Spent the last week and Labor Day weekend on the annual family get together in the Park Rapids Area. The lake we stay on is small and the primary target for the week is Crappie.
After checking some of the usually spots, the Lowrance began lighting up. There were several spots with just bait marks showing up, with the spots showing bait and arcs producing the most fish.
The bite is rather predictable and there is usually a morning bite and an evening bite that develops; however this year, there was just an evening bite. We did not boat a crappie in the morning hours.
The evening bite began about 7:45 and ended 9:30ish each night. The bite was good, but not great boating 5-15 fish a night.
Presentation was pretty simple, with 1/32 or 1/16 oz jigs with one inch tubes or 1/32 or 1/16 oz flu flu jigs tipped with crappie minnows. Color didn’t matter much, but top producers were chartruse and green/white. Keeping the presentation vertical with a steady hand or a slight twitch was key. We even boated a few under corks. All fish came (as they usually do) suspended 4 to 10 feet below the surface in 19 to 25 feet of water over softer bottom areas.
The lake was flush with bait and these fish were feeding well. The bulk of the fish were 10-12 inchers with a few over 13 inches. The water was 72-74 degrees. Good eating!!!
