Streamer Musky
Crappie Fishing Tips by D.M. Gardner
A crappie may not have the flash of a brook trout, the battle instinct of a bass or the fight of a musky, but he provides fun and fishing for more people from 6 to 60, in more places from Maine to California, than any other species except the sunfish. Surely there must be a reason for such universal popularity. And there is.
The crappie is one of our most prolific fish. More than 150,000 eggs have been taken from one adult female weighing a little over a pound. Moreover, when you fish for crappies you’re doing other game fish a favor, for the schooling crappie is a terror on the young of other species. In season he readily takes minnows, young bass and walleye and northern pike fingerlings.
Say its spring and you’re on a strange lake looking for crappies. Find a spawning bed and you’re in business. That would be in 6 to 12 feet of water, on a sandy bottom, near or among newly started weed beds. Bulrushes always indicate the kind of hard, sandy bottom crappies like. Have no fear you’ll be hurting the brood stock by working a spawning bed, because crappie females have little to do with family rearing other than to deposit eggs in the nest.
Males select the bed, scoop out a nest, drive a ripe female to it and induce her to drop her eggs. Then she disappears while the male fertilizes the eggs and stands guard over them until the fry emerge. At this time he’ll strike at anything he can eat or whip.
It’s the season when streamer flies give their best performance. They resemble minnows, only they’re better than minnows because you can’t whip a minnow around on a fly rod to cover the area you should be fishing. And at spawning time you’ve got to put the bait within a few feet of a crappie. He won’t come out to get it.
Personally, I like the all-gray or all-white streamer patterns on No.4 or No.6 hooks behind a small spinner. Hook on behind the streamer an inch strip of thin, fly-rod pork rind with the split tail cut into it. Then you’ve got a lure that’s irresistible to that male crappie guarding the nest. And he’s not going to let it get away!
When you’ve spotted a crappie bed, and before you approach it, let the streamer sink freely to the bottom, counting slowly as it sinks – 101, 102, and so on. That establishes your depth. Now cast out to the bed and give two counts less than you needed to hit bottom on the test cast. Crappies are overly fussy about the depth at which they will take lures. The bait must be within a foot or two of the fish’s level or it’s no crappie.
The retrieve is important, too. It should be done with a slow hand-twist of the fly line, just enough to give the streamer and pork rind some action and to work the spinner. This spinner should be of the lightest material obtainable and attached to a clevis so it will flutter at the least movement.
About the Author
D.M. Gardner has been an avid fisherman for 35 years. He has fished extensively throughout the U.S. including Alaska and Canada. Discover new crappie fishing tips and tactics at his website TheFishingLodge.com.
Charlies Musky Angel Streamer
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 5100-4 5WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Sage VT2 Fly Fishing Rod and Travel Case – 2 Hand, 4 Piece, Line 8, Length 13’9″ $161.50 |
|
|
Double L Fly Rod by LLBean 4w $86.83 |
|
|
Old Bamboo Fly Fishing Rod 5wt. 9ft. 3pc.Glen Evans inc. Caldwell Idaho $42.00 |
|
|
