Shallow bays with weeds or brush for egg laying. Northern shoreline gets the most sun and will warm up sooner.
about what depth or depths?
about what depth or depths?
Shallow, at the peak of the spawn you can catch them in 6 inches of water. Most of the time two three feet will put you in the ball park.
Here’s some sound advice for right now. Brought to you by the MN Outdoor News.
here is another helpful article. i was out yesterday on a lake in the southwest metro that just iced out. water temps were at 44-47 degrees. marked a lot of fish deep (25-30) deep but nothing much biting up shallow, too early yet. was getting bites from tiny sunnies but i think it will be a bit before crappie move up shallow. With these warm temps here it might be as soon as this weekend but then again its supposed to cool down almost as soon as it heated up
Look deep right now. Shallows will produce zippo right now unless you are fishing right at dusk.
Fish them as you would mid-winter. They will be in the basins, etc. If possible somewhat close to where you think they may spawn. The movement into the shallows won’t be for awhile. The water temp will have to get over 50 degrees for it to happen, closer to 60 is better, except for that short period right at dusk, that may or may not happen.
Use you graph, drive around. Have a 1/32 or smaller jig rigged up with a big splitter up a foot, cocked and ready. Once you see a school, slam er in reverse and dump it down to them. Minimal jigging, basically hold it still in front of their faces.
Most likely they will be pretty scattered now until the water gets a bit warmer, at which time they will ball up some into nice sized schools and become easy pickens.
I have done very well multiple early spring days.Many times it is on the day after or the day of them officially declaring a lake ice free.Very shallow water anywhere from 6inches to 2ft-black soft mud bottom-areas that recieve the most sun and the least wind,more often then not its a dead end in a small bay,harbor,marina,ect;.They are there looking for food-minnows and bugs.Fish slow and quiet in these spots,light weight bobber/small splitshot/plain hook small crappie minnow-no electric motor,get to the edge and anchor,sometimes i just put my motor down in the mud or tie off from a branch on shore.Any bit of cover really helps-last spring my brother was pounding fish by placing his bobber next to 1 lone pencil sized cattail stalk in the middle of a nothing spot.Notice I said placing his bobber and not casting. (quiet,slow)I have seen fish spook out of spots like this when a bird flys by and they see the shadow.
What I’ve found is when the water is 40 degrees its time to pay attention. They usually start schooling up in the 10-12fow before moving shallower as the water warms. I tend to stick to south to south east shorelines as the water temps tend to warm the fastest there.
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