So you have decided to become a crappie fisherman. The first thing you need to do is get to know your opponent. The better your knowledge is of crappie, and their habits, the more likely you are to succeed and catch all the crappie you want. So take your time to thoroughly research crappie and what they are all about.
Crappie are a freshwater fish that thrive in many lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and streams in most parts of North America. There are two different varieties of crappie that are both highly popular game fish with many anglers.
There is the white crappie, and the black crappie. The White crappie can be found from the New England area to the Dakotas in the northern states, and from Georgia to Texas in the southern part of the United States.
Black crappie have a wider range. They can be found anywhere from the southern parts of Canada, to Florida. It was documented in 2005, that a population of black crappie exists in all of the lower 48 states. In many states, where both species can be found, black crappie tend to out number white crappie.
Black crappies will display dark spots that appear in a random pattern on the sides of their bodies, while white crappies will display lighter spots that appear in vertical bars or bands on the sides of their bodies. Don’t assume you are catching black crappies if you are catching fish that have dark coloration. A common point of confusion is in the spring, during spawning season, when both white and black crappie males will display very dark coloration on the head and throat.
Both types of crappie will have hard, pointy spines in their dorsal fins. The white crappie will display either five or six dorsal spines, where as the black crappie will display seven or eight dorsal spines.
Both types of crappie live in similar habitats, but the white crappie is more tolerant living in turbid, muddy or stained water, whereas the black crappie prefers predominantly clear water.
Crappie love cover. They can usually be found in or near any submerged timber, brush, underwater vegetation or any other underwater structures. They can also be found near rocks, drop offs and under docks. The heavier the cover, the more likely you are to find crappie there.
Crappie can be found at different water depths at different times of the year.
In winter, crappie can be found in the deepest parts of the lake, reservoir, or river. They will still seek out any type of submerged structure they can find. Die hard crappie anglers will often tell you that winter can be the best time of year for fishing for slab crappies!
When early spring arrives and the water temperatures begin to slowly rise above 40 degrees, the crappie will start to migrate out of the deeper water and start heading back to their spring spawning grounds, making stops along the way.
As they begin to move towards shallower water they will stop at the main river and creek channels and other tributaries that feed the lake or reservoir. They will school around these openings, feeding heavily, until the water temperature rises about 50 degrees.
When the water temperature rises above 50 degrees the crappie will begin to use the main channels of the lake or reservoir as an “interstate” making their way back to the shallow water where they will get ready for the spring spawn.
Once the water temperature rises above 55 degrees the males will make their way to the spawning beds and begin fanning them out, cleaning them, and preparing them for the females to lay their eggs. during this time the females will remain in slightly deeper water near heavy structure awaiting the warmer water temperature so they can move in and lay their eggs.
When the water temperature rises above 60 degrees, the females will then migrate into the spawning grounds seeking a male with a good nest to lay their eggs.
When water temperatures rise about 70 degrees the female will begin to migrate back to the deeper water with heavy structure near the spawning grounds. The male will stay behind to fertilize and guard the nest.
When the water temperature rises above 75 degrees the male too, will move back to the deeper water rejoining the female. As the water temperature continues to rise the crappie will begin to migrate back towards the deeper water where they will remain for the summer. They can often be found in a depth of water where the temperature is constant. This is called a thermo-cline.
As fall nears and the water temperatures begin to fall the crappie will make their way back to the creek channels and other tributaries, near the same areas they visited during their pre-spawn migration. Here, the crappie will begin to feed heavily preparing for the winter ahead. They will often stop half-way between the spawning grounds and the deep water where they will remain for the winter.
Crappie have a varying and diverse diet. Both black and white crappie have a large number of gill rakers, that filter plankton from the water as it passes through their gills. Young crappie will feed on insects, maggots and worms. As they get bigger they will begin to feed on smaller bait fish such as minnows, gizzard and threadfin shad, mollusks and other crustaceans. They will even feed on other small fish such as baby sunfish, glue gills, walleye, bass, and even young crappie.
So now that you have learned about the crappies habits, what they eat and where they will be, it’s time to get a list of the terminal tackle that will be essential to catching these great fish.
