Spring Crappie
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Crappie are a mysterious fish to many. In fact, I know some avid fishermen who have fished their whole lives but have rarely caught crappie. It may seem strange, but crappie are something you really need to target in order to catch many of them. For most of the year, anglers focus on other species and crappie are generally left alone. But spring crappie are relatively easy to catch as they hang out close to shore and become very aggressive.
Fishing for springtime crappies is a great way to introduce young anglers to the sport of fishing. The action can be fast. And the fish are big enough to be exciting, but not overwhelming for a 4 or 5 year old to handle.
When Do Crappie Spawn?
Crappie tend to begin staging off of their spawning grounds when water temps get into the low 50’s. Spawning usually begins when the temps reach the upper 50’s. Keep in mind that this is not a hard and fast rule. In a year with a fast warmup, the temperature gradient from from the top to bottom of the water column will be larger at first as it takes time for the water further below the surface to warm. This means that while the very surface may be warm, the water underneath where the fish spawn may not be. Therefore, once the surface water temp reaches the mid-50’s it’s tie to start fishing.
Start in deeper water (6-10′) that is adjacent to the spawning habitat and work your way to shallower water until you find fish. Remember that while a sonar unit helps to locate fish in deeper water, fish in shallower water tend to be spooked by the boat before they are even marked by traditional or down-scan sonar. A forward or side-scanning sonar helps tremendously when looking for fish in these shallow areas.
Locating Spawning Crappie
Crappie like to spawn in areas where the wind and waves aren’t able to disturb the water surface. For lakes that are fed by incoming streams and creeks, such as an impoundment, this will often mean that the crappie are spawning in water near or even up in those creek channels. For lakes that don’t have these feeder streams, try to locate secluded back bays or manmade canals that connect to the lake.
The other important factor in finding spawning crappie is structure. Crappie are a structure-loving fish, and the spawning period is no exception to this rule. Look for areas that have substantial vertical structure in waters 6′ deep or less. This might be a stand of cattails, some overhanging limbs that dip into the water, a shallow stump-field, or even a boat dock with underwater framework.
What to Use
Many think that a live minnow is the key to catching crappie. And while this is true, particularly in clear water, don’t overlook a simple plastic or hair jig with the right color. I fish crappie year round and it is rare that I use minnows. A slap-tail style plastic provides the perfect movement when the jig is periodcially “twitched” under a bobber. Go with brighter colors (chartruese, pink, etc.) when fishing stained water. Try natural colors when fishing clear waters.
When selecting a bobber, try to go with the smallest bobber that you can get away with. Crappie are very sensitive and will spit the hook the instant they detect resistance. Russ Bailey of Brushpile Fishing fame, recommends a teardrop float (like these E-Z Tout Floats) for these finicky fish and I will say that for me, they have worked great!
If you are fishing very clear water, you should also consider using flourocarbon line. Some say that crappie are not line sensitive, but when fishing in clear water, flourocarbon is always advisable.
Best Crappie Waters in the Great Lakes
Although crappies are not the most popular of game fish in the Great Lakes, this region certainly has its fair share of great crappie waters. While some of these lakes are naturally formed lakes, many of the best crappie waters are impoundments. And the reason is obvious. Crappie love vertical structure and the standing trees and stumps found in man-made lakes provide bountiful amounts of this cover.
But believe it or not, some of the best spring crappie fishing in this part of North America doesn’t occur on inland lakes at all. You may be surprised to learn that some of the best crappie fishing is actually on the Great Lakes. That’s right, the marinas, river mouths and marshes that dot our great lakes shorelines provide some of the best habitat for crappie in the entire region. Not only that, but some of the these fish get very big. Although I have yet to put one in the boat, I have heard stories that 17-18 inch whoppers are known to have been caught in these often overlooked waters.
How to Catch Spawning Crappie
The easiest way to catch crappie that are on their beds is by using a small jig fished under a bobber. While this sounds simple enough, there are some things that you can do to increase your hook-up rate.
First of all, when it comes to crappie bait and equipment, it is best to start small. Light line, smal jigs and small bobbers are the key to putting a lot of fish in the cooler. Start with a 1/32 oz jig to locate the fish. Once you have found them, you can always upsize the offering if the fish you are catching are too small. Oftentimes, a larger bait will help you filter out the dinks and get you bigger fish.
When it comes to jig color, pink, white and chartreuse are typically all I use. This is what catches the crappie’s eye. Something with a high contrast to the environment is what stands out and 1 of these these 3 colors usually does the trick. The bait on the jig and its action will determine whether or not they will bite. So once you know the fish are there, don’t be afraid to change plastic colors and/or live offerings until you find what they want. If the fish are actively guarding beds, they won’t be very picky!