There are two species of crappie. The Black and White. The black crappie, which gets its name
from its slightly darker appearance, is usually white or gray with dark gray or black spots covering most of its sides.
The white crappie tends to be lighter in color and has distinct gray verticle bars extending down its sides. These markings
vary in intensity, depending on the time of year and type of water. During the spring spawn, the male black crappie
may appear jet black over much of its body, while the male white crappie darkens around the head, breast and back. The
black crappie have 7-8 dorsel spines on the back, while the white crappie has 5-6 dorsel spines. Although black and white crappies differ slightly in appearance, they have many common
characteristics. Both have a large number of gill rakers, which they use to strain plankton from the water. They
also eat small fish, mollusks, insects, minnows and crustaceans. They also feed on gizzard and threadfin shad.
They feed most heavily at dawn, dusk and at night all year round, but feed less often when water temps dips below 50 degrees.
Crappie belongs to the sunfish family, although they are more sensitive to sunlight and spawn earlier than any other member
of the sunfish family. Crappie are fairly active year round, but the hottest times to catch them
are in the spring and fall months. In the spring, they are so easy to catch, seems
that they are suicidal during this time. Crappie
generally start their movement out
of their deep water winter haunts when the water temperatures start
warming towards the 45-50 degree range. They will congregate around the entrances of creek channels
until the water temps reaches around the 50-55 degree range. Then you can expect them to begin migrating towards the shallower
secondary creeks and bays, using the channels as "highways". At this point, I try trolling minnows or casting a Road
Runner with a grub to isolated stumps, brush and small pockets, and retrieving them back very slowly. When water
reaches in the 55-60 degree range, the males should be in shallow water looking and fanning out
spawning beds, while the females stage out in the closest
deeper water structures. Crappie feed more
aggressively and baitfish are more active as spawning nears. Try dropping a minnow under
a cork into the spawning bed for males. Use a cast and slow retrieve your bait for the deeper females. As a general rule, surface temperatures in the 62-65 degree range are almost perfect for shallow,
spawning crappie. During the pre-spawn period, they usually nest when the water temperature reaches 62-65 degrees.
Most black crappies migrate to spawn in very shallow water, but white crappies tends to spawn
in water up to 10 feet or deeper. The males are first to arrive to "fan" away debris and build the nest when
the water starts warming to about 55 degrees, along shoreline cover such as fallen trees, brush piles and docks. When
its time to spawn, the females move in, deposit the eggs, then slowly moves out to recuperate in slightly deeper water. The
males then stay to protect the nest. The eggs hatch in 3-5 days, depending on the water temperature. Your best
bet now is to drop a live minnow under a cork. The males then leaves the nest when the
newly-hatched fish gets to be a 1/2 inch long. Any bad weather or cold front can set the whole process back a few
days, or when the weather stabilizes. When water warms to the 70-75 degree range, the females will leave their
nest and move to nearby deep structures where they staged before the spawning.
Use any jig, minnows, or a Roadrunner jig to cast & retrieve very
SLOWLY. By the time water reaches 75 degrees, the males will be joining the females
and migrate through the channels the same way they came in back out to the deep cooler water for the summer. Summer and Winter present the greatest challenges for crappie anglers. Once the spawn ends
and the water temperature warms, crappie will move and often suspend in deeper water, where the water temps are
cooler. They will move to shallows to feed at dawn and dusk. However, I have found crappie in shallower water
during the dog days of summer. They can be found in shades such as under bridges, trees, docks, and in weed beds provided
that deeper water is nearby.
When the water starts to cool in the fall, they go on a feeding binge to fatten up for the winter. Most crappies will
stage halfway up the tributaries near to the pre-spawn locations. Casting jigs is an effective and fun way to catch crappies
now. My favorite at this time of year is the same as I use for pre-spawn, or a Culprit Tassel Tail and Swim Fin grub tipped
with a Grubco wax worm.
When water temps fall in the mid-40's range, they will migrate back to deep water in the main lake. Keep in mind
that these water temperature ranges are arbitrary, depending on the locations of the water you fish. For example, crappies
spawn when water is in the 62-65 degree range, which can be as early as January in the Deep South or as late as June in the
North. The biggest
key to catching crappie is, ALWAYS REMEMBER.... crappie are fish that love structures, so key in on areas with prominent cover.
Concentrate on cover such as brush piles, stumps, fallen trees, rock piles, humps, or any other submerged cover. Vertical
jigging is a great way to fish these structures. A 1/32 oz. or 1/16 oz. jig tipped with a wax worm dropped in a brush
pile and twitched will produce many fish, as well as a minnow dangling on a Tru-Turn BloodRed hook under a bobber. Along
fallen trees and stumps, try retrieving a Roadrunner slowly and hold on! Adjust your bobber or vary your retrieves
until you established at what depth the crappie is holding at. Once you catch fish, continue to fish at that depth. Once you understand the crappies' behavior and habits, chances are you can catch them anytime, anywhere.
Author: Bruce Spangler
When the water starts to cool in the fall, they go on a feeding binge to fatten
up for the winter. Most crappies will stage halfway up the tributaries near to the pre-spawn locations. Casting jigs
is an effective and fun way to catch crappies now. My favorite at this time of year is the same as I use for pre-spawn, or
a Culprit Tassel Tail and Swim Fin grub tipped with a Grubco wax worm. When water temps fall in the mid-40's range, they will migrate back to deep water
in the main lake. Keep in mind that these water temperature ranges are arbitrary, depending on the locations of the water
you fish. For example, crappies spawn when water is in the 62-65 degree range, which can be as early as January in the Deep
South or as late as June in the North.
The biggest key to catching crappie is, ALWAYS REMEMBER.... crappie are fish that love structures, so key in on areas with
prominent cover. Concentrate on cover such as brush piles, stumps, fallen trees, rock piles, humps, or any other submerged
cover. Vertical jigging is a great way to fish these structures. A 1/32 oz. or 1/16 oz. jig tipped with a wax
worm dropped in a brush pile and twitched will produce many fish, as well as a minnow dangling on a Tru-Turn BloodRed hook
under a bobber. Along fallen trees and stumps, try retrieving a Roadrunner slowly and hold on! Adjust your
bobber or vary your retrieves until you established at what depth the crappie is holding at. Once you catch fish, continue
to fish at that depth. Once you understand the crappies' behavior and habits, chances are
you can catch them anytime, anywhere.
Author: Bruce Spangler
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