Thread: Best month for a chance to catch a trophy

If weight is how you deem a trophy then I would say late Feb thru March on the big four here, down at Washington it will be a couple weeks earlier. I don't look at weight so much myself, a 17 inch fish is a trophy whether it weighs 3.5 pounds or 2.75, a stud is a stud no matter the time of year. I consistently catch fish over 16 inches in the summer time and accasionally get over the 17 inch mark.

My fishing partner (my lovely wife of 25 years) and I havefished for crappie even before we met, but just recently took the plunge to buya boat. Since then, we have managed atrip at least once a week to somewhere. We’ve fished our ‘home lake” at Fort Rucker, Lake Jordan, Lake Seminole,Point A, Alabama River, and several small state run lakes. Both of us share a passion for fishing andalways have but just recently started solely pursuing crappie.

Eventually, we’ll catch a “trophy” – I suspect it will beher. She has always managed to catchbigger fish than me – must be living better..
She caught this bass in my father’s small 25 acre pondseveral years ago. It was promptlyreleased.

April, females are full of eggs.

Each state and geographic location is going to deem a trophy differently due to several different factors.
For my personal goals or "mountable trophy" is the 3lb or bigger. I have come very close right here on my home waters of Ky lake and on some of the lakes in Mississippi.
From my experience, fall and early winter can sport some very nice hefty fish. But it truly seems that the January to March feeding frenzy really puts the weight to these fish as they prepare for the spawn. Regardless, as stated prior, trophy is in the eye of the fisherman. We need to thank the good Lord above for this beautiful species and our states DNR for managing it so that we can continue to pursue that trophy!


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one of my largest fish was managed in May and full of eggs .....but I have had a few earlier that were very nice and some in the fall that were very nice as well ....
all said if you want weight ....a big ole female in the spawn before she starts to lay is probably gunna be the heaviest time of the year for her ...
that could be from maybe Feb. all the way to May here in Texas

It is a short term goal for me. Would love to catch a lunker crappie. I just don't think there are many 2+ pound fish in my home lake. Haven't fished Eufala yet and I think there are big crappie there. Jordan, the Coosa river chain, and maybe even the Pea river is promising.

In my humble opinion, nothing wrong in chasing big fish.

JJust the facts!

JJust like my wife. She almost always catch the bigger fish.