Well we had the ice out crappie thread, but I just mowed my lawn so we are officially over the early spring period. So whats new? Anyone catching fish? Tom are you out there? How has the snow and cold temps effected things? I am going out tomorrow so what should I expect?
Thanks
The lake I fish has really taken a hit. Water levels have been up and down all spring as have the water temps. On Friday the water temp had dropped 10 degrees from Monday’s temp. Everything is cold. The wind is cold, the rain we’ve had has been cold and the air is cold. On Monday we kept a small meal of fish and the hens has spawn that was still pretty solid.
I know the crappies near the Iowa/Missouri border are spawning or have spawned but the lake I haunt needs some heat and quiet weather before the spawn will happen here.
Friends are finding crappies on the river with spawn yet that are not near where they need to be to spawn so who knows what this spring will offer given the mix of crap weather we’ve been dealing with. Last Monday the fish were still pretty darned deep.
So tomorrow I will look at the bottom of the first break by spawning areas-think those guys spawn around 64-think the water will be around 53 sunday.
Thanks
I thought this thread was about prevalent Viking poster crappie crying about how much of a douche AR is. 
I thought this thread was about how much of a douche AR is.
Nope. This is about crappie fishing. The thread you want is here:
http://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forums/topic/2017-nfl-packer-draft/
Farther north (northwestern WI) we (at least I’m) doing very well. The hot and then cold weather has them going shallow and then deeper. They are not yet ready to spawn, but they are actively chasing small bluegills in the evening. Drifting to the swirling bluegills with bobbers, light jigs, and minnows is the ticket.
I had been doing ok until Friday. Rising water levels and dropping water temps really shut them down and the wind had been brutal. I am hoping to get the boat on the water this next week if the water levels will come down a hair.
Nothing but walleyes and pike! One 9” gill too. Water in the high 40s for me-brrrr. Was nice to have the lake to myself-everyone was clearly smarter than me today. Tom you must be fishing the river or are lakes fluctuating too? Oh well warm next weekend will be warm.
My target lake is actually a 600+ acre reservoir. And I spend substantial time on the Mississippi….pools 4,5, 5a and 6, so yes….up-down, warm-cold, clean-filthy. Just a circus this year.
Any more updates? -Are we getting close to the spawn?
Two of us hit the lake on Monday morning and we did pretty good, but not crazy good. The wind had us fishing in areas where it wasn’t too much of an issue but if we poked out of those areas fishing wasn’t going to happen. Water temp then was in the upper 50 and the hen fish were still holding spawn, some fairly firm, some sort of loose but not runny. Its close and maybe happening right now.
Are you still fishing the river too?
Two of us yesterday caught maybe 300 fish. Nothing to crazy with size but at one point I counted 20 casts 20 fish, just reeling in slow. We were talking how almost every one was a new fish, no rehooks.
Wind was blowing into a small bay with cover, 57 main almost 61 in bay. Fluflus with bobbers, didn’t even need meat. Fun day on the water. Caught a couple 12″s but mostly that 9″ average.
Bellies were full, alot of real black ones, and some were spewing eggs, not many but a few.
Can’t believe how they were just stacked in there, fun times.
Are you still fishing the river too?
The river is pretty high down this way so no I haven’t been on it much.
Temps at about 61 up in Annandale-crappies are getting ready to spawn. Fish were by reeds-reeds by cattails seemed to be the best anyone else have this experience?
Some will not fish for them when they are in spawn mode, still good to know where they go, one piece of the picture.
Temps at about 61 up in Annandale-crappies are getting ready to spawn. Fish were by reeds-reeds by cattails seemed to be the best anyone else have this experience?
Some will not fish for them when they are in spawn mode, still good to know where they go, one piece of the picture.
Slabs were in the pencil reeds in Western Wisconsin last week, but I didn’t get any with eggs in them. Caught a bunch in the 11-14″ range that looked like females with no eggs. The weekend before I caught a bunch with eggs on the outside of the pencil reeds. I am thinking they spawned on the lake I was on already, but I could be wrong. Water was 64 degrees on Sunday.
Tom? Anyone? What’s the skinny on the specks?
Billy and I didn’t have much luck with the crappies last weekend in Eastern WI. It was windy and cooling off since rain storms were forecasted later in the evening. Water temps were about 61 and the sunnies were a bit scattered. But we did find a couple of sunfish for lunch!
See post and pictures here:
https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forums/topic/fishing-fun/#post-1697057
had good luck Saturday evening before dark they started hitting night crawlers on the bobber. sunday late morning was also good got a little bit of weather and seemed slower on Monday. when they were biting they really seemed to like the crawlers my brother whos usually mr. artificial was fighting me for the crawlers.
we were right on the weed edge casting into weeds not quite to the surface. warmest water on the lake 65 degrees
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