Crappie time

[Frederick V. C.]

Despite the ridiculous pressure on some of our SE stocked trout waters the lake fishing is heating up. Crappie are moving into the shallows, though this roller coaster weather could push them out just as easily. That said, I fought the wind today on a local lake and had a banner day on crappie and blue gills. Fishing directly into the wind (when possible) brought steady action for hous from midday on. Wasn't rocket science; only needed one bh jig style fly the whole time. Left windburt and with a red, numb release hand, but satisfied nonetheless.

 

[tomgamber]

Agreed. This might be MY favorite non-trout time of year.

 

[Frederick V. C.]

Agreed. This might be MY favorite non-trout time of year.

Enjoyed driving by 30 vehicles who were hell bent on removing stocked trout from small stream that is currently pitifully low.

 

[Shawn Joseph]

Despite the ridiculous pressure on some of our SE stocked trout waters the lake fishing is heating up. Crappie are moving into the shallows, though this roller coaster weather could push them out just as easily. That said, I fought the wind today on a local lake and had a banner day on crappie and blue gills. Fishing directly into the wind (when possible) brought steady action for hous from midday on. Wasn't rocket science; only needed one bh jig style fly the whole time. Left windburt and with a red, numb release hand, but satisfied nonetheless.

I fished a local lake yesterday and caught a bunch of Crappie on a size 20 Griffith Gnat. Midge hatch started around 5:30pm. It was a hoot!

 

[Tigereye]

A bunch of these guys cale home to have dinner with me.

 

[goose54cdd]

Beautiful perch and a great meal.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

I love crappie fishing. I know a private pond in NEPA that a friend and I like to go to. It is FILLED with crappie and most of the fish caught are about 10 inches. The owner of the pond wants us to remove some of the crappie from the pond so bass can develop better. I don't know if my angling proficiency is skilled enough to drain a pond. Our problem right now is that we can't fillet fish as fast as we can catch them. Our best method for catching them consists of trolling around the pond in an electric (trolling) motor assisted boat. If I get up there this year I will be taking my Method 4wt with a sink tip line (the pond is fairly deep). Probably the only time I will ever use that rod this year in my ever-growing quiver. I look forward to picking up crappie at night on poppers.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

@Frederick V. C., I live close to Coatesville, let's go out and get some crappie sometime. I am getting bored of the stocked trout streams and having to wait until dusk before the regulars leave the creek to head home for dinner.

 

[Tigereye]

I love crappie fishing. I know a private pond in NEPA that a friend and I like to go to. It is FILLED with crappie and most of the fish caught are about 10 inches. The owner of the pond wants us to remove some of the crappie from the pond so bass can develop better. I don't know if my angling proficiency is skilled enough to drain a pond. Our problem right now is that we can't fillet fish as fast as we can catch them. Our best method for catching them consists of trolling around the pond in an electric (trolling) motor assisted boat. If I get up there this year I will be taking my Method 4wt with a sink tip line (the pond is fairly deep). Probably the only time I will ever use that rod this year in my ever-growing quiver. I look forward to picking up crappie at night on poppers.

Ok ill confess this one time. Dont be afraid to use a modified mono rig. Assume water is 10 ft put 20 ft or so of 4 lb mono on end of your fly line. Attach a well weighted clouser minnow or conehead bugger. Drop over side of boat,, us count down method and slowly jig fly back to you. When you find the fish you can then zero in on depth.

I find crappie are kinda like trout, they feed at level or above most of the time.

Use this method very succesfully on Lake Ontario for SMB.

Its one step away from bait casting but, whatever works.

