| Crappie Articles |
John N. Felsher's Crappie Fishing Adventures
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Tiny hair jigs tempt big crappie
spawning in shallow waters
spawning in shallow waters
TOP: Steve Danna
drops a hair jig near a
small cypress tree
growing in about three
feet of water to tempt
big spawning crappie.
LEFT: Steve Danna
shows off a crappie he
caught on a tiny hair
jig while fishing at
Lake D'Arbonne near
Farmerville, La.
Sometimes, tiny baits
can tempt even the
biggest fish.
drops a hair jig near a
small cypress tree
growing in about three
feet of water to tempt
big spawning crappie.
LEFT: Steve Danna
shows off a crappie he
caught on a tiny hair
jig while fishing at
Lake D'Arbonne near
Farmerville, La.
Sometimes, tiny baits
can tempt even the
biggest fish.
In the spring, as crappie move up into the shallows to spawn, anglers in
the right spot can often find some of the fastest fishing all year.
“Crappie are much easier to catch during the spawn,” said Jimmy
Houston, a legendary professional angler from Oklahoma. “That’s also the
time when people generally catch the biggest fish of the year.”
Highly prolific, crappie begin to spawn when water temperatures reach
the mid-60s. Often spawning more than once a season, a single female
crappie may lay between 20,000 and 25,000 eggs a year. Black crappie
prefer to spawn in quiet backwater areas. White crappie usually spawn
along riverbanks, but in lakes, both species congregate near flooded brush
and trees.
“In late winter, crappie often more toward the shorelines or shallows to
feed or look for nesting areas,” said Bobby Reed, a Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries biologist in Lake Charles, La. “Crappie are the
rabbits of the fish world. We do not recommend that people stock crappie
in ponds less than 50 acres in size because they can take over a small
pond. In a good water body, they can grow to nine inches in one year.”
On a big lake, the crappie spawn might stretch over several months as
fish begin nesting in areas that reach critical conditions at different times
throughout the spring. Usually, the first spawns occur on flats in the backs
of coves on the northern end of a lake. Southerly breezes typically blow
warmer water toward the northern parts of a lake. In addition, since the sun
hangs in the southern sky in late winter, the warmest and most intense
solar rays hit the northern shorelines of lakes.
Moreover, as the sun sets in the west, eastern shorelines receive more
direct afternoon sunshine than shady western shorelines. Consequently,
the northeast portion of a lake usually warms before other sections,
followed by the northwest, southeast and finally southwest portions of a
lake.
When crappie move up into the shallows, anglers can often tempt them
with small jigs, flies or tubes dipped near flooded cypress stumps, gnarled
tree trunks, dock pilings and other objects in spawning flats. Tiny hair jigs
flicked into the water from long poles or fly rods can often entice slab
crappie.
To find spawning crappie, Steve Danna stealthy approaches trees
growing in two to five feet of water and swings an 11-foot converted jig pole
sporting a fly reel toward any log or stump that might hold fish. Barely
using any line, he dangles a 1/32-ounce fly, hair jig or tube as close to the
cover as possible. Frequently, fish subtly suck in a morsel as it falls. If not,
Danna works his way around the tree trunk or brush pile, probing every
likely spot before moving to another likely object.
Sometimes, crappie want a little movement in lures. Sometimes,
skittish fish don’t want any movement. Often, Danna simply holds his
fishing rod as still as possible and lets the wind or waves give it a slight
vibration or shimmy.
“It’s not the jigging motion that people normally think of when they think
of fishing,” Danna said. “I let the fish decide how they want the
presentation, but I usually don’t move the bait very fast. Often, I just hold
the rod as still as possible. It’s almost impossible to hold it completely still
with the boat movement, but the wind and the waves can add just enough
action to get fish excited.”
With cormorants and other predators looking for crappie meals,
spawning fish can become spooky. Avoid bumping the tree trunk or
branches and slip the jigs into the water as delicately as possible.
Fluorocarbon line nearly vanishes in the water, allowing anglers to present
baits that appear to suspend naturally.
“Stealth is the key,” Danna said. “If people bump a boat against a tree,
they could spook the fish. Even if fish stay in the vicinity, they might not
bite for a while. It’s possible to catch a bunch of crappie off one tree. After
hooking a fish, ease it off the tree and into deeper water to keep from
spooking the others.”
