Thread: February/March shallow water crappie: warmer water or longer daylight?

What happen to post,i was hoping for more information. In the lakes i fish the upper creeks start first then a couple or 3 weeks latter the lower creeks starts,how do it seems to start in your lakes?

Also,usually starts after the full moon in feb,then in march in lower creeks

I personally think.. its a combination of the water temp, bait, and moon phase.... last year on Wylie because of the cold early spring, the fish came in shallow way later than expected.. but on the other hand they stayed shallow well into may.. which was the total opposite of spring 2012.. when there were limits being real shallow in the second week of February... the cold spring of last year also hurt the white bass and the American shad run on the peedee as the runs came alot later and with alot less fish being caught.

I like a little of both.....but depending on the size of the body of water you are fishing...it varies......i like to look for wood on dark bottom shallows on the sunny side of ponds early in the year......and when the water temps hit 50ish.......it is time to start hitting the spawning haunts as the males will beshowing up trying to get that prime real estate.......this time of year starts to get VERY fishy!!!

Could talk on this all day. They spawn by photoperiod ans water temp. I fish deep until April when the bigger fish move up. Smaller males move up first and bigger fish later when water gets around 60 or so. They move shallower in cold water chasin shad. When early spring rains force lots if cold fresh water I n the lake the bait goes I to coves and onto mud flats where the water is a little warmer. Same reason I catch big blue cats in 5 ft of water in Feb and march. Now they may be suspended shallow over deep water rather than in shallow water in early spring. I've caught a lot of big crappie In 30 ft of water in March while a lot of guys limit out on 8 inchers beating the bank. Don't get locked in on shallow water til that water temp hits about 60 but there will always be fish deep.

Dont doubt what you're saying at all but I've caught 12-13" crappie in 2-4 fow in early feb., close to 6' creek channel when water temp was in the low 50's.

Thanks guys for all the comments and keep them coming. This is the kind of information that helps all of us. We know there are lurkers on here looking to steal someone's favorite spot, but I think the most important service this website can provide is helping all of us be a smarter fisherman. As can be seen in the comments so far, there are more ways than one to successfully catch nice-sized crappie.

I have notice that if you get much sunshine in late feb and early march that the big ones will come in shallow water to feed in after noon on sunny banks,many think they are coming shallow to spawn but I think they come shallow to feed then they will move back out after a few days then come back to spawn,bass do it also,for a few days if you hit it right you can catch many,then by time the rest of the fishermen hear about it or working it is over in that creek,may find them in another creek