Crappie Tips- Springtime Bonanza!

Knowing what type of habitat to look for means the difference between success and failure. Because they are shallow does not mean they are always going to be easy to catch.Stay on the outside edge of of the shallows using your trolling motor to be quiet so you do not spook them. Spawning behavior begins at 60% water temperature . The first fish to construct nests are those that are going to spawn in shallow bays. The next group of crappies to build nests use the main lake shoreline ares like reed beds, that warm up after bays. The last group to spawn are the ones that tend to be in shallow sand and rock humps . Another one of my crappie Tips is if your jig is hanging vertically 'downward' after you catch a few slabs grab the jig and reposition the knot so that it hangs horizontally .

A lot of the biggest crappies your going to catch are are going to be in the main lake reedbeds in 3-5" of water. Put on your polaroid sunglasses and b> because of the better more protective cover.

Use a slip float in and around weed and reed cover it allows you to to fish down deep into the cover. Where a fixed bobber has a pre-set depth fixed and and it becomes difficult to fish in and around spawning areas. Another one of my Crappie tips is to use 6-8 pound line and a spinning rod and reel combination. When reed cover is thick as it usually is go to a very long rod so you can dip your jig and float combination into pockets in the cover.

The best jigs are maribou feather or hair jigs they are great and have a natural action.But if the crappie are fussy add a minnow to your jig , tiny softbaits also are a great combination like berkley 2"fish fry, they dance below the float and work great. gulp waxies also work great have both with you. Keep things small subtle and slow for spring crappie fishing. Always make sure you are fishing above the crappies they always feed up. And if you live where their are crappies now you have the knowledge to catch an awful lot of crappies this spring. Have fun !