| One of the most fulfilling activities for many people is | | | | second rod stamp, you might want to try two poles |
| spring crappie fishing. This is the time of year that | | | | at the same time at various depths. This method will |
| my son has a huge interest in going fishing with Dad. | | | | tend to cut your search time down a bit. |
| Cabin fever has been prevalent for several months | | | | As spring progresses and temperatures continue to |
| and as the ice lifts off the local waters and | | | | warm, crappie will move to the tops of ledges and |
| temperatures start to rise, the ever-so-active crappie | | | | begin pushing into the creeks. They move shallow to |
| nears spawning time. As spring draws near crappie | | | | feed more frequently, and the shallow areas they |
| move toward their spawning areas. If you are a | | | | use on the warm spring days become much more |
| fisherman who enjoys crappie fishing and has chased | | | | widespread. Finding at least a few fish becomes |
| them before, you know that springtime offers up | | | | somewhat less of a challenge, but they often aren't |
| the hottest crappie fishing of the year. | | | | quite as concentrated as those first wonderful days |
| Most anglers enjoy spring crappie because they tend | | | | of spring. The best cover is still fairly close to deep |
| to migrate to shallower water and this alone cuts | | | | water. Flats that are dissected by major channels and |
| down on your search time. Instead of holding on | | | | banks near the mouths of creeks will always hold a |
| hidden cover, crappie will tend to move to shallow | | | | lot of crappie, especially on warm days when the fish |
| treetops and stump fields, riprap banks and docks, | | | | have just begun their migration toward the spawning |
| many of which are visible, often in the backs of | | | | grounds. Warmer weather and sunrise are still the |
| creeks or coves and usually fairly close to a lake's | | | | keys to finding crappie in the shallows, but such days |
| banks. Besides the fact that they are shallow, spring | | | | are quickly becoming the norm instead of the |
| crappie tend to stack up, so where you hook into | | | | exception.Floats or bobbers still come into play for |
| one big fish, the chances are extremely good that | | | | finding crappie at this time of the year, but some of |
| you are going to catch a bunch of them. Overall, | | | | the best angling approaches are a little more active. |
| finding crappie and catching a big bag of slabs are at | | | | The fish can be spread out, calling for searching type |
| their best this time of year. | | | | tactics. By now the water will have warmed enough |
| One thing you need to remember. You must present | | | | so that the fish will chase a minnow or jig, as long as |
| what the crappie wants to eat. Don't be fooled into | | | | it is not moving too quickly. When I speak of a jig, I |
| thinking that catching springtime crappie is like pulling | | | | am talking about small 1 ½ to 2" plastic tube or |
| fish from a bucket. The shallower flats and shoreline | | | | small plastic curly tail on a jighead that is weighted. A |
| areas of most lakes still constitute a lot of water. | | | | float offers two major advantages at this time of |
| Even if you find the right bank to work, it is | | | | year, whether you are fishing with jigs or minnows. It |
| necessary to observe the surrounding environment | | | | allows you to control and track depths, making it |
| and make the most educated pattern presentation | | | | easy to identify the productive zone and keep baits |
| possible. Crappie are still a bit lethargic this time of | | | | in it, and allows you to move the lure or bait slowly, |
| year, so your bait must be presented at the proper | | | | even stopping it along the way, which can be |
| depth and as close to the fish as possible, since they | | | | essential for getting crappie to strike early in the |
| are not in the mood to go chasing anything around as | | | | year. When the crappie are spread across shallow |
| of yet. | | | | flats and could be holding on any of hundreds of |
| The spring migration to the spawning areas is gradual | | | | stumps or brushpiles, provided you have a water |
| and the crappie will tend to migrate gradually into the | | | | vessel of some type, trolling comes into play. |
| shallows and back out over the course of a few | | | | For shallow flats, corks remain part of the equation, |
| months. The exact timing of their moves varies from | | | | and setting different lines at different depths will |
| lake to lake and even from year to year within the | | | | again help identify patterns much more quickly. Keep |
| same lake, depending on winter and spring weather | | | | a marker buoy handy any time you troll and toss it |
| conditions. In other words, if we have an early spring | | | | out any time you get more than one strike in a small |
| with nice warm days in March, you can expect to | | | | area. If you find a real hotspot don't anchor right |
| catch crappie in the conditions described above. | | | | over it especially if the water is shallow. Try to |
| Crappie will begin moving from their deep main lake | | | | anchor a good cast away from the area so the fish |
