While walleyes are still the most sought after fish in the rivers in the spring ,many over look another very tasty fish that also is in the river system this time of year. Yes, it’s the crappie. Totally under fished this time of year as everyone is concentrating on old marble eyes. Why are the crappies in the river? Why have they left their deep water haunts for the river. I’ll give you some information how it all starts out. In a word RAIN. Why rain? Well , a warm rain opens the doors for many things to occur in the fishes world. Warm rain as run off in the creeks and ditches and small streams that all lead to a larger source of moving water, namely your favorite river, has a large effect on crappie location. You see Mother Nature provides the food chain, and to the crappie, the location of this food chain is a must for survival. You have the phytoplankton, which is eaten by the zooplankton, which is feasted on by insects, which are then eaten by the minnows who are then eaten by the crappies. When this happens, the crappies in a river/ flowage system will come from the flowage into the river system simply because of the food chain, and the warmer water. Many folks that see these fish in the river system as the walleyes are going into the post spawn think that they are getting ready to spawn. They are not. Crappies here in Central Wis. normally do not spawn until May to early June depending on the weather of course, and the water temperature is 61-68 deg.

Ok, so now I know that they should be in the river, but where do I start looking for them? One of the best places to start your search for crappies at this time of year is, around bridges, deep holes, other structure like boat houses, weed lines, dead falls, pillions, mid-river brush piles, cribs, stump fields that have flowing water thru the stumps, areas of moving water between bull rush islands, and crappie lanes, (the areas through which crappies migrate), bays that get the sun on the north side of the flowage/river. All of these areas will hold Crappies at one time of the day or another. You will have to do some investigating on your own, that is why you want to log time, location, and time you connect. As the sun heats these northern exposure bays first, the crappies will frequent these warm waters. Keep in mind that the crappies are just passing through. You will catch lots of them during one part of the day and none during another. So pay close attention to the time of day when crappies are being caught, log this as it will be useful to you again. One important point to keep in mind is that Crappies move into feeding areas for perhaps an hour or so, and then are gone. If you do not catch any fish in a 15-30 minute period, there probably are no fish in that area. You might find better fishing when crappies move to shallower waters; 2 to 3 hours before sunset. When you are new at this game, it is not easy to predict when crappies will be at any exact location at any given time, although they are quite predictable once you have figured out the patterns. But such knowledge takes time and practice. The best way to start is by asking a questions at tackle shops, from other river fisherman, and from your local D N R office. Or hire a guide, like myself.

Ok, we know location, what is the best method of catching them? The best method for fishing is with a slip bobber. This method will keep your jig off the bottom with its inevitable snags. In addition, crappies attack upwards, so it is important to keep your offering above them. The best level to set your float is generally 1-2 feet above the bottom. My favorite rod for this application is a 6-7ft. fast action rod like the Avid AS66MLF rod. A rod that is slender but stiff, with most of the action in the tip. This is a great rod, don’t just take my word for it, go to your favorite sporting goods store and feel the difference, that way you will know if it fits you, after all it’s your money and you want the best value for it. That’s why I buy St.Croix Rods. I know they will last and last. I mainly use the Fast-Action rods for my Crappie fishing because I use jigs 95% of the time. A Crappie can inhale a Jig/jig-and-minnow/ hook-and-minnow/worm, or bug and exhale it in a fraction of a second. Traditional Soft-Action rods (what most people use) require you to lift the rod up about 3-4 feet in order to set the hook; and you will lose about 50% of the crappies that take your bait. However, with a Fast-Action rod, all you need to do is snap your wrist in an up-wards motion, and you will set the hook instantly. It is very important to use sharp hooks, it will increase your catching odds.

Speaking of jigs, some of the best crappie jigs I have found come from the maker of the “slow-fall” walleye jigs. In fact, I use a 1/16 oz. slow fall jig, when I find a productive brush pile as this jig will not snag up on me and is very capable of pulling thru the brush time after time. The ISG jigs can be found at better sporting goods stores, if you can’t find a dealer, go to isgfishing.com

I also like to tip the jigs with plastics in this cold water as it resembles a quick meal. There are thousands of “ Crappie “ jigs out there that produce, and while this set up works great for me, you may have a different set up that you use. A big factor in jig fishing is CONFIDENCE in your techniques. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try hair jigs, different plastics, jig color, jig shapes, you will find the right combinations and that confidence will build knowing you out smarted those Crappies. Believe me what worked yesterday might not work today, and you’ll be starting over again.

So do plastics work better than minnows? At times they do, and I have found plastics work well in brush and timber, and the minnows seem to work better in open water. Again, this is not set in stone. I have had minnows work better on calm days than the plastics, so it is not a fail safe thing.

