Kawartha Spring Crappie

[reefrunner]

Hello all,

The Kawarthas have been opened up to year round panny fishing just a couple years ago and while it may be premature to get any expertise, how have you gone about targetting crappie on the Kawartha Lakes? What techniques did you use?

I'm looking to go as soon as the ice gets off the lake, hopefully any weekend now :twisted:

In years past, I had two early season patterns that worked that I'll share here. Mind you these were used around Pike opener (late May).

Trolling jointed perch patterns

I've read that crappie are "on" in the spring because they fiercly protect their eggs during the spwan. Further, Perch were considered the top "predators" to their eggs. I had awesome success getting crappie in late May by trolling a small Jointed Rapala, J5 or 7, at about 2mph over weed beds. The most productive colour in my box, which I since dubbed the "crappie killer" is firetiger. I've had suceess with other perch patterns. Water temps were ranging in the 60s F. Certanly the water is colder after ice-out. Suggestions besides finding warmer waters?


Drop shotting minnow plastics

Again, in May another tactic I used was drop shotting GULP minnows in deeper shelves of canals. There were areas that were stacked with pannies but you had to pick through gills, rockbass and perch top get some crappies. Made for some good consistent action but losing alot of expensive GULP baits for a few crappie.

I hope these methods help other crappie fisherman. What do you do? Primarily I'm looking for ice-out lake tips. I know you can get them in the canals this time of year but I want to get into something new (to me).

Thanks for your input.

Reefrunner

 

[PainInTheBass]

Thanks for teh tips! I am sure that they will be useful! I have not done too much crappie fishing in recent memory, so this will help should I decide to try and find some this year.

 

[reefrunner]

Use 'em well PITB.

Anybody fish crappie?

It's been confirmed; ice off the lake - - gonna take a crack at it on the weekend.

 

[NADO]

I had success last year using light fluffy pink colored jigs end letting them sink slowly, once i hit bottom i would cast again. The crappie would always hit them while the jig was falling. The trouble with this tactic was that i couldn't cast far, any more weight and the jig would sink too fast. Maybe drop shotting with the pink jig would work well.

 

[reefrunner]

I had success last year using light fluffy pink colored jigs end letting them sink slowly, once i hit bottom i would cast again. The crappie would always hit them while the jig was falling. The trouble with this tactic was that i couldn't cast far, any more weight and the jig would sink too fast. Maybe drop shotting with the pink jig would work well.

Thank NADO. I'll look for some of them pink fluffy jigs when I go to LeBarons before I head up this weekend. Thanks for your input, much appreciated.

 

[reefrunner]

So I went fishing from Sunday to Monday this past Easter Weekend with my good buddy. When we arrived we noted the water was about 3 feet low of regular and the water temps were, well, darn cold. We tried it all, techniques mentioned above amongst others, in deep, shallow, stained, weedy, mud and could only manage sunfish hand over fist. My buddy caught a nice largie on a worm and slip float and the OOS bass went back in the drink right away. Sorry no pics; I was joking that we should've snapped a double fister of sunfish like those bass tourney guys do lol. Still figuring out the early season Kawarthas...to be continued.

reefrunner

 

[PainInTheBass]

Thanks for the report. Knowing what didnt work is often as useful as know what did. It helps for developing a pattern.

 

[Homer is King]

I had success last year using light fluffy pink colored jigs end letting them sink slowly, once i hit bottom i would cast again. The crappie would always hit them while the jig was falling.

I agree, very small tube and hair / maraboo jigs work great for early season crappie. Bright colours like pink and red seem to work. I like to fish them under a small bobber. This adds a bit of weight for casting and helps hold the bait in the strick zone longer. Cast it out and slowly reel it back in. I use 4 lb florocarbon leaders.

A pin head minnow on a hook under a bobber works great too!

The kawarthas have been funny this spring. I've hit Scugog River once this year with no luck. I haven't seen any reports about hot crappie action yet. Last year guys were nailing them in early April! The fist wave of crappie usually happen when the water hits the high 50s. The crappie then come into the shallows to feed. The second wave happens when the water hits mid 60s. They come back in to spawn.

Happy Hunting!

 

[ChrisD]

Flies are the best for crappie just try different colors and sizes, they should be illegal they work so well. Just twitch the fly like crazy after it's below the surface

 

[RedSkullz]

I prefer to use slip float and tiny microjigs like 1/32, 1/64 tipped with a small piece of worm or tiny minnow. I have also had great luck using small 1" twister tails on a 1/16oz jighead with a spinner. I havent done much crappie fishing in the kawarthas though, but in many other bodies of water both work great.