Double L Fly Rod by LLBean 3w $100.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 690-4 6WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Fast Fly Logic 8’9″ 4/5 Weight 2 Pc Fishing Rod Building Kit Cork Guides Seat $89.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 696-4 6WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Gremlin Emerald Matrix 5 piece/6-7 weight/9 foot Graphite Fly Rod[no reel] $31.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 6100-4 6WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Vintage Anson Fishing Pole Rod Reel Tie Clasp Fisherman Fly $24.99 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 790-4 7WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
6 Egg Sucking Hareball Leech Steelhead Salmon Spey Fly Fishing Flies Hook Rod $8.99 |
|
|
6 Babine Specials Fly Fishing Flies Steelhead Salmon Spey Rod Reel LIne Alaska $7.99 |
|
|
VINTAGE BAMBOO HARDY (W.F. HARDY) 3piece 8 1/2 FT FLY ROD $25.00 |
|
|
6 Kami Killer Fly Fishing Flies Steelhead Salmon Spey Rod Reel LIne Alaska Hook $7.99 |
|
|
orvis helios 8wt switch rod $550.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 7100-4 7WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
G Loomis Fly Fishing Vest $31.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 890-4 8WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 990-4 9WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 1090-4 10WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Mini Fishing Fish Rod Pen Reel Pole Fly Stick Ice Gift $0.99 |
|
|
2012 Eagle Claw Feather Light Fly Rod 8′ NEW $29.99 |
|
|
New Fly Logic FLO+ 9′ 12 Wt 3 Pc Fishing Saltwater Rod Big Game Graphite Fast $289.99 |
|
|
Vintage H.L.Leonard “Baby Catskill” 37H 6ft 1.9oz Bamboo Fly-Fishing Rod $2,690.00 |
|
|
New SAGE Vantage 586-4 8′ 6″ 5 wt 4 pc fly fishing rod —-Free US Shipping $250.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 376-4 3WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Ebisu Vintage Fishing Rod 7′ bamboo? 2 piece $299.99 |
|
|
Okuma Aventa Center Pin 15-Feet 4-8-Pounds Rod (Light Action) $9.48 |
|
|
7’6″ SCIENTIFIC ANGLERS type 14 SINK TIP sage spey rio $7.50 |
|
|
NEW! SAGE TCX 590-4 5WT FLY ROD $525.00 |
|
|
Fish Fishing Telescopic 8 Sections Portable Pole Rod $13.67 |
|
|
Sage Xi2 Fly Rod – 11 Weight – 9′ – 4 Pc $221.51 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX FR1206-4 GLX FLY ROD NEW $685.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX 1208 FLY FISHING ROD NEW $705.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS CROSSCURRENT GLX 1086 FLY FISHING ROD NEW $660.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX FR1088-4-NR-GLX FLY ROD NEW $685.00 |
|
|
Mini Fishing Fish Rod Pen Spin Reel Pole Fly Stick Ice $19.95 |
|
|
G LOOMIS CROSSCURRENT GLX 1087 FLY FISHING ROD NEW $675.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX FR1148-4 GLX FLY ROD NEW $695.00 |
|
|
Case Mini Fishing Fish Rod Pen Reel Pole Fly Stick Ice $9.95 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX FR1089-4-NR-GLX FLY ROD NEW $695.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX FR1209-4 GLX FLY ROD NEW $715.00 |
|
|
CRYSTAL RIVER FLY Fishing Combo ROD & REEL & LINE & Tackle NIP – $23.99 |
|
|
12 STREAMER Craigs Night Time FLY FISHING TROUT FLIES for fly rods,reels & lines $15.73 |
|
|
G LOOMIS STREAMDANCE GLX FR-1025-4 SALESMAN SAMPLE $525.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS STREAMDANCE GLX 1206 FLY FISHING ROD BRAND NEW $680.00 |
|
|
New With Tag; Old Stock Vintage 2 Pcs Penn International 12wt Fly Fishing Rod $119.99 |
|
|
New With Tag; Old Stock Vintage 2 Pcs Penn International 11wt Fly Fishing Rod $119.99 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 5100-4 5WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Sage VT2 Fly Fishing Rod and Travel Case – 2 Hand, 4 Piece, Line 8, Length 13’9″ $161.50 |
|
|
Double L Fly Rod by LLBean 4w $86.83 |
|
|
