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I have never had any problem filling the freezer during the fall, but have struggled during the spring. Should I try something different than I do in the fall? I normally slow retrieve a jig behind a float around cover, mostly in coves. Any advice is appreciated, I want to get back out on the water soon!
I love spider rigging, but during the spawn, it seems like my rigging trips slow way down unless im on a very shallow flat where they are spawning. So i resort back to fishing from the bank with a solo jig pole. When they are on the banks spawning, it wud be hard to beat that method in my opinion. Lets hear what others have to say.
I prefer to fish out from spawning coves on drop offs and humps in 6 to 8' of water with cover. They don't all hit the bank at once. We catch them pre spawn through post spawn on same spots. The fish seem to travel in and back out through the same areas . Target cover with a jig pole and a heavy jig like an 1/8 oz leadhead in a 2'' Southern Pro umbrella tube or a 1/4 oz leadhead in a
2.5'' Southern Pro Walleye tube.:fish
When they bite that time of year they usually mean business and hammer a jig!
Put your waders on! Fish 3ft to the bank- you won't catch where the bottom s soft but will on the hard bottom. Go slow. Its addictive! Good luck.
Remember female crappie are some Rude Lady's...They stay just out of reach in deeper water bordering spawning grounds come in lay their eggs very quickly then move back out to the same cover to rest, have a snack, and a cigarette leaving the crappie daddy in bed all alone with the kids.
Try vertical jigging, spider rigging/trolling cover and structure just out and a little deeper from spawning grounds. You may catch the main spawn when both male and females are together in bed...that's great. But your more likely... to find numbers of post or pre spawn big females just out and in a little deeper water. Good Luck this Spring.
You can catch plenty spiderring in the spring just need to figure out what areas to look for fish !! As Russ said look for a little deeper water close to known spawning areas like a small creek or ditch Close by don't have to be much deeper remember 4 ft is deeper that 3 ft also look for a hard bottom .the fat gals move in and out they don't hang around that real shallow water .all lot of the bigger females spawn in deeper water also !!! If u can find a creek or ditch with a sharp bend in it with little deeper water with a little shallow flat on the edge of the bend you have found the golden spot !!!!!
I believe some lakes part of the Crappie never move to the bank but utilize hard bottoms with cover to spawn as deep as 8'. I seldom fish the real shallow water even during the spawn. Ever lake is different but lakes that fluccuate levels and have hard bottom spots out in 6 to 8' some may spawn there. I catch males stacked up in those spots most springs except when water is extremely high and flood shoreline brush and trees. One thing about fish and that is there are not set rules that hold 100% of the time. Crappie love gravel banks on these shallow mud bottom lakes if there are any. Another thing is when looking for early spawning fish the first spots seem to be shallow coves or banks in the north west corners where they catch most sunlight and warm up first.
I'm listening.
good read guys spot on, if your lookin for the "Big Girls" pre or post spawn you will very seldom find the hanging with the boys wearing the tuxedos, they will move from the deeper water hangouts ,dump their eggs were the males have prepared the beds and back to the nearest edge or drop with cover along or closest to deep water all witin about a 24hr period , it happens quickly, so if your catching males and your looking for bigger females , move out a little deeper!
Ive found on the big "D" that I seldom catch the big females shallower than 8-12 feet. If I think the boys are on the beds I usually stay 12-22ft and catch mainly fat females. I have caught multiple colored up males in 12-15ft.
I have strictly bass fished tourneys for the last 25+ years and you would be AMAZED at the different locations Ive caught bass on beds, on top of trees along bluffs over 50ft of water, along bluff ledges 12-15 feet deep surrounded by 70-100 ft deep, in clear water beds in 18-22 ft. these fish dont read those books "they react to the environment they live in" so keep an open mind............