As seasons change, crappie have a migration path that they make their way to the shorelines
to lay their eggs for the big crappie spawn when the seasons change to spring time. When the temperature is right I have seen
crappie so shallow the top fin is out of the water. Always remember the west side of the lake always warms up first, this
is where the first wave come in the shallows for the crappie spawn. Crappie are very similar to Largemouth bass when it comes
to spawn, they share the same space at the same time. When the crappie spawn occurs
on your lake or pond they can position themselves anywhere from the bank to shallow underwater ledges, and those drop-offs
will fall to 10 feet or more, look for shallow ditches, cuts and gullies, near bank-side bluffs or coves. Also it always helps
to scan your sonar to find these areas in your boat. As the crappie spawn takes place there are unlimited places to find them,
look around the edges of weed beds, timber stands, brush piles, bridges and boat docks.
Here are some tips to help you locate and catch these fish during the crappie spawn, the best way to fish starting out is
to use medium size minnows either straight line or use slip corks on your reel so that you can easily adjust your depth as
necessary. You will also want to use 6lb line, the lighter line will not be easily detected in shallow waters for the crappie
spawn. You can use a light bait caster rod and reel or an ultra-lite open faced rod and reel setup using a small beetle spin
or spinnerbait with a single blade on either bait that mimics baitfish. Be mindful of colors, if one works good, another color
may be excellent.
Chartruese/black colors work well in low light conditions, when
in clearer water use silver/black or plain white baits for some serious action. Remember what depth you got bit at and return
to that same depth, sometimes a one to two foot depth difference will mean getting bit or not, this applies to not only crappie
spawn, but when they retreat to deeper waters. Here is a great tip to take to the lake with you, like most of us we are unable
to know where the crappie are at all times so you can stop by or call your local marina and ask the marina manager what depth
the crappie are being caught, some local fisherman will boast about their catch to the marina managers and this can give you
valuable information, sometimes even baits choices.
Remember to carry a certified
measuring stick with you to measure your fish, as some states have a 10" minimum length and a limit of 25 crappie per
person. Always check with your state parks & wildlife to make sure about length and limits, make sure that you carry
your fishing license with you when you are at the lake, it will save you from getting a ticket. A very important tip to remember
after the spawn is over, is that they will retreat back to deeper water and generally they will stay at 75 degree waters.
