What is the best month for crappie fishing?

Crappie can be caught year round, but the best time is during the spring spawning season when the fish are in shallow water and relatively easy to locate. Crappie often congregate in groups; if one is caught, more are usually present.

What time of year is best for crappie fishing?

The best time of year to catch crappie is during the spawning season which takes place from February-May. During the spawn, both male and female crappie move from deep locations into shallow and concentrated spawning areas. This makes them very easy to target, as they are actively feeding and defending their nests.

What time of day are crappie most active?

In the case of crappie, the best time to catch them is during their feeding time, which is most frequently between the hours of midnight and 2 am. Additionally, during dawn and dusk can be good times to catch them, with many of them also feeding during these twilight hours.

What time of year do crappie start biting?

The best fishing of the year takes place once the water warms up to the mid-50s. That could be as early as February in some Southern California Lakes, but doesn't arrive until April farther north. Crappies feed most actively in the morning and evening, so stick to those times of the day for the highest catch rates.

What is the best bait for crappie?

Minnows, worms, insects—just about anything can catch a crappie's attention. You don't have to worry about the color of the bait, and you're only throwing them what they would be eating anyway. Minnows are hands-down the favorite used by most, and some even tip a jig with a live minnow for a double-whammy.

Best time to catch crappie

What color crappie looks best?

Orange-white is good at times, but all-white is not so good. In stained water, low light, all-brown, brown-orange, black-lime and all-black have been consistent performers for my best crappie action. In stained water with a heavy algae bloom, the best colors are chartreuse and orange.

How deep are crappie right now?

You're likely to find the crappie hanging out in waters 6 to 12 feet deep and remember, finding structure is not as important as finding food for the crappie.

How do you attract crappie?

Why do crappie stop biting?

Crappie may stop biting for these 4 reasons: 1. They were spooked by the angler or another predator, 2. They followed their food source elsewhere, 3. They are moving in relation to cold or hot weather, 4.

How do you find crappie in a lake?

Anglers often find more fish near the shoreline cypress trees, stickups, weed beds, blowdowns, or cover-button willows. The big crappie tend to be in shallow water near channel edges next to shallow flats or main lake humps. It's usually the cold fronts that drive crappie into deeper water from the shallows.

How do you attract crappie at night?

Jigs and minnows are the best crappie baits, day and night. But at times it pays to vary the menu for discriminating nighttime diners. If crappie are feeding on shad attracted to your lights, shad may outproduce minnows.

Where do crappie fish go at night?

Having a good range of depths is also beneficial so fish can move deeper during the day. Bridges are among the best specific areas for nighttime crappie because they create funnels that center on a creek channel with plentiful structure from bridge pillars, supports and riprap at the ends.

At what water temperature do crappie start biting?

According to Rister, crappies begin spawning when the water hits 57 degrees.

Do crappies bite during the day?

Crappie will bite at any time of the day but during the middle part of the day, crappie will be tucked in very tight to cover or far under docks and will become sluggish in the hotter water. You can still get them to bite but you need to put the bait right on them.

Can you catch crappie in February?

February crappie can be found in a wide range of locations depending on water temperature, prevailing wind, water clarity, available structure and frontal conditions. They can be caught with everything from minnows to elaborate rigs with multiple jigs.

How deep should you fish for crappie?

Crappie like to spawn in areas of shallow water, usually around 2-to-4 feet deep, with cover such as brush, flooded timber or weeds, and with easy access to deeper water. In areas with murky water and thick cover, I have sometimes found them nearly on the bank.

How do you catch big crappie instead of the little ones?

Do you crappie feed up or down?

Crappie tend to feed upward, so present your baits just above them in the water column, and use that slow fall rate to keep the bait fluttering back into their strike zone. Look for access to deep water to find fall crappie from shore.

Does rain affect crappie fishing?

After a rain, crappie will hold deeper than where you expect and won't be searching around for food. When fishing, you need active fish looking for a meal to get bites. So you see why fishing after a rain can be difficult. The key becomes finding the right bait, the right area, and most important – being patient.

Do crappie like wax worms?

Re: Wax worms or minnows for crappie

Either can work well, depending on what jig you're using and your presentation. I usually just use spikes (maggots) myself, stringing them on 2 or 3 in a row, but a fat waxworm will work even better most of the time.