Crappies Surfacing

[mnwild14]

I was down at a local lake the last two mornings at about 5:30 and seen lots of fish surfacing, so I assumed they were crappies. This morning I had the ulra light and jig with and casted quite a few times but I could not get anything to bite. Do you think these are crappies, what else could they be. There were lots of them!!

[SpikeRoberts]

mnwild,
They could be crappies but more likely are sunfish. My guess is that they are feeding on the current hatch of insects on the surface. You might try fly fishing or some other top water presentation that matches the characteristics of the insects. I see this pattern on our lake often and its tough to get them to go because they have a ready source of food.

[Guest]

The best way to nab Crappies when they're hitting on the surface is either a popper, or a wooly worm.

Also try casting a 1/64 oz marabou jig and trolling it slowly just below the surface.

Just a few tactics that work for me, when the Crappiesare "poppin".

PCG

[Guest]

when crappies do this ..i call it "podding"(my own designation......lol)...was out yesterday ,just before dark ........wind died down .....crappies were starting to surface .....one here ,one there ..more and more...approched these"rings"slowly(by canoe)...casted a 1/32 ounce white maribou jig near the "rings".....bam!..........a crappie(using 4 pound line on a super light ultralight )...i didn't "kill" em last night but managed to pull in 6(about 11")in a span of half an hour...my favorite way to fish crappies!...thanks jon

[Guest]

Most likely they were bluegill, usually little ones. If they were in large schools they were little gills. If they are singles popping at the surface, they may be the nicer gills. Last night when I was out there were hundreds of schools of little gills on the surface. The key was to find the schools of bigger ones. Usually you hear those before you see them. They make a pretty good "popping" noise when they surface. They are feeding on the recent bug hatches.

If you want to have some real fun, cast a spinner bait in those schools of surfacing gills. You will get some dandy bass most of the time, as well as some nice pike. Last night I had two bass that were just short of 4, just by casting into the schools of little gills.

Most of the bigger crappies I got were in 12ft of water about 7ft down. The smaller fish were still scattered in the shallows but the bigger ones were suspended on the weed edge. That is my report! Oh, I fished two lakes in the Park Rapids area this weekend and on both lakes the gills had just started to spawn.ScottS

[NateEboy-1]

This was my favorite way to locate panfish before depth finders were invented. I usually try casting a gappen ugly bug on a spinner in black. If they are crappies you will find out right away. White is the next best color if they aren't hitting on black. If you still aren't catching anything switch to a thill shy bite bobber 1' up from an ice fishing jig tipped with a wax worm.If the sunnies are bitting hard switch to a 1/32 oz. tube jig and no bait. Your jig color can be critical, last week my son was using chart. and blue while I stuck to my favorite pink and white. Nate outfished me 20-1! Ken

[Guest]

just a follow-up on my last posting...(i just had too add more...lol...love this crappie talk)...after thinking about it...and it's just experience on the water through the years...i've noticed one can certainly tell the difference between a surfacing bluegill(large bull) and a surfacing crappie...the sound is different...the size of the resulting expanding rings is different...a crappie "slaps"the water as it roils the water in a different way then a bluegill when it surfaces...the crappies are usually hundreds of yards out from shore ..bluegills usually are closer to the cover..crappies don't make the popping slurping sound ...gills do(not all the time)...i watch the lake as the evening progresses...the more fish that are surfacing out toward the center of the lake ...high percentage and likelyhood...they will be crappies...it's somewhat difficult for me to explain every "difference"that i've noticed between the 2 species ....but ...there is a noticeable one...it certainly helps me catch the targeted fish when i go out for a day on the lake...may it be for large bluegills or crappies...most people don't take the time to actually go out to try and catch those surfacing fish...it works...keep changing your approach ...match what they may be feeding on in size and color...approach "quietly"(probably won't work with a 150 horse boston whaler .no....lol)watch the surface of the lake as it quiets down for the evening...after awhile ...you'll get to know the difference between a surfacing crappie and a bluegill.....thanks jon

[Ely Lake Expert]

I was just told of someone catching crappies in six feet of water in a lake nearby. That seems kinda odd for this time of year. Is that happening anywhere else?

Ely lake expert

[Guest]

That is where I have been finding most of the crappies the last two weeks. During the LETS event on Minnewaska, the crappies were thick in the 6-7 ft weeds. Although I have found good numbers of fish in the shallower water on several lakes, the bigger fish seem to be on the deeper weed edges or suspended off the deeper drops.

During the summer months the depth is not as important as one may think. The big thing is good cover and good food. If the crappies are finding what they want in shallower water then that is where they will stay. I guess this is true for all fish species. That is why you get those "weed walleyes" all summer long.ScottS

[juddfish]

Hey ScottS~

I am taking a guy from work and his son fishing to Minnewaska tomorrow because he doesnt have a boat and loves to fish. I know where I can catch some bluegills out there but was wondering where you found all of these crappies at. I dont fish minnewaska very much and i live about 25 miles from the lake! Or if u know of a good spot for smallies that would be nice too my email is [email protected] thanks.... good luck fishin!!

[Guest]

Yes, Crappies are diverse, I have caught them in the last week anywhere from 2 feet out to 17 feet.....

PCG

[Dano2]

Hi, I have been having so much fun this summer catching big Bluegills and large mouth bass, that I haven't even had time to tryan catch a walleye let alone crappies.

I have never focused on just crappies and would like to get this crappie fishien thing down.
What kind of BEGINNERS advice could anyone give me?
such as, bait, lures etc.
Do they move into shalower water again in the fall like they were in the sspring?
depths, etc.
The more reading I have done, I did not realize that crappies can get so big,
but it almost seems as though you need to do some homework like if you were to go for walleye.
Why cant they both be as easy to catch as sunnies and bluegills, LOL