they may be starting in earnest

[CrappieJohn]

After being gone for five days I felt as though I had to visit the local drink to see what the ichnoids were doing. The water at 7:30 was at 57 degrees and remained at that temp until I left at 11:30. I found fish right away on deeprwater shoreline fishing at about three feet using tubes under a small float. I caught crappies in all sorts of sizes, but the biggie was just over 14 inches....a real pretty female and was returned to do hwer thing. The eggs are starting to swell them a bit now, but the tails of the fish are not showing any nesting wear yet and the fish, even males, have not taken on much for color. It will be probably another three weeks before any real spawning activity starts to show up unless we get some really warm weather. After checking with my stats for the last six years we are just about on target. Keep in mind that all waters are not equal. This particular lake is stained, but doesn't like to give up it's cold water either. The weather forecast says were are going to be wet fot the next couple days here in the S.E. part of the state. If the weather does not get too wild it may be a good time to do some wet weather fishing, especially if the temps hold and we get really light rain. The time is prime for the craps guys..get to it. Good fishing to all...Crapster

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Sure life happens- why wait

[protrapper]

my thoughts exactly. couldnt have said it better myself...

[Scott Steil]

First time out for gills and crappies this year. Taking a little break between walleye tournaments. The first two shallow spots I tried were loaded with fish. Big crappies and nice gills. Tis the season I guess. Get out there and enjoy the bite.

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[This message has been edited by Scott Steil (edited 04-30-2003).]

[Jim W]

INdeed,

Thanks "Crapster" for the info and tubes! My father and I had a banner evening on the puddle last night!!!

Large numbers and healthy in size as well!

Keep the rods bendin'!!

Jim W

[Deitz Dittrich]

Sounds very fun folks!... I had a blast this last weekend as well... lots of numbers and few decent size ones as well!

[Aquaman01]

How about time of day? I'll be hitting the water near Annandale about 6:30 pm - is that too late?

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Aquaman
<')}}}}}><{
Peace and Fishes

[Jim W]

Aqua,

I'm not "Crappie Tom" nor am I Scott Steil, but I think they have eluded to temperature being very key in location and bite modes of crappie.

Time of day shouldn't be too much of a factor if the water temps match up. Of course presentation might change with time of day.

Most of my action on Tuesday came ironically between 6:30pm and 7:30pm!

Won't know until you try eh?

Jim W

[Scott Steil]

Perfect time to hit the water. The sun warms that shallow water all day. The more the water warms the more active the fish will get. This only lasts until the water gets to warm then they will vacate that bay. That is when it is time to look for another bay, maybe a little deeper with cooler water.

Early in the year you usually will find the fish all the way back in the bay, in the shallowest, most secluded part. As the water warms they will slowly work there way out or the bay or towards the deeper middle of the bay.

There is a benefit to going out in the AM, because the fish have been left alone all night. However, a lot of times the fish don't want to bite right away in the AM because the water cooled so much over night. Also, if you get a strong wind blowing cooler main lake water into the bay you are fishing, you may notice the fish dissapear very fast. It happens a lot. Good fishing!!

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[united jigsticker]

In the central part of the state where water temps are still cool (high 40's to low 50's) them Crappies are scattered about.

Fish in 25-40 feet of water still exist, while some fish in 2-5 feet are hitting. But the vast majority are in that 6-12 foot range, in those same areas that typically produce the July and early August Crappies.

The spots aren't as obvious now as then of course due to lack of weed growth and obvious "breakline" structure and inside turns where old cabbage and coontail exists. These are areas where Crappies like to hang.

But a trolling motor, some patients and persistence, and good electronics will pick these fish up, and most often times you're looking at some slab fish and good action.

Small minnows and 1/32 oz feather jigs suspended under a bobber or slip float about 2-4 feet up is going to be the best choice of attack.

just my .02 on "real time" tactics for right now.

good fishing

[CrappieJohn]

Jig...Thanks for the help. I is amazing how different lakes can be and how similar at the same time. I think everything offered up here can be balled together and make for a pretty darned good battle plan. Where we fish everything, water-wise, has some sort of structure....a blessing for us- we do not have to wait to have it grow. You are right on the money though.... the fish are still somewhat scattered here as well and the deptrhs that you mentioned are the same here. More than anything right now , water temp is THE factor. When I turn on the bottomline I jack the bottomlock feature way high so I can look very closely at the 5-10 foot areas on the deep side of submerged wood. Been finding my fish in there fairly regular. They are not ready to move out yet, so the spawn here is still distant. Crapster

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Sure life happens- why wait

[mthunter]

Hey guys, I've been reading posts and trying to get edumacated on chasing crappies, we normally fish eyes, pike, etc and I was wondering what temperature water I should be looking for to find shallow fish? Is there a certain temp range that will usually send them shallow or is it more of a when they feel like it kind of thing. Thanks for the help.

