“Now you need to find major brushpiles, sunken timber, or big stumps lying along the old creek bank in minimal current. The final ingredient is that the area receive lots of sunlight to warm it. These types of spots have produced trophy crappies for me over the years, in many different waters.”
Presentation Pointers
Sometimes when you arrive at a lake early in the Prespawn Period, you’ll locate spots and fish some of these high-potential areas but catch lots of small fish. In some situations, crappies of all sizes seem to mix at this time of year. Bullock advises, “If you’re catching small ones, that doesn’t mean the big ones aren’t there, too. But the little ones often are more aggressive and quickly will take standard jigs and minnows.
“When you’re catching small fish on big-fish spots, switch to gradually heavier and larger jigs and baits until you’re no longer catching the little ones. At times, I’ve gone up to 31⁄2-inch bass-style tubebaits rigged on 1/16- or even 1/8-ounce heads to catch 2-pounders, where only little ones had been biting standard baits. Crappie spinners select for big fish, too. By the way, larger baits are particularly selective for big crappies in darker water.”
While Bullock says the Prespawn and Spawn periods deliver the best odds for trophy-sized crappies, he also recommends considering the period when spring shifts into summer and crappies disperse. “They tend to follow the same path out to the main lake that they used when moving into spawning areas,” he notes. “Look for them initially outside the first distinct drop-off outside the spawning cove.
“You still can catch a big one now, but chances are lower than during the spawn. One tactic I use to find bigger fish at this time is slowly trolling small crankbaits that will run from 6 to 14 feet deep or so. Adding lead shot to the line will get them deep enough, because most little cranks run too shallow. I also use sinking crankbaits. I always troll with my electric, to ensure a slow pace; and I closely follow structure contours and make sure my lures pass through stumps, brushpiles, and other cover.
“If you mark big schools of crappies, try slow-rolling small-bladed 1/4-ounce spinnerbaits through the aggregations. Usually only the larger crappies will take a spinnerbait.”
Night-Fishing
Fishing pressure can make crappies spooky, and activity seems to preferentially turn off the bigger fish. In response, Bullock’s always prepared to fish after dark. “Night-fishing often produces more trophy-size bass and walleyes, and the same’s true with crappies,” he says. “Particularly during the Postspawn Period and in summer, night-fishing is a great way to increase both the number and size of the crappies you’re catching.
“Most night anglers fish near bridges or other lighted structures close to a boat ramp. This works, but again, too much activity can make the big ones tough to tempt. I use floating and submersible lights to set up my own feeding zone. I choose an area with lots of baitfish present, often at the channel turn in tributary creeks, junctions of two creek channels, and other key areas. If a channel swings close to a bank with stumps or fallen trees, it can be a gold mine.
“Let the lights attract zooplankton and baitfish, and the crappies will come. Fish your floats just on the edge of the lighted areas, where the biggest crappies lurk. Or else cast baits toward the bank, away from the light. Big crappies seem to roam shallow at night, similar to bass. In my experience, moonlit nights have produced the most trophy-size crappies.
“Night-fishing also is an antidote to cold fronts that seem to haunt any springtime traveler. If a series of storms or fronts has put the crappies down, particularly the bigger ones, look for sets of large docks in the vicinity of spawning areas. At night, the big ones will hold under and around these structures, particularly if they’re lighted. If they don’t have lights, bring your own and set them out. Big crappies can’t resist a big minnow on a float.”
