POND AND LAKE FISHING Pg 2
Eric at Chatfield inlet March 13, 2006
Early Spring Crappie Fishing
by G. Wayne Byrd
One of the most fulfilling activities for many people is spring crappie fishing.
This is the time of year that my son has a huge interest in going fishing with Dad. Cabin fever has been prevalent for several months
and as the ice lifts off the local waters and temperatures start to rise, the ever-so-active crappie nears spawning time. As
spring draws near crappie move toward their spawning areas. If you are a fisherman who enjoys crappie fishing and has chased
them before, you know that springtime offers up the hottest crappie fishing of the year.
Most anglers enjoy spring crappie because
they tend to migrate to shallower water and this alone cuts down on your search time. Instead of holding on hidden cover, crappie
will tend to move to shallow treetops and stump fields, riprap banks and docks, many of which are visible, often in the backs of creeks
or coves and usually fairly close to a lake’s banks. Besides the fact that they are shallow, spring crappie tend to stack up, so where
you hook into one big fish, the chances are extremely good that you are going to catch a bunch of them. Overall, finding crappie and
catching a big bag of slabs are at their best this time of year.
One thing you need to remember. You must present what the crappie
wants to eat. Don’t be fooled into thinking that catching springtime crappie is like pulling fish from a bucket. The shallower flats
and shoreline areas of most lakes still constitute a lot of water. Even if you find the right bank to work, it is necessary to observe
the surrounding environment and make the most educated pattern presentation possible. Crappie are still a bit lethargic this
time of year, so your bait must be presented at the proper depth and as close to the fish as possible, since they are not in
the mood to go chasing anything around as of yet.
The spring migration to the spawning areas is gradual and the crappie will tend
to migrate gradually into the shallows and back out over the course of a few months. The exact timing of their moves varies from lake
to lake and even from year to year within the same lake, depending on winter and spring weather conditions. In other words, if we
have an early spring with nice warm days in March, you can expect to catch crappie in the conditions described above. Crappie will
begin moving from their deep main lake winter holding areas sometime very early in the spring. They use structures like channel ledges,
humps and long points as staging areas, keying on any brush or stumps. Bass tend to have the same behavior during the pre-spawn period
when they are starting to line up around cover that is usually adjacent to their spawning areas. They gradually move shallower and
shallower and typically work toward the backs of creeks, coves and narrow lake arms.
Throughout this migration pattern, both to and from their spawning grounds, crappie will move extra shallow with a string of sunny
days and move deeper with each late season cold front. Regardless of water depth they almost always find rocks, brush or some kind
of cover to hold around. That cover provides protection, and it attracts the minnows which a crappie likes to eat. Usually you need
to have a few nice warm days strung together for the shallow water action to fully take place, but the air temperature does not have
to actually warm up as much as you might think. As long as the sun shines brightly it will warm shallow areas, especially those that
are surrounded by riprap or natural rocks. Water that is slightly stained and filled with wood and rocks to soak up the suns rays
will heat up much quicker. When those first warm days occur, the crappie will still be holding on fairly deep structure and they will
not move far just to feed. At this point, if the water temperature continues to increase, they will start chasing down their food
within a few more weeks.
Typically, shallow hotspots that lie quite close to deep water will draw fish. Bridges or structures that
run across major channels and the shallow ends of long points provide easy travel routes for the crappie from the depths to good shallow
cover. Because areas that offer the necessary range of depth, along with good cover, and the required quality for the water to
warm slightly are obviously limited in numbers, those spots can be golden in early spring. At this time crappie tend to feed more
on minnows than on jigs and they won’t chase anything. Most of the best spots during this part of the season are limited in number
and size, so the majority of the searching will be through different depths. A basic cork rig, with a float, split shot, No. 4 or
6 hook and live minnow, is tough to beat. Just flip the bait out and let it settle, and then experiment with different depths until
you start getting bites. If you purchase a second rod stamp, you might want to try two poles at the same time at various depths. This
method will tend to cut your search time down a bit.