Old Bamboo Fly Fishing Rod 5wt. 9ft. 3pc.Glen Evans inc. Caldwell Idaho $42.00 |
|
|
Double L Fly Rod by LLBean 3w $100.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 690-4 6WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Fast Fly Logic 8’9″ 4/5 Weight 2 Pc Fishing Rod Building Kit Cork Guides Seat $89.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 696-4 6WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Gremlin Emerald Matrix 5 piece/6-7 weight/9 foot Graphite Fly Rod[no reel] $31.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 6100-4 6WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Vintage Anson Fishing Pole Rod Reel Tie Clasp Fisherman Fly $24.99 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 790-4 7WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
6 Egg Sucking Hareball Leech Steelhead Salmon Spey Fly Fishing Flies Hook Rod $8.99 |
|
|
6 Babine Specials Fly Fishing Flies Steelhead Salmon Spey Rod Reel LIne Alaska $7.99 |
|
|
VINTAGE BAMBOO HARDY (W.F. HARDY) 3piece 8 1/2 FT FLY ROD $25.00 |
|
|
6 Kami Killer Fly Fishing Flies Steelhead Salmon Spey Rod Reel LIne Alaska Hook $7.99 |
|
|
orvis helios 8wt switch rod $550.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 7100-4 7WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
G Loomis Fly Fishing Vest $31.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 890-4 8WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 990-4 9WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 1090-4 10WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Mini Fishing Fish Rod Pen Reel Pole Fly Stick Ice Gift $0.99 |
|
|
2012 Eagle Claw Feather Light Fly Rod 8′ NEW $29.99 |
|
|
New Fly Logic FLO+ 9′ 12 Wt 3 Pc Fishing Saltwater Rod Big Game Graphite Fast $289.99 |
|
|
Vintage H.L.Leonard “Baby Catskill” 37H 6ft 1.9oz Bamboo Fly-Fishing Rod $2,690.00 |
|
|
New SAGE Vantage 586-4 8′ 6″ 5 wt 4 pc fly fishing rod —-Free US Shipping $250.00 |
|
|
NEW! REDINGTON VOYANT 376-4 3WT FLY ROD – FREE SHIPPING! $189.95 |
|
|
Ebisu Vintage Fishing Rod 7′ bamboo? 2 piece $299.99 |
|
|
Okuma Aventa Center Pin 15-Feet 4-8-Pounds Rod (Light Action) $9.48 |
|
|
7’6″ SCIENTIFIC ANGLERS type 14 SINK TIP sage spey rio $7.50 |
|
|
NEW! SAGE TCX 590-4 5WT FLY ROD $525.00 |
|
|
Fish Fishing Telescopic 8 Sections Portable Pole Rod $13.67 |
|
|
Sage Xi2 Fly Rod – 11 Weight – 9′ – 4 Pc $221.51 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX FR1206-4 GLX FLY ROD NEW $685.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX 1208 FLY FISHING ROD NEW $705.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS CROSSCURRENT GLX 1086 FLY FISHING ROD NEW $660.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX FR1088-4-NR-GLX FLY ROD NEW $685.00 |
|
|
Mini Fishing Fish Rod Pen Spin Reel Pole Fly Stick Ice $19.95 |
|
|
G LOOMIS CROSSCURRENT GLX 1087 FLY FISHING ROD NEW $675.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX FR1148-4 GLX FLY ROD NEW $695.00 |
|
|
Case Mini Fishing Fish Rod Pen Reel Pole Fly Stick Ice $9.95 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX FR1089-4-NR-GLX FLY ROD NEW $695.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS NATIVE RUN GLX FR1209-4 GLX FLY ROD NEW $715.00 |
|
|
CRYSTAL RIVER FLY Fishing Combo ROD & REEL & LINE & Tackle NIP – $23.99 |
|
|
12 STREAMER Craigs Night Time FLY FISHING TROUT FLIES for fly rods,reels & lines $15.73 |
|
|
G LOOMIS STREAMDANCE GLX FR-1025-4 SALESMAN SAMPLE $525.00 |
|
|
G LOOMIS STREAMDANCE GLX 1206 FLY FISHING ROD BRAND NEW $680.00 |
|
|
New With Tag; Old Stock Vintage 2 Pcs Penn International 12wt Fly Fishing Rod $119.99 |
|
|
New With Tag; Old Stock Vintage 2 Pcs Penn International 11wt Fly Fishing Rod $119.99 |