Spring 2006

Take Kid Crappie Fishing

By ED NOONAN

While Spring in New York State has been traditionally looked upon as the ''Day of the Trout,'' it is also a good time to be thinking crappie. As the waters of our ponds, rivers and lakes begin to warm from the springtime sun, crappie begin their annual move towards their spawning beds. It is a route that when found by the angler, can produce not only a pile of tasty filets, but also a fun-filled day of rod-bending action.
How much fun are these scrappy crappie? Just ask the more than 12 million anglers who avidly pursue them each spring. Here are a few tips for earl springtime crappie fishing that you can use to find and catch these great little fish.
During mid-April and on into late May the crappie are usually in their spawn patterns and you will have to do a little searching. You may find them anywhere from at depths from 5 to 15 feet. Start your probing around the deeper docks, boathouses and marinas. When approaching these areas be sure to do it slowly and carefully. These fish can be spooky this time of the year and long casts are recommended.
If location of the schools require searching deeper open waters there are several ways to do it. You can use two rods, varying the depths, and drift slowly from the shallows to deep water. Unfortunately this is a very time consuming process. Sometimes trolling slowly with ultra light spinners will also work.
However the best way to locate crappie when they are in the open water is with the aid of a good LCD depth/fish finder. The unit that I am using is one that shows readings down to the bottom and out to both sides of the boat simultaneously. This three-way feature saves a tremendous amount of ''searching time''.
Two other areas known to hold early season crappie are creek channels and sand bars with definitive drops into deeper (25 to 30 feet) water. Watch that LCD screen and when you see those fish symbols cluttering your screen toss out that buoy marker and start fishing.
One quick note on equipment for crappie fishing. Quite truthfully just about anything will work. Most preferred, especially if you want to have the most success and fun, is to use ultra lite tackle. Spinning tackle will do fine and remember to spool your reels with no more than four pound test line. These fish can be ''line shy'' at times.
Although some will disagree, crappie will bite both live and artificial baits whatever the season. I find it best to bring both types of bait with me. For live bait choose a small minnow, 3 to 4 inches long, and the livelier the better.
To rig your rod for live bait fishing slide on a 4- to 5-inch slip bobber and a bobber stop. At the end of your line tie on a No. 2-4 size Aberdeen thin-wire hook and about 8 to10 inches above the hook pinch on a split shot weight. The actual size of the weight will be determined by the wind conditions and the depth you set the bobber at will be determined by the depth at which the fish are at.
In the event that you find crappie holding right on the bottom or, you are drifting an area trying to locate fish, there is another live bait rig that works quite well.
Place a Lindy No Snag sinker above a two-way swivel. Do not tie the sinker on but rather it should be allowed to slide freely on the line. Attach a three-foot piece of monofilament(4-6 pound test) to the other end of the swivel. To this drop line attach a 1¢-inch foam float. And lastly, attach a No. 3 Aberdeen thin-wire hook. When baiting this rig, be sure you hook the bait through both lips.
For those who prefer artificial lures most veteran crappie anglers will tell you that you cannot beat those soft tiny tube baits. Never go on the water without a good selection of 1/32nd to 1/8th ounce jig heads and tubes in the following colors: chartreuse, green, clear and white. Last year I found that in the deeper water the best bite was on a red and white combination.
Spinners and spoons are also highly effective artificial crappie lures. The two that I rely on most are the Mepps No. 00 Syclops and the ultra lite Aglia. Cast these out and let them sink to the desired depth freely. Retrieve by lifting the rod tip slowly to the 12 o'clock position. Drop the rod tip back parallel to the water, and reel just fast enough to keep the blade rotating. Repeat this motion all the way back to the boat.
When using these lures it is important that you are a ''line watcher'' because quite often the strike comes while the lure is falling. If you see the slightest twitch in your line set the hook quickly; but not too hard. Remember, crappie have soft mouths that is why they are referred to as ''paper mouths.''
Most of the tactics and techniques mentioned thus far have pertained to crappie fishing in ponds and lakes. Let's take a brief look at how to catch some of those crappie that swim in our rivers.
In rivers moving water seems to be the biggest attractant, especially where there are dams. However, the fast water around a dam wall is much too fast and dangerous to really fish it thoroughly. Check the slack water areas several hundred yards down from the foaming waters that flow over and around the dams. And don't spend a lot of time fishing any one spot unless it produces fish fairly quickly. This fish are generally on the move and when the bite slows more than likely they have moved off. But don't be afraid to try that same spot later in the day.
As you work your way towards the face of the dam the current will increase. Water current causes crappie to school on various immovable structures. The eddies produced by the water flow around these structures are excellent crappie holding areas.
Rocky shorelines leading to the dam are good choices also. There are plenty of these areas at almost every lock and/or dam in a river. Work along the shore concentrating on the rocky points and the eddy-edges. Don't overlook a single rock, abutment, or any submerged tree or large wooden structure. If anything creates a current break it is a potential crappie-holding spot.
If there is a lock near a dam spend a little time at the end of the entrance wall to the lock. This can be a real hot spot in the spring as it oftentimes will attract and hold schools of baitfish.
As for the wall leading into the lock, it too can hold a school of springtime crappie. On bright sunny days these areas, especially if they have underwater concrete or wood abutments, can hold hundreds of crappie.
There is just one more thing that I believe every crappie angler should have along on his or her trip to the lake or river: A KID. Crappie are and exciting way to introduce kids to the wonderful world of fishing. Bring one along with you. And if you don't have one; borrow someone else's.
Have a crappie day on the water!