How to Find the Best Crappie Fishing this Spring

Learn about some fabulous and FREE crappie fishing resources that will help you find the hot bite and catch more spring crappie!

Gotta love spring! The lengthening daylight hours and the progressive tinting of green are enough to break the winter doldrums for most. Throw in a couple of hot reports of crappie hitting the banks and watch how one particular group will take on a glow that’s almost as bright as the sun overhead.

When springtime conditions trigger the crappie’s spawning movements to the banks, scores of anglers who passionately fish for the species follow them. It’s an exciting happening that can be a fish-catching jackpot for those who time it right, and it’s the one period when shore and boat anglers can equally enjoy the fun. So much so, in fact, that it’s a time that many families schedule their annual vacations around the occurrence. Of course, multiple factors influence spring crappie fishing success, with many out of your control – like water flow and weather – but there are also things you can do to swing advantages in your favor.

Being responsible for the Bobby Garland crappie baits brand for 16 years now, and being someone who enjoys constantly learning from the always-evolving crappie world, I have two thoughts about spring crappie fishing today: 1) If you miss the hot spring bite, it’s your own fault because you’re not using all the great resources available for free through your phone or computer; 2) Don’t worry if you did, because there are three other great crappie-catching seasons ahead.

The information that follows is focused entirely on thought #1, and ensuring you know about resources that can keep you atop current crappie fishing opportunities and reports, whether you intend to stay near your own backyard or venture out to “best destinations” elsewhere. Read on!

A Beer in the Basement, the World Wide Web, and Crappie.com

In 1996, Chicago-area crappie fishing buddies Ed Moes and Tom Jozsi were kicked back in a basement retreat, trading fish stories and talking about the rapidly emerging World Wide Web over a cold beer. Lots of potential domain names were discussed and they ultimately secured a few. Soon after, self-proclaimed computer geek Moes put up a message board on one that seemed to make sense, Crappie.com. The move was a life-changer for the city guy who says he’s  “really always been a country boy at heart,” and it’s the lifestyle he and his wife have now lived in Florida for the past several years.

“Crappie.com started as a very basic forum, and at a time when the Internet was just beginning to explode,” Moes said. “A few guides were among the first to post on the site, but it wasn’t until Kentucky Lake guide Richard Williams started regularly putting up his fishing reports that things really took off. We’ve grown exponentially since, and today we have more than 100 forums and moderators, and more than 50,000 members. Yet, we’ve never strayed from the original vision of who we are and what we do.

“We’re the largest crappie community out there, and the friendliest site on the Internet, with no politics and no personal attacks – by our rules – and we enforce them. We’re kid-friendly, you’ll frequently see prayer requests among our message boards, and I’m particularly proud of the fact that we have so many Veterans among our members. We’re just a group that’s passionate about crappie fishing. Our state forums are definitely the place to go for reports on any specific waters of interest in each. And we’re still free to join!”

Ed Moes, aka “Slab,” on Where to Go

“Oh, that’s easy. We have crappie just about everywhere, so it’s really more a matter of just going, versus where to go. I can say that because I get to witness crappie fishing all across the country in my Crappie.com travels, to waters large and small. All seem to have something special,” said Moes, aka “Slab” on Crappie.com.

When I pushed him harder for “one or two” that he considered particular favorites, he obliged. His first pick was somewhat of a surprise; his second, not so much.

St. Johns River, Florida Moes’ voice carried excitement as he talked about the sheer beauty of the St. Johns River, Florida’s largest river system, and one with the rare characteristic of naturally flowing north. “I love being on the St. Johns because I see so much – the scenery, the gators, the manatees, and, of course, the big and gorgeous black crappie that we catch. It’s like fishing a big swamp. Flooding seems to always be moving stuff around, and that means there’s lots of great cover. The crappie from the stained waters are absolutely stunning, with their dark coloration and distinctive markings.”

Mississippi’s Big Four (Okay, Five) Whether or not, you’re a traveling crappie angler, chances are good you’ll have heard of Mississippi’s famed “Big Four” crappie lakes: Arkabutla, Enid, Grenada and Sardis, situated north to south in the state, between Memphis and Jackson. Each has a reputation of its own, but Grenada in particular is synonymous with “trophy crappie lake.” Grenada continues to occupy the top spot heard most often as being the ultimate destination on many crappie enthusiasts’ “bucket list.”

Moes says he likes the fact that the four lakes are essentially in a vertical line because, “should the crappie not be cooperating on the lake you’re on, it’s not unreasonable to consider loading up and moving to the next.” He also noted that Ross Barnett Reservoir, similarly on the same imaginary line but at the farthest point south and nearest Jackson, is also an excellent crappie fishery that deserves attention.

Spider rigging and long-line trolling have long been the dominating techniques for catching crappie in these reservoirs, but forward-facing sonar technology continues to expand the approaches here, just like it’s doing everywhere else. For me, the greatest benefit in “live” has come from watching crappie behavior and getting a better understanding around just how important bait colors and profiles really are, and also the effectiveness of scents.

“For a first time visit to a Mississippi lake, or really any place, hiring a guide is always a good idea because it shortens the learning curve on how to find and catch crappie, and helps to acquaint you quickly with a new body of water. You can also find guides, and guide recommendations, on Crappie,com,” Moes added.

The Crappie Connection

Speaking of Ross Barnett, Mississippi’s Brad Chappell, host of the popular “The Crappie Connection” podcasts, and a longtime Bobby Garland pro staffer, calls Ross Barnett “home,” and it’s the place where he guides most.

Chappell is one of the country’s best at the technique known as long-lining, which is basically the trolling of two crappie jigs using the boat’s trolling motor to control speed and depth of presentation. He was instrumental in developing the Bobby Garland Stroll’R soft-plastic bait that features a unique thumping tail action beneficial to the specialized trolling tactic.

“I love ‘The Rez’ for a lot of reasons, but the main one is that it’s simply a quality crappie lake. Whether someone is after quality or quantity, we’re going to have a good time catching ‘em on this lake,” Chappell said.

The Crappie Connection regularly brings a wide assortment of how-to, where-to, what to do and fishing report content to its audience, with on-air guest expertise running the gamut from guides to tournament anglers to industry professionals. A recent addition to The Crappie Connection is a weekly show called “Today’s Bite,” which includes Oklahoma crappie guide and tournament angler Dustin McDaniel, along with Chappell. The two anglers highlight up-to-date crappie fishing trends and lake news around the country. Followers can tune-in via The Crappie Connection’s Facebook page or watch it live or anytime on YouTube. Today’s Bite is every Tuesday, 7 p.m. CDT.

CrappieNOW is about… 

The title of this longtime, online-only, free crappie fishing magazine says it all. Publisher and professional crappie angler Dan Dannenmueller and his staff keep the resource’s multimedia platform alive with fresh and searchable crappie tips, techniques, destinations, equipment, tackle, tournaments, crappie club info and the latest fishing industry news. You can learn more and subscribe for free at CrappieNOW.com.

HOT Crappie Spots for the Upper Midwest

AnglingBuzz, another great multimedia resource for fishing enthusiasts, recently released a newsletter with a story titled the “9 Best Crappie Lakes in the Upper Midwest.” We were excited to see the piece because it specifically highlights a few of the many outstanding crappie fisheries in the region. This is a must-read for more information about Houghton Lake (MI), Lake Petenwell & Castle Rock (WI), Mississippi River Backwaters (MO, IL, MN), “Glacial Lakes” Pickerel and Bitter (SD), Jamestown & Pipestem Reservoir (ND) and Rainy Lake (MN and Ontario, Canada).