After elections, pollsters hang around the parking lot, taking what they call “exit polls.” Basically, they ask who you voted for. In spring, some anglers perform their own version of such interviews. They fiddle with their boats, pulling out rods, taking off the tarp, and performing countless other chores that would be better done at home. But every angler returning to the ramp gets the third degree.
If you try to escape with a disclaimer like “Just caught a few,” or “It was kinda slow,” they buttonhole you, asking what kind, and how big, and what bait. And nothing gets them going as much as a glimpse of a few sizable crappies in the fish basket or livewell.
Come spring, seems like everyone’s catching crappies. Cast a minnow or small lure along any shallow, protected bay, and you’ll likely get one or two. Little ones with big fins, big eyes, big mouth, and not much meat. Those big slabs are another breed altogether. Not literally, of course. They’re just a couple years older. But in that time period, they adopt differing habits that separate them from the bankrunners.
Among America’s most traveled anglers (excluding TV hosts, journalists, and the like) is Roger Bullock of Eugene, Oregon. In the past, he’s graced In-Fisherman magazine with reports of hot spots for trout, bass, and crappies. Not only does the former postal worker travel a lot, but he keeps up with a network of fishing acquaintances around the country who help him choose his next angling destination.
Pre-trip Planning
From his home in Oregon, Bullock might foray to Alabama, stopping off in Kentucky and Illinois as the spring season advances north. He targets the hottest bites among the many species options across the country. He has to be able to find fish fast on unfamiliar water.
If you’re after a big-fish bite, you’ve got to go where the big crappies live. Sounds obvious, but it’s not always easy to determine. Certain waters across the continent maintain a reputation for outsize crappies—Lake Weiss in Alabama, Melvern in Kansas, Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee-Kentucky line, Lake of the Woods straddling Minnesota and Ontario, Buggs Island (Kerr Reservoir) in Virginia-North Carolina, Lake Roosevelt in Arizona, Georgia’s Lake Seminole, and many more.
Some of those waters seem to routinely produce big fish, many over 2 pounds, which is the benchmark of a real slab anywhere. Lake of the Woods and Kentucky Lake particularly come to mind for offering steady production. Many other top waters, including most major crappie fisheries, undergo cycles of production—boom periods followed by busts when both average size and numbers of crappies decline.
Bullock tries to keep a pulse on these cycles, to hit the highs and miss the lows on various bodies of water. In some, crappie cycles are based on region-wide water levels, droughts, and excessive hot spells, so waters in the region follow a similar pattern. But other lakes feature cycles based on their own biological food webs that end at their shores.
“Maintain contact with top anglers around the lakes,” he advises. “Some will be able to predict upcoming cycles and help you pick a good time to visit. I usually don’t hire guides, but often they give me some excellent background information even without booking a trip. Of course, they may hope that you will end up hiring them or recommending their services.
“Most state fishery agencies run Master Angler programs like In-Fisherman’s, giving awards for trophy-size fish. These lists are a great source of information on top trophy waters for all species of fish, but particularly valuable for panfish that vary so much in size potential from one lake to another.”
Timing
“Pretrip planning always pays off, “Bullock says. “I call several marinas around the lake and talk to bait-shop operators. They like to talk about hot lures and recommend various guides, but what I’m really trying to find out is when the spawn typically occurs. To catch the biggest crappies in a lake, I recommend fishing during the early phases of the actual spawn, when a few fish have started nesting. Like bass, the biggest crappies often nest first.
“At this time, the biggest crappies are shallow and typically easier to locate, usually holding in thick cover such as brushpiles, stumpfields, and thick beds of emergent grasses. You can trust that your well-honed crappie instincts will lead you to the fish.
“Of course, the timing of the spawn can vary from year to year, based on weather and water levels. I strongly advise planning a trip on the early side of the spawn because the prespawn also is an excellent time to find and catch big crappies. Better to be too early than late.”
According to biological studies, extended water temperatures of at least 60°F draw crappies into spawning areas. Peak spawning activity for both black and white crappies occurs around 70°F. Crappie spawning in Florida may begin as early as February, while in the northern edge of their range, early June is typical.
The farther south the location, the longer the duration of the spawn—up to ten weeks in central Florida. In Minnesota, beds may be built and abandoned in less than 10 days. Keep that in mind when planning a trip to target spawntime slabs.
