Crappie Tips

        Crappie on average take a bout 2-3 years to grow to the length of 9-10 inches, which is a good size preferred by most anglers. Anglers harvest most fish when they are 2-3 year old fish, long before they reach quality size. When a lake produces lots of crappie in a year, anglers will have excellent fishing for about 3 or 4 after. During the lean years most crappie are taken before they reach the age of three years.

        So how do the lake managers even it out? By creating a size limit and then they reduce the limit of fish taken. The larger the length, and the fewer fish taken, adds to the population of fish. Which is spread out the slim harvest over years.

        The best way to look at springtime crappie fishing is to break in to three parts. Pre-spawn, spawning and post spawn. Identifying the three patterns for springtime     fishing can be very valuable to the crappie angler.

        Generally crappie will school up in late March and early April, off spawning areas usually at the mouth of coves or creeks before moving off on to the beds. Males and females both school up but not together. Females are out further and deeper then males. Crappie will use the same area each year.

        Once pre-spawn schools are located. Try vertical jigging, the use of two jigs tied about two-foot apart with drops about foot are recommended. Change color UN-till you find what they prefer. Look for pre spawn crappie around rocky banks off secondary points, and over brush piles.

      Spawning

        Crappie like pea-gravel flat areas, more tan any other. Spawning crappie can be found from the bank out about four feet of water. When you find those really black spawning males on the bank, sitting on the nest turn around and fish the open waters for the large females. Try a jig and a bobber in the open waters for the females. For the males on the nest, throw right in to the shoreline and retrieve it, use short twitches. The best bobber to use ids ¾ to 1 inch balsa wood. The clear the water the deeper they will go. Reports have been as deep 6 or 7 feet in clear water. In muddy water as shallow as 6 inches.

      Summer Time

        Summer time crappie can some times pose a problem for the angler. Try fishing early in the morning, to early day, or late in the day to evening. I prefer summer crappie fishing in the evening when you can use lights to draw the plankton and the minnows. One thing to look for is crappie beds/ brush pile. Try fishing with a few rods at different depths, 12 ft, or 18 ft, or even 20 ft rigged with two jigs to locate them. Make note of the depth on each rod when you catch one, try that same depth and the same spot.

       Fall

        When water temperature cools down in the fall, crappie move, back in to the shallows and start actively feeding. Brush pile 8 to 10 foot deep, are common by Mid-September. Also try under docks by the Styrofoam crappie like to suspend for ambush point. In the Fall a slowing falling lure works the great. You can also try using a real light jig 1/32oz.under a bobber.

       Winter

        Winter crappie, are catch-able they are found on the same areas that are found in the summer and they are slower.

       Bait

        The most popular Crappie baits are a marabou jig, tube jigs, around 1/32, 1/16 and 1/8 oz. and minnows. Small grubs have proven successful.

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