|
Sometimes crappies will provide the first action after ice-out. Search out lakes with dark or stained waters; they'll warm up weeks before the clear waters do. Look for shallow bays with 2-6 feet of water, where you'll find the warmest water in the lake. Male crappies move into the shallow water first as temperatures increase. Crappies begin spawning when water temperatures are between 61 and 68 degrees, but the males can be caught long before that.
As spawning temperatures approach, male crappies become more aggressive in searching out nesting sites. Like bluegills, crappies build nests, but their nests are in deeper water up to six feet down and are barely noticeable. Fishing crappie minnows on a #8 long shank hook will produce fish on most days just prior to spawn. It's an excellent choice for post-spawn crappies, too.
As temperatures warm up, concentrate your efforts in the evenings and early morning hours around outside weed edges, deep holes with fish cribs, sunken trees and logs. Again, be flexible. Change color combinations often, tip jigs with a minnow, speed up or slow down the presentation until you figure out the fishes' patterns. Check the deeper holes adjacent to known spawning areas for pre-spawn crappies. Suspended fish will be easily found with fish locators. Work lightweight jigs tipped with small minnows slowly through the holes at the depth where you marked fish.
GB2
|