One thing I also want to mention is to use a ball bearing barrel swivel about a foot to a foot and a half up from your jig. This keeps your jig from spinning on the drop or on the retrieve. This makes a difference to non-aggressive crappies.

So how long will the crappies stay in the river before going back into the flowage? Once the water temperature warms up to the 50 deg. range, the crappies will then start to look for areas where they plan on spawning. crappie spawning activity peaks in May and June when water temperatures are between 61 and 68 degrees, though spawning may continue into July. Like other sunfish, crappies are nest builders but they are perhaps the least particular in their nest-building habits. Crappies search out nest spots in deeper water than any other sunfish between 1.5 to 6 feet deep or deeper. This is another reason crappies can coexist with carp. Crappies are not disturbed by carp as much as other sunfish that build their nests closer to shore. Crappies usually nest in colonies that may include as many as 35 nests, 3 inches to 6 feet apart. Males construct disc-shaped nests near emergent vegetation using their caudal fins like brooms to sweep away silt and debris. Unlike bluegills and pumpkinseeds that are meticulous in their nest construction, crappies spend little time building their nests, which when finished, may be just barely discernible from the surrounding area.

Males aggressively defend their nests, chasing and biting at intruders. A female may be chased away several times before the male will admit her for spawning. When a pair does spawn, they swim in circles around the nest until they come to rest with their bellies touching and pushing against each other. Both fish quiver as the female releases her eggs and the male releases his milt (sperm). This process is usually repeated several times over several hours. Females may spawn with more than one male and may produce eggs several times during the spawning period. An individual female produces several thousand to several hundred thousand eggs depending upon her age and size.

Following spawning, males guard the eggs until they hatch in one to two days at optimum temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees. Crappie fry (newly hatched fish) congregate in large schools in shallow water. Crappies grow rapidly in the first year, reaching 2.5 to 3 inches. Crappies can mature in their second year, though most mature in their third to fourth year.

The WI state record White Crappie measured 19.5 inches and weighed 4 pounds, 8 ounces. It came from the Gile Flowage in Iron County in 1967. The state record Black Crappie came from the Partridge Crop Lake in Waupaca County in 1985. It weighed 3 pounds 6 ounces. The world record Black Crappie, caught from a canal in Louisiana, weighed 6 pounds; the world record White Crappie weighed 5 pounds 3 ounces and was caught in 1957 in Mississippi. Crappie fishing during the summer and fall is more difficult, as crappies seek out deep holes or deep submerged brush for shelter.

Anglers are almost certain to have their best success near submerged structures. During spring spawning, fish near emergent vegetation close to shore. In summer try deep holes or river channels, especially if you find one with sunken logs or brush piles. If you have no success in one area, try another spot because crappies move around freely. They can be found at almost any depth from the surface to the bottom, depending upon season and weather. Crappies feed throughout the day with peaks in the evening and early morning. Light tackle is almost universally preferred for fishing crappies, which rarely grow larger than 2 pounds. Anglers also use light tackle because of the paper- thin membrane surrounding the crappie mouth; it is easier to rip the hook out of the mouth with heavy tackle. The more sensitive the rod the easier it is to detect a crappie’s light bite. Crappies don’t strike baits hard; they sort of gently suck the bait into their mouths.

One last thing to remember is crappies are relatively small, short-lived fish that do not accumulate toxins or heavy metals in their bodies to the extent that larger fish do. Crappies are not usually listed on the Department of Natural Resources Fish Consumption Advisory. However in our river system there is an advisory for Mercury. Wisconsin’s new statewide advice for most of Wisconsin's inland (non-Great Lakes) waters recommends that:

Women of childbearing years, nursing mothers and all children under 15 may eat:

One meal per week of bluegill, sunfish, black crappie, white crappie, yellow perch or bullheads AND

Men, and women beyond their childbearing years may eat:

Unlimited amounts of bluegill, sunfish, black crappie, white crappie, yellow perch.

If you have any questions on anything in this article you can e-mail me at either RiverRat@Fish-Wisconsin. com or [email protected]. I’d like also to thank my friends at Crestliner Boats, Magic products, Fishtheriver.com, Hummingbird locators, St.Croix Rods, Harriet’s Family Restaurant in Wis.Rapids. Heckels marine, Amherst Marine. Comprop Prop, ISG Jigs, Reeds Sporting Goods, Big Fish Tackle Co., Ipsglass.com, Thermoilbatteries.com and others who have helped me along the way.

This article may not be reproduced without my written permission.