As spring progresses and temperatures continue to warm, crappie will move
to the tops of ledges and begin pushing into the creeks. They move shallow to feed more frequently, and the shallow areas they use
on the warm spring days become much more widespread. Finding at least a few fish becomes somewhat less of a challenge, but they often
aren’t quite as concentrated as those first wonderful days of spring. The best cover is still fairly close to deep water. Flats that
are dissected by major channels and banks near the mouths of creeks will always hold a lot of crappie, especially on warm days when
the fish have just begun their migration toward the spawning grounds. Warmer weather and sunrise are still the keys to finding crappie
in the shallows, but such days are quickly becoming the norm instead of the exception.
Floats or bobbers still come into play for finding crappie at this time of the year, but some of the best angling approaches are a
little more active. The fish can be spread out, calling for searching type tactics. By now the water will have warmed enough
so that the fish will chase a minnow or jig, as long as it is not moving too quickly. When I speak of a jig, I am talking about small
1 ½ to 2” plastic tube or small plastic curly tail on a jighead that is weighted. A float offers two major advantages at this time
of year, whether you are fishing with jigs or minnows. It allows you to control and track depths, making it easy to identify the productive
zone and keep baits in it, and allows you to move the lure or bait slowly, even stopping it along the way, which can be essential
for getting crappie to strike early in the year. When the crappie are spread across shallow flats and could be holding on any of hundreds
of stumps or brushpiles, provided you have a water vessel of some type, trolling comes into play.
For shallow flats, corks remain part
of the equation, and setting different lines at different depths will again help identify patterns much more quickly. Keep a marker
buoy handy any time you troll and toss it out any time you get more than one strike in a small area. If you find a real hotspot don’t
anchor right over it especially if the water is shallow. Try to anchor a good cast away from the area so the fish won’t feel invaded
or spooked.
As spring warms even more, crappie will move farther up the creeks. Now is when they will spend most of their time close
to the banks or on cover along shallow flats. This would be a great time to try a lure like the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap in the 1/4oz
and 1/8oz sizes. Because all fish don’t move at the same time, crappie will be widespread by mid-spring. The creeks will hold
the most fish, by far, with concentrations well up them, but some crappie will show up around any shoreline tree, dock or riprap.
Eventually
the crappie will spawn and then they will start to move back toward deeper water. The journey out is gradual and some of the early
season’s patterns and hotspots will turn on once again as spring gives way to summer. Fish are much more aggressive throughout late
spring as their body temperatures have risen. They are much more willing to take a bait as it is moving, and they will typically grab
a jig as readily as a minnow or small baitfish imitation.
Throughout the crappie run a few things will help you catch more fish.
First, the best spring spots are much more distinguishable on a map than on the water. If you can find a good topographical map, spend
time studying it before your first trip and identify some potentially good areas to hit as spring progresses. Next, pay attention
to the water color, as crappie will hold much shallower when the water is stained than when the water is clear. Also as I have mentioned
in previous articles, stained water warms faster than clear water.
Finally, crappies of the same size tend to hang out together. If
the fish that keep taking your baits are smaller than the legal limit size, move on. If you catch a nice large crappie, pay close
attention to the conditions and work this pattern over and over again. This should produce great results. Springtime, with its
constantly changing temperatures, brings the best opportunity for most fishermen to catch a limit of slab crappie. Using these patterns
will hopefully help you catch your limit. One important item to remember is that a crappie’s mouth is paper thin and a hard hookset
could severely damage the fish, and disturb their eating habits, if you are practicing catch and release. Have fun guys and gals and
I truly hope you catch a bunch of crappies this season!
Mustang and Ryan at Aurora Reservoir Colorado March 23, 2006
Eric at Seaman Reservoir Colorado
March 25, 2006
Beautiful Aurora Reservoir Colorado rainbow trout from Lynmack
ePiC and best fishin' buddy at Brush Hollow Reservoir Colorado March 26, 2006
Big Dog and the Bone at Boyd Lake Colorado March 27, 2006
ePiC and Cody at Townsend Reservoir Colorado
March 28, 2006
Kara, James, and Jevan April 11, 2006
Doug Bazata and lnlpulliam at Spinney Mountain Reservoir Colorado April 13, 2006
James, Kara, and Jevan in the Estes Park Colorado area
April 12, 2006
Jevan at Gross Reservoir Colorado
Jevan, Evelyn, Faith, and wife Jennifer at St. Vrain Ponds Colorado
