Ron Anlauf
Guest Writer

In Minnesota May means walleyes, but it isnít always easy, especially if what youíre after comes down with a severe case of lockjaw. When that happens you can either dig in and do your best, or maybe rethink your plan of attack and pick another target. Although walleyes get most of the attention in May, pan fish can help save the day.

More than once crappies have come to the rescue and helped make my opener. All I had to do was come down off my high horse and take advantage of what was there all along. Catching fish is fun and hooking up with a mess of big slabs is about as fun as it get.

One of the best times of the year for finding and catching crappies is when theyíre on the beds, which typically coincides with the big walleye opener. Theyíll move to reed banks in shallow water where they can be easy to find and usually arenít that tough to catch.

The key is finding them before you spook them and this is where an electric motor and a pair of Polaroid sunglasses can come in handy. By cruising along shallow reed banks you should be able to see what youíre after, and hopefully do so before you chase them off the beds. If you do spook them, just remember where the spot was and come back after things have settled down.

When it comes to putting fish in the boat, you really donít have to have any fancy equipment, and what you own right now should be able to get the job done. On the other hand, long telescopic rods are the real deal and will allow you to stay far enough away to keep from spooking the fish while still being able to drop a bait right on the button. Being able to drop a bait in a little pocket in a reed bank and then lift it straight up again can be a big advantage, especially if youíre trying to hoist out big slabs on light line. With the long pole, you can drop and lift and quickly work over a big bank of reeds.

Little tiny jigs are the rule, like a 1?32 oz. Northland Tackle Fire-Fly, and are effective all by themselves or they can be tipped with a small minnow if you feel the need. Suspend the jig below a skinny quarter inch Lite-Bite float and youíre in business. When a crappie inhales your bait, about all you might see is your float twitch so donít be afraid to lift up and set the hook at the first sign.

Some of the more popular walleye fisheries just so happen to be excellent crappie lakes, especially when it comes to size. Fertile bodies of water with plenty of suitable spawning area is what youíre looking for and the list includes Gull, Cut Foot and even Mille Lacs just to name a few.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605