CRAPPIE
Posted on March 3, 2009
CRAPPIE (BLACK)
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Overall The crappie appears silvery with some iridescent green. The back looks olive, brown or dark green while the flanks are silvery green with dense black blotches. The belly is silvery to white. The crappies eyes are yellow-brown. This species dorsal, anal and caudal fins have black tracks around yellow to pale green spots. The pectoral fins are dusky while the pelvic fins have black tips and white leading edges. Breeding males become much darker and more iridescent on the head and chest. Most black crappies are less than 12 inches long and weigh less than two pounds. However big “slabs” of two to four pounds have been caught.
WHERE THEY CAN BE FOUND:
In the U.S. They are found anywhere south to Florida and Texas and west to Montana but have been widely introduced throughout much of the continental USA. Also found in southwestern Quebec in the St. Lawrence, Richelieu and Ottawa river basins. Through most of southern Ontario including all the Great Lakes as well as southern Manitoba. Thye have also been introduced to the lower Fraser River of British Columbia.
HABITS AND HABITATS:
These fish school! The crappie is found in the still waters of lakes and ponds as well as any slow flowing, large rivers where there is abundant plant material or other cover such as timber. It would seem that it prefers cooler and deeper water than the white crappie and is less tolerant of turbulant conditions. They will grow more slowly there than in clear waters. Food includes plankton, aquatic insects and small fish and fry when young. In the Ottawa River which has a good crappie population, copepods and water fleas are the main diet of young fry, but they usually switch to amphipods in the fall of their first year. Even adults may rely principally on water fleas for food, taken by filter feeding in mid-winter. But bait fish do become increasingly important as black crappies mature. Feeding continues throughout the winter which is an unusual habit for a sunfish. The black crappie is a well known predator of the young of other sport fishes and may actually effect their population numbers significantly. Peak feeding is most often between early evening and the early morning hours around dawn but they can often be taken at any time of day. Their maximum life span is 13 years with maturity being reached at one to three years. Their growth varies with habitat and length of their growing season. Spawning occurs from May to June in most of Canada with earlier spawning in southern areas.
FISHING TECHNIQUES FOR CRAPPIE:
Crappies tend to be more shy of any kind of disturbance than the other members of the sunfish family. On some days they will bite while on other days they become quite reluctant. As a result it becomes necessary for the angler to use light lines and a stealthier approach. Bait fishing for crappie is done on very light line, say 4 lb test. Small hooks in the number 4 or 6 size range baited with small minnows hooked through the tail, back, or lips. This rig is usually suspended from a sensitive float near a spot that crappie are more likely to hide in and around. These include cover, such as weed beds, boulders, submerged trees and brush piles. Other common live baits include garden worms, leeches, grasshoppers, crickets, and mayfly nymphs. Baits are especially effective when they are presented in a stealthy manner to spawning Crappie who are usually in areas with stumps, logs, weed beds, or brush areas. These baits are also often used to tip the various Crappie lures. Lures are especially effective when they are cast to or along fish holding spots. These include areas flooded timber and brush, weed edges, island points, rock piles, and areas close to boathouses and bridge pilings. These fish school so once a school is found, Crappies can often be caught in large numbers. You will need lures that are not easily snagged and that work well on a fairly slow retrieve. Like most panfish, a Crappie strike may be a quite light so the angler must stay alert. Believe it or not, fly-fishing is also a very popular style of Crappie fishing. Usually 2 weight fly rods are used with 6X leaders and small nymphs and wet flies. Crappies are also caught through the ice. As with most Ice fishing, holes are usually located over drop-offs, flats or points. Light action rods are used with bottom bait rigs, bait-float rigs or small jigging lures.
FISHING TACKLE FOR CRAPPIE:
Small spinning or bait casting reels used with more sensitive rods in the 4 to 5 foot range are often used by the most dedicated Crappie fishermen. Many of these ultra-light rods weigh less than 4 ounces and are made with graphite or boron for extra sensitivity. Care should be taken to match rods and reels to create a balanced combo. These light outfits are perfect for casting the tiny very light lures and baits used for catching Crappies. Some anglers have even started using 9 to 12 foot steelhead rods so that they can cast farther, but we still prefer the small ultralight rod. A large variety of lures can be effective. These include small spinners, spoons, and plugs, but the number one crappie lure is by far the small jig and jig-spinner combinations. Jig-spinner combinations such as the Beetle Spin or the Whistler Spin are very effective as well. Because Crappies are often caught while bait fishing, the bobber comes in handy. Bobbers can even be used in conjunction with jigs and bait.
TRY THESE TIPS:
Check your local Crappie lakes every few days in the spring so that you don’t miss the big early season bite. It often only lasts a few weeks, and you have to take advantage of this fast action as much as possible.
Always use small fine wire hooks that are extremely sharp. Crappie have paper thin mouths that can tear if you put too much pressure on them when setting larger hooks. Small jigs in the 1/8 to 1/64 ounce sizes are the most productive for Crappie fishing.
If you are fishing areas that are known for Crappie but are not getting any fish just wait. These fish will move in suddenly, feed quickly and then move back out again. You often have to stay and wait for them in order to catch decent numbers.
Always practice proper catch and release with the very biggest Crappies. This way, the larger fish that have superior genes may go on to spawn.
Jig fishing for Crappie often involves fishing in heavy cover, and many jigs can be lost to snags, so try and use jigs with a brush guard.