During spawning season, look for cypress trees growing in two to five
feet of water, preferably two to three feet of water. If anglers can catch one
crappie off a flooded tree trunk, they can probably catch a bunch. Work
through a cluster of several trees, returning to ones that produced the
biggest fish. If fish stop biting for a while, return later because they might
start biting again soon.
the right spot can often find some of the fastest fishing all year.
“Crappie are much easier to catch during the spawn,” said Jimmy
Houston, a legendary professional angler from Oklahoma. “That’s also the
time when people generally catch the biggest fish of the year.”
Highly prolific, crappie begin to spawn when water temperatures reach
the mid-60s. Often spawning more than once a season, a single female
crappie may lay between 20,000 and 25,000 eggs a year. Black crappie
prefer to spawn in quiet backwater areas. White crappie usually spawn
along riverbanks, but in lakes, both species congregate near flooded brush
and trees.
“In late winter, crappie often more toward the shorelines or shallows to
feed or look for nesting areas,” said Bobby Reed, a Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries biologist in Lake Charles, La. “Crappie are the
rabbits of the fish world. We do not recommend that people stock crappie
in ponds less than 50 acres in size because they can take over a small
pond. In a good water body, they can grow to nine inches in one year.”
On a big lake, the crappie spawn might stretch over several months as
fish begin nesting in areas that reach critical conditions at different times
throughout the spring. Usually, the first spawns occur on flats in the backs
of coves on the northern end of a lake. Southerly breezes typically blow
warmer water toward the northern parts of a lake. In addition, since the sun
hangs in the southern sky in late winter, the warmest and most intense
solar rays hit the northern shorelines of lakes.
Moreover, as the sun sets in the west, eastern shorelines receive more
direct afternoon sunshine than shady western shorelines. Consequently,
the northeast portion of a lake usually warms before other sections,
followed by the northwest, southeast and finally southwest portions of a
lake.
When crappie move up into the shallows, anglers can often tempt them
with small jigs, flies or tubes dipped near flooded cypress stumps, gnarled
tree trunks, dock pilings and other objects in spawning flats. Tiny hair jigs
flicked into the water from long poles or fly rods can often entice slab
crappie.
To find spawning crappie, Steve Danna stealthy approaches trees
growing in two to five feet of water and swings an 11-foot converted jig pole
sporting a fly reel toward any log or stump that might hold fish. Barely
using any line, he dangles a 1/32-ounce fly, hair jig or tube as close to the
cover as possible. Frequently, fish subtly suck in a morsel as it falls. If not,
Danna works his way around the tree trunk or brush pile, probing every
likely spot before moving to another likely object.
Sometimes, crappie want a little movement in lures. Sometimes,
skittish fish don’t want any movement. Often, Danna simply holds his
fishing rod as still as possible and lets the wind or waves give it a slight
vibration or shimmy.
“It’s not the jigging motion that people normally think of when they think
of fishing,” Danna said. “I let the fish decide how they want the
presentation, but I usually don’t move the bait very fast. Often, I just hold
the rod as still as possible. It’s almost impossible to hold it completely still
with the boat movement, but the wind and the waves can add just enough
action to get fish excited.”
With cormorants and other predators looking for crappie meals,
spawning fish can become spooky. Avoid bumping the tree trunk or
branches and slip the jigs into the water as delicately as possible.
Fluorocarbon line nearly vanishes in the water, allowing anglers to present
baits that appear to suspend naturally.
“Stealth is the key,” Danna said. “If people bump a boat against a tree,
they could spook the fish. Even if fish stay in the vicinity, they might not
bite for a while. It’s possible to catch a bunch of crappie off one tree. After
hooking a fish, ease it off the tree and into deeper water to keep from
spooking the others.”
During spawning season, look for cypress trees growing in two to five
feet of water, preferably two to three feet of water. If anglers can catch one
crappie off a flooded tree trunk, they can probably catch a bunch. Work
through a cluster of several trees, returning to ones that produced the
biggest fish. If fish stop biting for a while, return later because they might
start biting again soon.