the steelhead jigs I tie would probably work.. You ever use wax worms?

[CRAPPIE]

Cliff, I was thinking very similar patterns to that. Live emeralds, small tube jigs, even some of the steelhead jigs I tie would probably work.. You ever use wax worms?

 

 

I think wax worms is for ice fishing only. Maybe use superworms in the Spring because the superworms is longer and its body move and spin a lot.

[BillM]

No reason why wax worms shouldn't work as well. Presentation is the same whether you're ice fishing or not. I'll give them a shot once the ice is gone and report back!

[Big Cliff]

No reason why wax worms shouldn't work as well. Presentation is the same whether you're ice fishing or not. I'll give them a shot once the ice is gone and report back!

 

I haven't used them but I see no reason why they wouldn't work! I don't use live bait because you'd spend too much time rebaiting. The plastics seem to last a lot longer = more casts to the fish.

[BillM]

Yup a little tube would most likely be the ticket!

[EC1]

This might be the first time I've seen a report from you Crappie, Thanks for sharing!

 

BillM, I have thought about starting a thread called 'Unorthodox Crappie Patterns' before. My idea was looking into where and why these fish stay at certain times of the year, especially winter. For example, I'm familiar with them hanging out in the shallow weeds until they die, and then moving off. But sometimes you hear of people catching them on mud flats, rocks, in deep water, even at first ice.

 

There just seems to be some lakes where I don't understand what the crappies are doing.

[BillM]

I've caught them before, but never more then 1 or 2 when I was actually targeting them (Tossing tubes for smallies is a great example, lol)

[Fish Farmer]

Guys if I may chirp in. Crappie is one of my favorite go-to fish. Just a little tip, when you talk Crappie, the next word is Slip-Float. Crappie suspend most times, they could be anywhere between bottom and the surface. Casting an area were they could be, you adjust the bobber-stop to the depth were their holding. Micro jigs work great and also a live shiner. Load the line below the bobber with enough split-shot so the bobber will barely float. Let it sit still for a min. then twitch a little winding in slowly letting it sit between twitches. Sometimes a Crappie will barely move the float, thats why all the weight so they don't feel the resistance.

I have just a good of time finessing Crappie as fishing for Salmon.

Good luck

[Big Cliff]

This might be the first time I've seen a report from you Crappie, Thanks for sharing!

 

BillM, I have thought about starting a thread called 'Unorthodox Crappie Patterns' before. My idea was looking into where and why these fish stay at certain times of the year, especially winter. For example, I'm familiar with them hanging out in the shallow weeds until they die, and then moving off. But sometimes you hear of people catching them on mud flats, rocks, in deep water, even at first ice.

 

There just seems to be some lakes where I don't understand what the crappies are doing.

 

That is so true! I know there is a good population of them in this lake and I sure know how to find them in the spring but summer and winter they have eluded me and I have tried everything I can think of. Since they seem to be a very popular target it would be nice to try to figure them out. I have fished a lake up North where they were off a deep point in the middle of winter, I have fished them on Scugog where you had to fish shallow weeds and mostly in the evening, on Pigeon and Simco where you fished from shore in shallow back bays early morning, on Jack Lake where they were suspended over 28' of water and they were 12' down and would only hit a pinhead swimming free under a split shot. Here on Sturgeon where the only time I got good action was when the water was 58-62. I can't seem to find a common pattern anywhere. Walleye are easier to pattern!