Favorite Crappie Spawning Grounds

When you are on the lake and looking for crappie during the spawn, look for shallow, timber or other cover loaded coves. Try to find areas where the water is 1 to 2 feet, has a sandy bottom, but has plenty of cover like bulrushes, submerged timber or branches, lilly pads, and the like. Also, if possible, you should look for an area where the bottom has a slow sloping decent, not places where there are sharp drop offs and cuts.

These type of coves offer great protection for the crappie spawn, as well as warm, slow moving water. So the crappie are able to clear out a spawning area, and don’t have to combat currents pulling away their nests or dispersing their eggs.

How to Time the Crappie Spawn

Crappie tend to be one of the first specie of fish to spawn in the spring. They generally precede the bass spawn, and could spawn as early as late December, depending on the water temperature. The ideal water temperature for the crappie to spawn is the low 60 degrees, and finding water temperature in the 62 to 65 degree range will most certainly get the crappie in the spawning mode. Because bass like the water temperature to be a little warmer, around 63 to 68 degrees, the crappie will often have already spawned before the bass spawn.

So, like I have said about largemouth bass spawning, it isn’t the month or date, it is the water temperature that you need to focus on. And water temperatures in the upper 50s and low 60s are what you want to go for when looking for the crappie spawn. This may happen as early as late December, and all the way through to March or April, depending on what part of the country you live in.

Using Crappie-Licious Bait

If you are going to use live bait for crappie, you’ll want to stick with small shad or minnows. Get them in the 1 to 2 inch size, and hook them with a small hook through the eyes or tail, and use a split shot or two to keep them down in the water. Larger crappie will tend to hit at deeper levels than smaller crappie.

But I like to use artificials. And probably the best crappie lure by far is the marabou jig. You should do some experimentation to find out what the fish want on the day you are fishing, but generally speaking using white, yellow, green, and chartreuse in clear waters will work better; and using dark colors like black, purple, and dark orange will work better in stained water situations.

So that’s the basic run down of the crappie spawn and how to catch them during this time of year. Look for more great tips from me at Hidden Fishing Tips.

Ponds and Tanks

Whether natural or man made, when you have a small, shallow body of water full of natural habitat, cover, and bass…you are sure to be “shooting fish in a barrel”. I love tank fishing. I remember a contact we had growing up who had a bass tank that was full of ridiculously sized bass! It was awesome catching 3 lbs + bass on small spinner baits in this bass loaded tank. What a rush!

Man Made Lakes

Also known as reservoirs, these lakes are typically created to control flooding. These lakes may also provide a reliable source of water to communities and farmers. Again, lakes with plenty of submerged trees, rocks, etc. will yield greater chances for catching bass. Warmer, shallower lakes tend to be better as well.

Natural Lakes

Just like man made lakes, look for natural lakes that are fairly shallow, have plenty of weeds, rocks and cover, and set sail. Warmer water is better, but don’t be afraid to try cooler lakes that still have good bass habitat. You won’t regret it.

Streams, Rivers & Estuaries

These locations can also be a great place to catch bass. Look for slow moving water that has all the same submerged cover for bass, and you will be looking at a great opportunity. You’ll also be able to find good bass populations in the brackish waters of estuaries, where the mouth of a river meets the ocean. Bass can survive and even thrive in this mixed salt water and fresh water type environment.

Now exactly where to find fish within a body of water? Well I will address that in my next bass fishing article. Just stay tuned and continue checking this blog for more information.

The bottom line for bass fishing waters is shallow, warm, slow moving bodies of water with lots and lots of cover for bass to hide in. It is often difficult to fish these types of waters, because of always having to deal with getting your bait stuck in weeds, rocks or tree branches; but to catch fish, you have to go where they are! That’s why a lot of bass fisherman use worms or other weedless lure setups to ensure the best odds of catching fish, while NOT getting tangled in the habitat.

Stay tuned for more…