'When will the crappie be biting' -- how to catch your share

When we first moved to Scott City, I knew very little about crappie fishing. Back in Nebraska, we would catch crappie through the ice and then in the summer. When we did catch them, we weren't particularly going after crappie. It was more catching them by accident.

In Missouri, crappie fishermen are obsessed with catching big crappie. "The bigger the better" is the motto for most. Some lakes have length limits but most don't, so it's pretty much up to you how small you will keep and eat. Check out the regulations on the body of water you are intending to fish. For me, personally, the size I keep depends on how hungry I am for a mess of crappie. In the spring, I will probably keep smaller fish than later in the summer.

The best time to catch crappie is probably when they spawn in the spring. Many say that when the dogwoods bloom, the crappie are biting. This is probably true. Crappie begin spawning when the water temperatures are around 60 degrees. Probably the ideal temperature is the upper 60s. This usually begins about the end of March or first part of April here in Southeast Missouri.

One of the keys is to fish regularly beginning the first part of March, and watch what you catch and where. You should begin catching the males first of all, and then, later, the females. Until you know what depth the fish prefer, you will have to fish depths from just inches of water to 10 to 15 feet.

I attended a seminar on crappie fishing. It was really informative, and one of the teachers said to take a white paper plate and divide it into four equal parts. Then paint two of the opposite quarters black, and leave the other two white. Now, using a stick or some other means, lower the plate into the lake until you can't distinguish the black sections from the white ones. The crappie, he said, will prefer this depth for spawning. The clearer the water, the deeper they spawn.

Banks that get sunlight will warm up quicker than shaded banks. Banks with shallow water next to them that are adjacent to drop-offs or deeper areas are great places to fish. There are times when the surface of a lake is warmer than deeper sections. A slight breeze may push warm water up into a bay and trigger a feeding frenzy.

I like to use a long-shank gold size six or size four hook and from 4-pound up to 10-pound line. My jigging pole has 6-pound on it. Be careful not to get too heavy a line on your jigging pole. If you happen to hook a big catfish or carp or grinnell, you will probably end up with a two- or three-piece pole.

The lakes that I fish have a three-pole limit, so I put two outrigger poles out, one on each side of my boat. I usually put them down about six feet and adjust as needed. I fish from 3 feet down to 10 feet or more. I use slip bobbers exclusively.

Most of the time I use minnows, but jigs will work. I'd probably use an 1/8-ounce to 1/4-ounce jig with a size 4 hook or so. You could even go down to 1/16-ounce. Some tie jigs use squirrel or other color hair while others use tube jigs. When crappie are spawning, they will bite about anything.

You really don't need to jerk and set the hook on crappie. If your hook is sharp, all it takes is a slight tug and he's hooked. A crappie's mouth is tender, so be careful. If he's bigger, use a net.

Happy fishing.

Until next time.