Spring Crappie Fishing 101

The ice is coming off, the apple trees are starting to bloom, and when the water warms to 60 degrees, the crappie start spawning, and you should be on the water fishing. Crappie can be incredibly easy to catch during the crappie spawn. Large crappie move into the shallows in big schools. At other times of the year, these slab crappie scatter and suspend, and even accomplished anglers may have difficulty catching them. But during the spring spawn, just about anybody can find and catch slab crappie.

Crappie begin to approach their spawning territory when the water warms into the 50s, and they start spawning as soon as it tops 60. But a cold front can cause the fish to back off into deeper water, as extreme fluctuations in weather and water can throw a monkey wrench in the spawn altogether.

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During the crappie spawn, males arrive first at the spawning grounds and prepare a nest by fanning away debris with their tails. Females deposit the eggs then depart, leaving the males to guard the nest. The spawning process itself does not take long, and the eggs hatch in about five days. But not all crappies spawn at exactly the same time, especially in large reservoirs. Crappie in one part of a lake may be done spawning while other fish are just moving onto their beds.

Crappie typically bed in one to six feet of water, and will spawn deeper, in clear water.
While on their beds crappie rarely chase minnows, preferring instead to wait for gullible bait fish to unknowingly past them. They do not feed on bottom and seldom go after any food below their eye level. Suspending bait right in front of the crappie’s nose is imperative during this critical time.

One way to accomplish this is by fishing minnows with a slip-bobber. With this rig, it is easy to put the bait at any depth. Fixed bobbers that attach to the line with clips or springs are awkward to cast when set for more than a couple of feet deep.

With a slip bobber, the line is fed through the body of a hollow bobber so the bobber slides freely on the line. Above the bobber is a bead above the bead is a knot, which stops the bead and hence the slip bobber. To adjust the depth at which you are fishing you just simply push the knot higher or lower on the line.

Below the bobber, add on a shiny gold hook and attach one or two split shot weights. The weight is essential to keep the bait down . In dense brush, attach the weight directly above the hook, right at the knot. A slip-bobber is especially effective in thick brush, where casting is impossible and it is necessary to drop the bait into a tight spot.

So when you head out for crappie this spring, try using a slip bobber. You may just be surprised at what you catch. As always good luck and be safe.