Crappie Storm

The clouds were boiling, the storm was brewing, but... The Crappie were biting like crazy! I knew it was going to start raining soon, no worries that's the best time to catch fish. So about an hour and a half before the rain set in I hopped in the truck and headed to the ole fishing hole.

When I get there the wind is just staring to pick up, just enough to make my bobber dance on the waters surface. The very first cast something hits my jig, short striking so I miss. The next cast is a solid strike!

As I set the hook this fish runs for the lillypad roots and hangs me up, I get it free but this is a determined fish. It feels odd too, more like a catfish. Finally I get it worked lose and up where I can see it, I'm surprised, it's a nice crappie a 13"er, in the bucket it goes.

Now I walk off the dam to the other side of the lillypads, the fish are really biting hard! I catch a few small crappie and toss them in the bucket to stock another pond close to home and then the bluegill start biting, all small ones though so they go back in the lake.

It's just starting to sprinkle a bit off and on and now I'm not getting bites further out. The crappie have moved towards the bank so I short cast and catch another couple small ones. I cast in front of the lillypads and start retrieving.

About 5 feet from the bank a big crappie nails my jig, this one makes my drag sing! I get it to the bank and wow that's a nice crappie!

I just had to show this baby off properly beside my rod and reel. Last spring I caught 8 this size, over 15" and one was nearly 17". I've fished this lake for over 40 years, the same family still owns it and I've caught many nice crappie, channel catfish and bass from this old lake.

Well folks, enjoy the pictures, I sure enjoyed catching the fish before I got rained out. <(;HF+< jono

Early Spring Crappie Fishing

Hi All Fishers
The Crappie Fishing was amazing today!! Yesterday...Not so much. But today my fishing rod and I, had great fun. And I even have some pretty cool 'crappie fishing tips' for you, in good time. hehe. ((-;

So for the 12th of March, we here in central Missouri near the Lake of the Ozarks, are having beautiful weather. It was 55 by 11:00 AM today and I was already at my favorite lake. For this early in the year the water temp is warming nicely, so I was hopeful the fish were biting.

3-12-15 First Fishing Trip in March
My Favorite Lake

I love crappie fishing folks, when they're biting the action is hard to beat. Today it started off slow as I walked to the shallow end of the lake, making a few casts along the way. When I get to the willow trees (red arrow) I start to see some fish movement beneath the trees. So I ease my way close enough to cast near the swirls.

Strike...And a miss! A few more casts, still nothing hooked, so I walk on down to the point of the cove. Now usually there's some slab crappie hanging out in this area, not today though. I started here because the water would be slightly warmer, but the wind is blowing towards the dam, the opposite end of the lake.

So after catching a couple of crappie, I work my way to the dam. Now here's a little "crappie fishing tip", whichever direction the wind is blowing, fish at the bank that it's blowing towards. The choppy water stirs the baitfish and that's where the bigger fish will be feeding, and that increases your chances of catching more fish.

I've been here about an hour, and it's warmed up a few more degrees, the fish are starting to bite more, so I've added a couple more to my bucket. This time of year in ponds and small lakes, the crappie are usually hanging close to the bank. I was casting 4-5 feet out from the bank and catching some 9-10" fish.

I like to use a bobber this time of year, about 12-18" deep. This keeps the jig at a consistent depth where the crappie are feeding and with a solid weighted bobber you can cast farther even with a strong wind

3-12-15 First Mess of Crappie

So I'm walking along the bank, casting ahead of my direction of travel. Finally a good solid hit, there's a slabbie, a nice 13 incher, in the bucket she goes. Prespawn crappie fight like the devil and I'm having a blast. I've added 8 to the bucket by now, and since crappie like shade I'm headed to the tree lined side of the lake.

Now it's warmed up to about 70 and the fish are really starting to bite. My next 5 casts I land 3 nice slabs. Next I cross the fence and sit down on a boat that the owner keeps there, this is a nicely shaded area, and the crappie have really started to bite.



For the next hour I land over 30 fish, some small 7-8" but out of those I have 14 nice keepers 10-13". I also kept a few small bluegill to fertilize my tomato plants, that makes those tomatoes taste so good! I ended up keeping 22 nice filleting size crappie, what a great relaxing early spring fishing trip.

Thanks for visiting folks
(-: jono