 

[tomgamber]

Float tubes are perfect for crappies. I've caught crappie on dry flies in a snowstorm. I kid you not. First couple not on purpose but the thing about crappies is once you're on them...dont go anywhere. One key is size of fly. 1-2" long. no more, no less. Slow down, fast up. I catch more on the rise than horizontally. Crappies is good food.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Twin Lakes in Greensburg had a bunch of them years back. GG

 

[Silent Ocelot]

Ok ill confess this one time. Dont be afraid to use a modified mono rig. Assume water is 10 ft put 20 ft or so of 4 lb mono on end of your fly line. Attach a well weighted clouser minnow or conehead bugger. Drop over side of boat,, us count down method and slowly jig fly back to you. When you find the fish you can then zero in on depth.

I find crappie are kinda like trout, they feed at level or above most of the time.

Use this method very succesfully on Lake Ontario for SMB.

Its one step away from bait casting but, whatever works.

I may try this. I've heard techniques like this being used for crappie before. I guess a tight-line low line wt and long nymph rod would be preferable for this? That 11ft. 4wt Douglas you posted seems like a good tool for the job. Is this style of fishing really fly fishing? Or just fishing with a fly... I don't know.

 

[Tigereye]

I used a 9ft 5 wt for that. But im sure the 4 would work. Not so sure a long rod is necessary. Infact it may be a bit clumsy in a boat. Your not really casting so any advantage gained bt the length is negated.

You are fishing and using a fly so i guess you are fly fishing. Im not that much of a purist. Whatever works and soothes the soul. I try not to judge. We all went through are phases.

 

[tomgamber]

Twin Lakes in Greensburg had a bunch of them years back. GG

until they re-built the wall and walkway. Haven't seen a crappie at the lower lake in a few years. Upper lake might still have a few. I'll check for ya. 😉

 

[Bamboozle]

A bunch of these guys cale home to have dinner with me. View attachment 1641229708

Catching a Yellow Perch always makes my day and has since I I was kid targeting them at local reservoirs in Delaware County, PA.

We had some killer crappie fishing too until the local water authority sold out to Aqua... 🙁

 

[troutbert]

What colors are best for crappies?

 

[Bamboozle]

What colors are best for crappies?

In my marabou "jig" fishing days it was yellow & white. If I wanted to get scientific I always had a few in red & black. A small beadhead Woolly Bugger tied on a 2X long 2X heavy nymph hook, maybe a size 10 or 8 should be perfect.

At risk of eternal condemnation, I also wouldn't hesitate to put a short strip of white chamois or equivalent on the hook like a piece of pork rind or strip bait which is what we used back when...

 

[Frederick V. C.]

My best flies are pretty simple. Bead head on a jig style hook (Pink or Chart.) Pearl body of Estaz or similar. Tail: Maribou with a little Krystal flash, slightly longer than the Maribou. Also like rubber legged leech or bugger patters in black or brown; which reminds me I need to tie some.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

I used a 9ft 5 wt for that. But im sure the 4 would work. Not so sure a long rod is necessary. Infact it may be a bit clumsy in a boat. Your not really casting so any advantage gained bt the length is negated.

I was thinking of tight-lining. Just stripping off line and letting my flies get to their desired depth before jigging them around. I'd use the rod tip to move the fly or flies around. I know crappie live in pods so once you get one you just keep fishing the same area.

At this pond my favorite way to fish for them is to be in a boat and to cast towards the lily pads. A Hardy Ultralight LL 4wt 9'2" (a rod I REALLY need to get back) was pretty stellar for the job. Combined with the new Orvis Pro Textured trout line I could almost spool the reel and bomb casts into the nether regions of the pond. I am bumping up to a stouter rod to get these fish out of sub-surface vegetation, and because I need to get the bright red stick out at least ONCE this year. At this particular pond I have found that in the evening you can strip brightly colored clousers about to get the fish's attention and at night switch over to a decent sized popper for crappie and largemouth surface action. I NEED to get back to this pond!

 

[Frederick V. C.]

This time of year they should be getting ready to spawn so mostly they are going to be shallows. That said; I fished this morning into early afternoon in the same areas they were biting like crazy a few days ago and only got one crappie. The flip side was I was catching big numbers of blue gills. When they are shallow you can catch them on about any rod set up and ditto on the flies.