Prepping for crappie season

[Sowsage]

My oldest son Ryder and I have been prepping and getting out gear ready for crappie. Water temps are in the upper 40s and the pre spawn feeding frenzy comes in around 50°-56°. We cant wait for those summer fish frys!
Y

 

[smokngun]

Nice I love crappie fish fries!! Cherish your time with your son and fishing it goes by way to fast!! Anyways good luck to you guys and knock 'em dead.

 

[Steve H]

Nice set up. I'm hoping to kill em this year. I've missed them the last few years. Here is my grab and go box for those little slabs of deliciousness.

 

[tropics]

I use to love getting them thru the ice nice firm fillet.
Richie

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

I'm hoping to catch some slabs this year. One of the best tasting fish in TN!

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Thanks for the like Jake. We should load up a couple of kayaks and do some fishing sometime!

Dave

 

[Bearcarver]

Another thing We like about this place!!!
Everybody knows the difference between "Having a Crappie Day" and "Having a Crappy Day".

Bear

 

[Teal101]

I love fishing for them in the summer here. They suspend in large laydowns on my local lake. We drop jigs and berkely minnows on slip bobbers way down in the tree and pull slabs out. Takes a heavier rod and braid and its a hoot!

 

[Sowsage]

Nice I love crappie fish fries!! Cherish your time with your son and fishing it goes by way to fast!! Anyways good luck to you guys and knock 'em dead.

thanks for the good luck wishes! I'll cherish every moment. Cant wait till my youngest can start too. Between the three of us we wont go home hungry!

Nice set up. I'm hoping to kill em this year. I've missed them the last few years. Here is my grab and go box for those little slabs of deliciousness.
View attachment 435836

Steve, deliciousness is right! Nice crappie box! Ryders second year on his box. Plan on adding to it every year.

I use to love getting them thru the ice nice firm fillet.
Richie

Richie, I used to ice fish when I was young with my dad. We have not had the winters for it in the last 10 years it seems. But your right nice clean and firm fish.

I'm hoping to catch some slabs this year. One of the best tasting fish in TN!

great tasting fish! In the later months we kill the blue gill as well. Also some tasty eats! Good luck this year!

Another thing We like about this place!!!
Everybody knows the difference between "Having a Crappie Day" and "Having a Crappy Day".

Bear

yep. When your having a crappy day you should turn it into a crappie day! Makes things a lot better! Lol

 

[Sowsage]

I love fishing for them in the summer here. They suspend in large laydowns on my local lake. We drop jigs and berkely minnows on slip bobbers way down in the tree and pull slabs out. Takes a heavier rod and braid and its a hoot!

Yep in the summer ive caught them way down deep with slip bobbers . my favorite way is in the spring pre spawn. Grab a slab on just about every cast! Feeding frenzy!

 

[Smokin' in AZ]

Funny I just posted some pics from crappie fishing here in AZ on another thread....

Love fishing for them almost as much as eating them.

Good luck to you and your son Travis.

My wife and I went for 3 days and caught 50+ 2 to 2-1/2 pounders. And I love bluegills also but they are not as plentiful out here as they were back in Ohio.

We use roadrunners and beetle spins with a 2" kalin grub tipped with a minnow trolled about 1 mph out here.

John

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Funny I just posted some pics from crappie fishing here in AZ on another thread....

Love fishing for them almost as much as eating them.

Good luck to you and your son Travis.

My wife and I went for 3 days and caught 50+ 2 to 2-1/2 pounders. And I love bluegills also but they are not as plentiful out here as they were back in Ohio.

We use roadrunners and beetle spins with a 2" kalin grub tipped with a minnow trolled about 1 mph out here.

View attachment 435901

John

Great catch John.

Dave

 

[Sowsage]

Funny I just posted some pics from crappie fishing here in AZ on another thread....

Love fishing for them almost as much as eating them.

Good luck to you and your son Travis.

My wife and I went for 3 days and caught 50+ 2 to 2-1/2 pounders. And I love bluegills also but they are not as plentiful out here as they were back in Ohio.

We use roadrunners and beetle spins with a 2" kalin grub tipped with a minnow trolled about 1 mph out here.

View attachment 435901

John

Nice looking crappie John ! Whats the size and number limits out that way? Ohio for most waters is minimum 9" and 30 per day.

 

[Smokin' in AZ]

Typical weight is 2 to 2-1/2 pounds with some up to 3 pounds and no limits on size or numbers on most lakes.

As you know I grew up in Dayton/Cincinnati area and the crappie there are about half the size from what I remember. Is that still the case?

 

[Smokin' in AZ]

Great catch John.

Dave

Thanks Dave.

Last trip my wife and I did in Feb the best day we caught 35, there were times when we had a fish on all 4 rods....it was a blast.

 

[Steve H]

You got some nice ones there John. Nice looking fish.

 

[Sowsage]

Typical weight is 2 to 2-1/2 pounds with some up to 3 pounds and no limits on size or numbers on most lakes.

As you know I grew up in Dayton/Cincinnati area and the crappie there are about half the size from what I remember. Is that still the case?

Yes. The lakes I fish usually most are over 9" they usually range 10"-14" I never really weigh them but there are major difference in how thick and meaty they are from Lake to lake. A few years back it was pretty sad fishing. 80% were throw backs because of beeing under the 9" mark.

 

[Winterrider]

Funny I just posted some pics from crappie fishing here in AZ on another thread....

Love fishing for them almost as much as eating them.

Good luck to you and your son Travis.

My wife and I went for 3 days and caught 50+ 2 to 2-1/2 pounders. And I love bluegills also but they are not as plentiful out here as they were back in Ohio.

We use roadrunners and beetle spins with a 2" kalin grub tipped with a minnow trolled about 1 mph out here.

View attachment 435901

John

Nice haul. Tasty looking little fellas.
Our reservoirs here are usually quite good in the winter, but they were off limits this year due to high water levels which required lowering thru spillways. Very unsafe conditions. 1 reservoir dropped about 8' and the other about 5' , so should be good to avoid spring flooding.