| winter holding areas sometime very early in the | | | | won't feel invaded or spooked. |
| spring. They use structures like channel ledges, humps | | | | As spring warms even more, crappie will move |
| and long points as staging areas, keying on any brush | | | | farther up the creeks. Now is when they will spend |
| or stumps. Bass tend to have the same behavior | | | | most of their time close to the banks or on cover |
| during the pre-spawn period when they are starting | | | | along shallow flats. This would be a great time to try |
| to line up around cover that is usually adjacent to | | | | a lure like the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap in the 1/4oz and 1 |
| their spawning areas. They gradually move shallower | | | | 8oz sizes. Because all fish don't move at the same |
| and shallower and typically work toward the backs of | | | | time, crappie will be widespread by mid-spring. The |
| creeks, coves and narrow lake arms.Throughout this | | | | creeks will hold the most fish, by far, with |
| migration pattern, both to and from their spawning | | | | concentrations well up them, but some crappie will |
| grounds, crappie will move extra shallow with a string | | | | show up around any shoreline tree, dock or riprap. |
| of sunny days and move deeper with each late | | | | Eventually the crappie will spawn and then they will |
| season cold front. Regardless of water depth they | | | | start to move back toward deeper water. The |
| almost always find rocks, brush or some kind of | | | | journey out is gradual and some of the early season's |
| cover to hold around. That cover provides protection, | | | | patterns and hotspots will turn on once again as |
| and it attracts the minnows which a crappie likes to | | | | spring gives way to summer. Fish are much more |
| eat. Usually you need to have a few nice warm days | | | | aggressive throughout late spring as their body |
| strung together for the shallow water action to fully | | | | temperatures have risen. They are much more willing |
| take place, but the air temperature does not have to | | | | to take a bait as it is moving, and they will typically |
| actually warm up as much as you might think. As long | | | | grab a jig as readily as a minnow or small baitfish |
| as the sun shines brightly it will warm shallow areas, | | | | imitation. |
| especially those that are surrounded by riprap or | | | | Throughout the crappie run a few things will help you |
| natural rocks. Water that is slightly stained and filled | | | | catch more fish. First, the best spring spots are much |
| with wood and rocks to soak up the suns rays will | | | | more distinguishable on a map than on the water. If |
| heat up much quicker. When those first warm days | | | | you can find a good topographical map, spend time |
| occur, the crappie will still be holding on fairly deep | | | | studying it before your first trip and identify some |
| structure and they will not move far just to feed. At | | | | potentially good areas to hit as spring progresses. |
| this point, if the water temperature continues to | | | | Next, pay attention to the water color, as crappie will |
| increase, they will start chasing down their food | | | | hold much shallower when the water is stained than |
| within a few more weeks. | | | | when the water is clear. Also as I have mentioned in |
| Typically, shallow hotspots that lie quite close to deep | | | | previous articles, stained water warms faster than |
| water will draw fish. Bridges or structures that run | | | | clear water. |
| across major channels and the shallow ends of long | | | | Finally, crappies of the same size tend to hang out |
| points provide easy travel routes for the crappie | | | | together. If the fish that keep taking your baits are |
| from the depths to good shallow cover. Because | | | | smaller than the legal limit size, move on. If you catch |
| areas that offer the necessary range of depth, along | | | | a nice large crappie, pay close attention to the |
| with good cover, and the required quality for the | | | | conditions and work this pattern over and over again. |
| water to warm slightly are obviously limited in | | | | This should produce great results. Springtime, with its |
| numbers, those spots can be golden in early spring. | | | | constantly changing temperatures, brings the best |
| At this time crappie tend to feed more on minnows | | | | opportunity for most fishermen to catch a limit of |
| than on jigs and they won't chase anything. Most of | | | | slab crappie. Using these patterns will hopefully help |
| the best spots during this part of the season are | | | | you catch your limit. One important item to |
| limited in number and size, so the majority of the | | | | remember is that a crappie's mouth is paper thin and |
| searching will be through different depths. A basic | | | | a hard hookset could severely damage the fish, and |
| cork rig, with a float, split shot, No. 4 or 6 hook and | | | | disturb their eating habits, if you are practicing catch |
| live minnow, is tough to beat. Just flip the bait out | | | | and release. Have fun guys and gals and I truly hope |
| and let it settle, and then experiment with different | | | | you catch a bunch of crappies this season! |
| depths until you start getting bites. If you purchase a | | | | |