Crappie school ......

[SAM STEPHENS]

Take me to Crappie school please , I fish mostly central Tx lakes and fish out of my kayaks mainly. Started targeting Crappie last year and did ok in the spring and want to start earlier this year. I have all the gear and only fish artificial lures so what's your strategy. Time to start , water temp , cover , timber , bridges , brush , weather , basically send me to school please......

[DapperDan]

Following as well


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[Big H]

Tagged

[Bort]

I fly fish, so I am not too sure if I am any help. They love brown, black, and sparkly woolyboogers. Year round. Near the banks under some shade.

[wanderin39]

Following also, always want to know more about papermouths.

[scjeeptx]

Slew is your guy.

[muy grande]

Presumably they start moving up creeks this time of year. At least that is what I gathered from one of the fishing forums.

[wlgorman]

I havent gotten them patterned to where I can tell you where they will be on any given day or anything. But here is what I know.

Im pretty sure they are in the creeks now, just not very active. Come late Feb or so, once the water reaches a certain temp (Ill have to look it up) it will trigger the spawn. They will make beds in shallow water in the creeks, like less than 5' down to 1'. Any small crappie lure ought to do it. Use slip bobbers and tune to the depth. You can also catch them at this time on ANY vertical structure in the creeks.

After that I lose them for a couple weeks. Ill try for them first thing before I start getting into bass mode until they are on their next step.

Once the spawn is over and they are in their usual late spring to early fall routine. I will target any and all vertical structure from 12-18' and sometimes shallower or deeper.

It took me a little while, but the great Ernest Paty took me out on a 'crappie 101' trip. Turns out I was fishing in the right spots with the right stuff at the right time, but working it wrong. He told me "lets start somewhere where you have been trying to catch them." So I head out, tie up to the tree, and cast. Then I start popping it and moving the lure like a swimbait. He says "stop right there. Ill have you catching them on the next cast."

You literally want that lure right next to the stump/piling/BP and not moving. If you dont have a bite in 30 sec, change depths. Once you get a bite, stick to that depth all day. Its literally that easy.

I usually only catch them from 30 min before sunup to about 8:30 or so in any real numbers. I use Hi Viz 4 or 6lb test and micro spinner setups.

If you are near me, Ill take you out and show you what little I know once the time comes.

[DTH]

Never knew the part of just letting your bait sit there wigorman. I'll have to try it. Just to be clear on vertical structure, do you mean like a tree in the water, a pylon to a bridge or dock? That sorta thing right?

[twistedmidnite]

Their very active in the creeks right now, caught these 25 in about 2.5 hours today.

[twistedmidnite]

Find a creek headed out of your local lake, go up it in your kayak tossing jigs. Let it sink to the bottom and jig it back.

[.243 WSSM]

Eradicator, you need to get Slab signed into this

[DCT]

Tagged

[NAVY CHIEF]

I don't ever catch the big 15 inchers until April in about 2 ft of water up in a sleugh...I only fish granger lake though

[mudjeremy]

Following