GO WILD

[This message has been edited by mthunter (edited 05-02-2003).]

[Aquaman01]

And when you think have your battle-plan researched, and thoughtfully laid out - luck and grace take over.

I was in the north bay of an Annandale area lake in a canoe, my 4 year old son & I. Working the northern shore, where the sun had warmed the bay all day, in 4-8 feet of water - couple of nibbles - no sets, and my son says "dad, I want to go into the weeds. I see a channel in there and i bet that's where the fish are hiding." I figure, 'ah - nothin' doin' out here, may as well do it - for the boy'.

I snake the canoe into a 4' wide channel in 2' of water and the channel horse-shoes back through the cattail reeds. I park, we cast.

A limit of hand-size sunfish later, and it's too dark to re-tie.

They weren't crappies, but they were yummy, and my guide and myself had a blast!

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Aquaman
<')}}}}}><{
Peace and Fishes

[CrappieJohn]

I've been out each morning for the last three days and have been enjoying myself with the lack of airheads being on the water with me. I think that at this time of year the fishing can be a bit better in the late afternoon simply because the water has a chance to warm all day if the sun is anywhere near to being out. A couple of things to consider here are water clarity and current. The lake I fish has generally a stained color (secci line at 4-6 feet, depending on rain) and also has a fair current running through it. The bays we have do warm, but that warm water is constantly being swept out by the current and the best places to fish, with regard to bays, is at the corners not in the bays themselves. The stained water here also hinders the suns ability to penetrate down to bay bottoms most of the time except in the shallowest portions. And they are so shallow that I commonly see frogs stuck in the mud.Ha! At 53 degrees this morning at the surface and about 5 degrees shy of that at 8 feet, we will need to wait for about two, maybe three, weeks before the craps are gung-ho for sex. The lake here is fickle and so are the fish. Throw a small front at us and things go to pot for a few days. Some of us who almost live for these fish will be able to figure them out a bit in tough times, but we too will have to wait for the gravy. Good fishing, people! Crapster

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Sure life happens- why wait

[CrappieJohn]

mthunter...In my area I usually look for water of 59 degrees- the whole water column has a minimun temp of 59 degrees that is.The key is a constant temp, not one that yo-yo's up and down between morning and evening. I measure the temp in two places- the surface and at eight feet. If the readings are the same, you have a constant temp. Good fishing....Crapster

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Sure life happens- why wait

[Guest]

I checked on a creek that runs near my property this morning and found LOTS of crappies in the creek, along with some carp and suckers and a couple bass. Unfortunately, the water system is closed to fishing, because it sure draws in a lot of fish.

There were a lot of minnows, maybe they were feeding...or possibly spawning? The water temps are too cold for spawning, I believe. I can only imagine if these fish are staging outside of the creek outlet into the lake??? What are your thoughts?

[united jigsticker]

(copied from previous post, united jigsticker 3-25-03)

Crappies will usually make an intitial shallow water move after ice out after 3 days of stable weather and water surface temps of about 44-46 degrees.

They will feed on minnows and other forage in mud bottom areas and return to the 1st major breakline (usually about 6-12 feet of water) typically until water temps stabalize at a general temp of 55-59 degrees.

If abrupt cold fronts move in, or real poor, rainy, windy conditions exist for more then a day or so, expect the Crappies to again venture out to that forst main break and stage until conditions improve and stablize for about a day.

Crappies prefer more of a solid, semi-gritty bottom for spawning, and typically find good habitat in reed beds and firm bottom weed flats where bottom and depth are more acclimated for their beds.

It is an all too common misconception that Crappies are spawning as soon as they make a move into the shallows after ice out.

Crappies typically start to spawn when water temps are at 62-64 degrees on average, which typically is anywhere from the later 1/3 part of May to early June.

[CrappieJohn]

CD...crappies are opportunists and will follow minnows back into creeks, especially if the minnows are peroccupied with spawning. Yea....every once in a while a place like that will pop up and what can you do but watch. Good Fishing...Crapster

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Sure life happens- why wait

[Guest]

CD, That creek wouldnt happen to be in Vadnais Heights would it? Passed over a very similar sounding creak today and had a blast watching hundreds of fish from crapies, gills, bass, walleye and carp swimming up stream into the current chasing forage. Cant fish it though... But great fun to watch.