Game plan for catching a trophy size slab

[PikeTipper]

For all of you crappie experts out there. Other than just dumb luck, what do you think are the most important techniques and situations to target the biggest crappies in a body of water (other than Red Lake )? Do you fish shallow or deep water? Suspended or structure related? Early, Middle or Late Ice? Time of day?

Let's hear your thoughts.

[Bobb-o]

out of the three biggest crappies i have seen caught two of them came while bass fishing, my uncle got one that was 16 1/2 on a spinnerbait, i got one that was 17 1/4 on a soft plastic swim bait, and the other was caught while fishing for crappies, i think that to catch the trophy fish you have to get away from the main school of crappies, also you have to fish big fish waters, lakes where you know if you get some craps there is a chance of some big ones, big lakes are generally gonna hold some bigger craps but the challenge is in finding them.

[PikeTipper]

Funny how you mentioned that 2 of the 3 biggest craps were caught fishing for another species. I know at least 3 guys who caught their biggest walleyes ever while fishing for sunnies during the summer. The biggest fish of any species must change their habits when they get to a certain size.

[CrappieJohn]

water temp vs. time of year.

[PikeTipper]

How are you comparing water temp to time of year? What do you look for in the spring compared to what you look for in the fall? Again not just for crappies in general but for the big guys.

[Sportland_Bait]

The biggest crappies year in and year out in my area are caught within a week or two after ice out. They are in many of the same areas as they are during late ice. Sometimes not always in shallow water. True they are easier to find later when the water is warming up and they are getting ready for spawn, but they also receive much more pressure. Water temp is a key factor for location, sometimes only a degree or two difference can be the key to where they want to be.

Jason Erlandson

[CrappieJohn]

Big guys?... I am assuming that you are talking the larger crappies?

Every lake we know is different in what it will bear for larger fish. Some lakes will have tons of crappies, but the really big ones are only 7 inches . On the other, if you know that a particular body of water holds fish much larger than the status quo crappies, there are some things to think about that will put you in much closer proximity to these brutes.

The truely big fish are at the top of the pecking order when it comes to preferred feeding spots, areas of safety and seclusion, and water temperature....especially as it pertains to spawning in the spring and comfort for the rest of the open water. Temp under the ice is pretty static....it doesn't see much change from early mid-winter until early late-ice.

How temp plays on the larger fish basically involves seeking out the warmest water within a given area on a lake and fish it. This will be the case until summer heat drives a thermocline into the water, then you have to find that magic line. To make a point, I fish an open water area that has ice on both sides of it each spring. The open water has a temp of about 44 degrees within a day of the ice going off it while the temp right next to the ice remains a colder 36-37 degrees. I catch my larger, more aggressive crappies in the warmer center of this area than along the edges. Smaller fish will be caught around the perimeter and deeper than where the larger fish are being caught because the larger fish drive them out of the warmer water. These temps are found in roughly three to four feet of water and that is where the larger fish will be taken taken.

As spring marches ahead the water continues to warm. When it gets into the 50 degreee range the crappies begin looking to the breaklines and shelves under water instead of the deep breaks and sunken structure like trees and boulders. In lakes with weeds you'll begin to see the larger fish just outside of the deep edge of those.

While 66 degrees is what most people consider "spawning temperature", it is my belief that the truely large fish have already been there and done that in some bodies of stained water. I consistantly catch spawned out females in one lake that "just" has a surface temp of about 64 degrees and a temp of 63 at eight feet where I am catching the crappies. The shoreline is littered with nesting fish in the 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 inch range and the largest of those will be nesting where shade has a direct influence on the nest temperature during the mid day heat.

After the spawn, you'll find your fish adjust depth-wise to the thermocline. This is where warm water rich in oxygen and cold deep oxygen poor waters meet. If you have an lcr, turn the gain way up and you'llbe able to see this "false bottom". Fishing below that line will likely be fruitless for crappies. Above it they are fairly easy to find but then you have to determine if the larger fish are occupying the top or bottom of the water you find them in. The larger fish will be in the water that suits them the best and smaller fish will be displaced according to age/size.

There are volumns which can be written about crappies vs water temp. The only real sure way to understand how water temps play on the daily cycles of these fish is to journal. As you collect information, you will see a pattern develope into a seasonal cycle and eventually into an annual cycle. This will take years and commitment on your behalf, but it is worth every bit of the trouble. One of the true hallmark observations regarding water temp and crappies is how a barometric change, even a radical one, will be LESS likely to mess with crappies as the water gets warmer. Look at how many times you see posts here about people seeing crappies on the cameras under the ice but not being able to get them to hit when they have had a cold front come thru. Now look at how many times we have seen a cool, blue-bird morning yeild huge messes of crappies the day after four days of storms accompanied by hot, humid weather. The fish are able to find what they need for comfort thru a much broader band of water temp instead of water with a constant temp. The only thing I have found that really will make fishing tough the day after summer weather yields storms is when there has been a lot of thunder. But I still fish.

If you do a search of the site for water temp you should be rewarded with lots of reading. Water temp is a very expanse issue and much of it involves paying attention to the elements when you hit the lake. Some lcr units have a built in thermometer. Pay attention to it if you have one. Buy a good stream thermometer used for trout fishing. Ganders carry a dandy. Put an eight foot cord on it and check water temps at eight feet and the surface when you change spots. How the water is layering can tell a lot about how you need to approach it. But understanding how crappies are governed differently thru the seasons by water temp is the bottom line to crappie fishing.

[PikeTipper]

Wow, thanks for the response CrappieTom! That info will help a ton trying to find some slabs this open water season.

[deeky]

Tom,

What's the situation with the early open water you are talking about? Is it a creek inlet? Just where it happens to open? How big does the opening get before you start fishing it? Here on the chain, the water is already open some where it flows between the lakes. And without a boat, I'm interested in those early season shore opportunities.

Thanks for the info.

Deeky

[CrappieJohn]

Deeky.....Just north of Rochester we have a lake (impoundment type) that has a currented channel running thru it. The current in one section is such that the ice will open up creating a run of open water between two seperate sheets of ice. Along one of those ice masses the shoreline will open up too due to an eddy. The average water depth in these areas is about 9 to 15 feet. The crappies will be found well off bottom regadless of depth. These fish incidently will absolutely hammer plastics up to and including a full sized Culprit Paddletail (1 3/4"). We'll be able to find fish in these areas until the turn over...then they are gone from the area until we get some heat in the water and it is closer to the spawn. Its a unique situation. We also have a lake in Rochester which gets heated from discharged water from our power plant. It too has a ton of crappies in it and I fish that two or three times a week for half an hour or so at a pop. Never use live bait of any kind.