There have been several reports recently that claim the crappie fishing in most northern Indiana lakes and reservoirs is red-hot. So if you like crappie fishing, now appears to be the time.
Crappies don’t actually spawn until the water temperature is between 62 and 65 degrees (although black crappies may start a little earlier and white crappies a little later), but they begin actively seeking out suitable areas to spawn when the water is much cooler than that – around 55 degrees or so.
So, although it may be close to May before they actually spawn, April can hold tons of great crappie action as well, especially in southern Indiana.After winter has released its grip on the lakes, reservoirs and ponds, the males are the first ones to begin their ascent into shallower water from their deeper winter haunts. The males begin to prepare nests for the females to lay their eggs in and most are constructed in 2 to 10 feet of water in areas with gravel or hard bottoms.
They can be caught before nest making begins in slightly deeper water, in the 8-to-15-foot range. Then, when the males move even shallower to prepare the nests, the females will be staging in that 8-to-15-foot range. After the nests are prepared and the females are ready to lay their eggs, they will move into the nests to drop their eggs before moving back into somewhat deeper water again while the males guard the nests. Persistently dropping your offerings in the nest will agitate the males and will often lead to a strike.
It’s no secret that crappies love stick-ups and brush piles as suitable cover to both ambush prey as well as hide from predators. But they also like creek channels and coves to hang out in, too.
Many reservoirs have visible structure from the water’s surface, but often you will have to rely on sonar equipment in order to find submerged timber, etc. If you fish flood control reservoirs that are lowered during the winter, visiting such impoundments during these low-pool months – either by walking the shoreline or by using a boat – can reveal stumps and other structure not normally visible when the reservoir is at summer pool.
You can visually make note of such structure so that you will know the general area and then locate the structure using your sonar equipment, or if you have a GPS unit, you can log the locations of such spots into it and be able to motor right to it later.
Regardless of how you approach it, crappie fishing isn’t too difficult and it doesn’t take pricey equipment to get in the game. Sure, logging areas into a GPS unit or spider-rigging with your boat are options for serious crappie-a-holics, but most people do just fine from the bank with a cane pole.
A simple minnow suspended under a bobber next to a stick-up will yield at least a mess of crappies most of the time. Small jigs – whether bare or coupled with a minnow – are also good choices as well as small crankbaits and spoons.
The key is in finding the correct depth and structure where they are congregating. And, once you do, you are likely to catch several. Crappie congregate, or “school” which means if you catch one or two in a given location, you are bound to hook a few more.
0 comments:
Post a Comment