Steve Carney
Guest Writer

Now that the ice has finally left central Minnesota, our thoughts turn to early crappies and the anticipation of fishing open water. Early crappies are not always an easy task, especially as the water temperatures are changing and the fish are making a serious transition from winter to spring. Here are a few thoughts on some tips and tactics for early crappies that should help with April success:

Location

One of the biggest misconceptions is that the early crappies move immediately to shallow water. This is untrue. Early crappies are very fickle and often are scattered in a variety of depths and basically neutral during the early days of ice out. To complicate things, they have not started to ìschoolî up as yet and they are often in small groups and scattered.

Deep water is the first place I check in April. Normally crappies will not inhibit the shallows until very late April or early May. They do not come to the shallows to spawn like most anglers think. These fish eventually head shallow when their food starts to emerge and their bait fish come shallow. Early crappies are almost always suspended fish, meaning they will lay in very deep water in anticipation of heading shallow later on.

Electronics

Relying on your electronics is rather critical early on because your electronics will help spot those deepwater fish if you know what to look for. April crappies will often show up as random ìmarksî on your electronics not the ìChristmas Treeî show of lights you will experience in May. These crappies often will be half-way from the bottom and easily spotted by single, dark lines. If you are in 30 feet of water expect those crappies to show up at 0 to 20 feet on your screen.

Presentations

I have found the simple slip-bobber rig is the best method for suspended, early crappies. This slip-bobber can be set for the specific depth according to the marks on your electronics. If you spot fish at 20 feet, or 10 feet off the bottom, the slip-bobber rig can be set at the exact depth.

Vertical jigging below the boat is also an alternative. Just lower your 1?32 oz. jig over the side and lay that jig right on their faces. You wonít spook the fish with your boat as long as they are laying in deep water. Use your electronic trolling motor to hover over the crappies and wait for a biter. Four pound test line will be perfect for dropping a light jig over the side and give you great feel.

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Forest Lake Times
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Forest Lake, MN 55025
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