Many people wrongly think the only time you can catch a Crappie is during the spawn. Your dead wrong if you think that. I make a living catching crappie year round. While they may be the easiest to catch during the Spring spawn, they can also be caught at other times of the year. Sometimes better than during the Spring spawn. It's called Crappie fishing, not Crappie catching!
The problem is that many fisherman think of only in terms of Spring fishing. Crappie are much like any other schooling fish and many of the same tactics that work on Bass, Walleye and White Bass work when Crappie fishing.
These fishing tips are here to help you extend your fishing season to the point you can catch fish year round.
My favorite times other than the spawn are the Fall and Winter months. Sometimes if the day heats up after a morning duck hunt, I'll head out into the lake and find a school of Crappie hanging above a submerged creek bank or over submerged timber.
Most times of the year, I'll find the fish out in the lake in 12 to 18 feet of water. I have caught them as deep as 25 feet during really cold or really hot spells. But day in and day out, 8 to 18 feet is where I'll find Crappie.
When I'm after deep water fish holding over structure, I'll use a 6 lb test line on a 7 foot light action spinning rod. This can have some obvious drawbacks if you hook into a big Striper or Catfish. Been there, done that!
If the fish are holding over a deep water break, I may go as light as a 6 foot graphite rod and 4lb test line. But beware! There are big bass and catfish lurking below!
If the water is a little murky or muddy, I like using a combination of bright and dark jigs. Like a two toned lure with a blaze orange head and black or brown body. Sometimes I'll also add some sound to my baits by using a spinner blade or shot. Don't get to loud with your sound, Crappie are spooky fish.
During early Summer mornings, I use a spider rig to find Crappie that aren't schooled up. Once the Sun get's up and the heat turns on, I use my fish locator to find schools of Crappie along deep water channels or over suspended timber.
Another good tactic to find scattered fish is suspending a jig from a slip float rig. Set out several rods, I like to use 6 or more, and drift along the lake until you start picking up fish.
Catchng these tasty fish isn't hard. You just have to change tactics and get out of spawn mode. Just remember, Crappie have to eat year round. You just need to be there when they get hungry and give them what they want to eat!
Year round Crappie fishing can be a blast. Challenging at times, yes. Is it worth it? When there's ice on the window sill and sleet is pelting the window and you're sitting at the Kitchen table downing some fresh caught golden brown filets...yeah it's worth it!
