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I've tried twice so far , and there has been no crappie showing up in my regular spots yet this spring.
The water is a bit high , even in the back lakes . Plus all the rain and cool nights , I guess they'r gonna be late again.
They were last year too , where I fish anyway.

Hi Lurewasher,

Were you out to your typical spot from years past ?

Even though I suspected strongly that it was too early/cool for the crappie to be hungry around here I went out last sunday and gave it a try anyways.

Not much happening -- water was super high and water temps around 54F . Didnt have much luck finding emergent vegetation and all the normal edge cover is not on the edge with current water conditions.

Managed a nice perch, a snot rocket and apparently this guy thought that a 2" pink n white tube was for him



Would be appreciated if you do see them on your next outing to know that. Good luck.

Fox

I wasn't targeting them, but I caught about 4 crappie yesterday in Seeleys Bay area. Same lures as last week/places when I caught zero. Biting on large lures (for a crappie) in shallow. Lots of weeds down there.

Latest I've ever seen it start and it's not even good yet. Crazy spring.

RJ

Weird as I have been on them in my regular spots for the last 4 weeks now ! Took a bit of a dip this past weekend on Sat but Friday was good ! What are the water temps where you are fishing and how deep are you trying ?

I got into them heavy two weeks ago on the Rideau, me and the kids took some home for a snack and to my disbelieve the big girls were already spawned out, well they had no eggs in them anyways. Submerged tree in 6ft of water on tubes under a slip float. Probably caught around 80 all out of 1 tree. Do you guys think they've already done there business??? and gone.

They are nowhere near spawning yet. They spawn around the same time as Bass or later.

RJ

Hit and miss, no decent numbers here. The biggest this year was a 12" female. Eggs were still quite small, that was 2 weeks ago. The bluegill and perch moved in, which usually heralds the end of my crappie fishing. I think it's over until the spawn.

Tried fishing under and around some of the bridges on the downtown stretch of the Rideau Canal, which are usually a sure thing for crappie this time of year, but only caught little perch. Water was dirty and full of leaves, tree buds, cut grass, etc.

Always amazes me when things just turn. Guided all week and had 40 to 50 fish days then BOOM. Nearly 200 one day between 3 guys fishing. It's happening.

RJ

Hey RJ,

Wow -- that is an impressive action report. Even your 40/50 fish days sound like a great time.

If you wouldnt mind a few tidbits of your experience - I'd appreciate a few tips/answers to questions. These fish are driving me nuts - been trying to figure out how to catch them for maybe the last 4 springs/summers and have had 2 decent days over those years - both at the same spot. Which makes me thinking that Im not actually getting the pattern but instead just a spot that can be hit or miss.

I was actually out yesterday in the beautiful weather. Water temps were just touching 60F by the end of the afternoon and I was convinced when going to the lake that they were going to be just stacked up and would be a good bite. Not to be this time - we caught 4 over the day.

1) Would you say that the bite should still hold on until the weekend coming up with the cooler temps/cloudy forecast?

2) At this time of the spawn are you finding the fish mostly super shallow and in the back bays/cat tails areas where the water is the warmest ? The spot where I have able to locate them is a natural shoreline with some gravel patches and overhanging trees over 4-8 ft of water that then fairly rapidly drops off to the main shelf around 20-25ft. Finding other locations, even on the same lake with this same pattern has not turned into fish for me.

3) For searching them out at this time of year are you using a float setup to locate the biters - or casting and retrieving ? Ive been following your crappie setup youtube video from a few years back with a slip float and tube/minnow immitator set at depth 4' to 6'. Too shallow/deep on the depth ? Float fishing is too slow to locate the fish ?

Thanks for any tips you can throw our way.

Fox

I've been getting them pretty much all month on lakes between Kingston and Sharbot Lake.

Three pictures below are from May 5, May 18 & May 23.

May 5 was fairly slow for numbers but very good for average size. Mainly casting into shallow water and banks with small light coloured plastics on 1/8 and 1/16 oz jig heads. Water temp was 55F.

May 18 I hit 2 bodies of water, first lake was very productive about 50 fish in the morning, medium average size. Casting onto shoals and the dropping sides of shoals where deep weeds were prevalent. Again casting and jigging small plastics on 1/8 jig heads. Water temp was 61F. Second Lake was to try the night bite, bite was slower, but average size was quite good. Most of them caught with small crankbaits and mepps spinners on steep dropping rocky shores around brush. Water temp was 60F.

May 23 I fished the first lake from the 18th again and it was lights out. Didn't matter what I threw, they'd bite. Water temp was 63F. Freezer is full.

May 5


May 18


May 23

Got into some yesterday---with a 30 inch gator in there lookin to eat
59 degrees

Firefox,

I do 100% think it's worth it to go this weekend. Depending on where you are fishing it could be prime.

Location is key. In the lakes I fish I rarely go to beat the bank, I prefer emerging weed beds in 10 fow with weeds being 4 to 5 feet off bottom. If you fish that lake in the summer think of the big weed beds you may have fished for Bass. That's where I'd look to start.

Saying that I know some of the lakes I fish they don't even bother with weeds but set up on big boulder shoals, it's weird but year after year they do.

I'm lucky that when I'm guiding I can play around with different baits searching. Though I rarely fish when I guide I was this past week on the Crappies. Thing is I threw one bait the whole week. A Jackall IProp. That spybait got crunched by fish. It's a great search bait for sure.

Don't give up, they are a hateful creature but when you find them it can be ridiculous.

RJ

Anyone have luck this year in Kars @ bridge. i been going for last 3 weekends and nothing like it used to be.