Spring Crappies-Wheres Your Favorite Spot?

March is here and its getting closer to the ice melting and that means open water and spring crappies. With 14 or so bodies of water around the Rochester area where do you plan to hit the first open water crappies at? Thinking of Lake Zumbro at that time of year I get excited. Spring crappies caught under a bobber with either live bait or plastics on the hook or jig do the catchin big time. Culprit paddletails, Flicktails, and theres one other plastic that works great but at the moment I just can’t think of the name of it. Must be getting older, lol. It is like the paddletail but has a skinnier body. [HOF carries all 3 of these plastics] Mike, when you see this, please fill in the name for me. Thanks. The crappies will start moving in closer to their spawning spots as the ice melts. Look for the them hanging around outside the first drop off area outside the bays. As the water temps start warming they will start to make the move closer towards shore. This move towards shore is not the spawn move but a move looking for food. Baitfish will be in the warmer water closer towards shore. The spawning won’t take place until the water temps get closer towards 65-68 degrees. They seem to prefer the temps to be the same throughout the water depths in the spawning areas too. But until that happens the crappies will be hungry and moving in for food. And thats where you want to be-on the water catching nice crappies.
Thanks, Bill

Hey Bill,

I think you are referring to the P-Wee plastic worms? I am looking forward to trying them for panfish, but am sure they will also be a great trout lure! I suspect they will probably catch a large variety of fish including smallmouth and walleye.
A couple other panfish favorites are small hair jigs and several of the ice jigs like Ratso’s.
I’m looking forward to hitting open water on Lake Zumbro and several spots on the Mississippi River backwaters.
It shouldn’t be long! Of course, some of the best ice fishing of the season is just about upon us too!

The next few months should just be great for fishing!!!

Good Fishing,
Mike

I forgot to mention mini-mites, another great little plastic lure.

Good Fishing,

Mike

Thats it!!! Minimites!!! Should be called Maxibites!!! Ron’s favorite plastics, sorry Ron, didn’t mean to give away your secret lure. [well only one of them, ok, maybe two , but cheer up Bud as lots of crappies and bluegills to go around]. Thanks Mike, I knew you would fill in the blanks.

Thanks, Bill