Looking at the week’s forecast of sub-freezing nights and snowy days, its spring time in Michigan. The Tigers are opening their season tonight, and inland fishing can be at its best.
What better way to kick off the state’s new three rod rule, than taking the kids out crappie fishing in the spring? Closing my eyes, getting that mental picture, and that could end up in a tangle of lines, but still we get to use THREE LINES folks.
Still, for the individual or two folks in the boat, this could be a fun thing. What rods, lines and baits to use? All depends on your method of fishing, and what you have in the tackle arsenal already. Going out for the first time? Here are a few good ideas, and starting points.
Bobber rods are a good place to start. A six, 6′6″ or 7 foot ultra light rod are excellent choices. Some light action rods are good choices, and some medium light rods are actually light enough to get the job done as well. Another excellent choice are fly rods. A 7 and half foot, 4 or 5 weight rod equipped with a light spinning reel is an excellent choice. But, this option should be held at all times, as the handle length does not allow for placement in a rod holder. I use what I have, 6ft St Croix Premier Ultra Lights. These also double up as my perch rods come fall time out on Lake Erie. If you have some longer perch rods, maybe a light action with a soft tip, this adds up to a nice crappie rod for your set up.
Reel choices depend on the length of the rod when considering balance. Some of the bulkier 750 models will work, or 1000 models on the longer rods. I have some Daiwa Caprice 1000’s which I really like on my smaller panfish rods, but for this application I moved up in size to Abu Garcia’s Cardinal 301’s for my longer rods.
Line choices are fairly easy, depending on if you are fishing in cover or out in the open. I have some Trilene 6 lb XL spooled up on the 301’s spare spools left over from this winter’s walleye fishing. This is about as heavy as you want to get, no matter what conditions you are casting into. Ideally, four lb would be a good all around choice, but if the 6 lb proves to be too heavy, a simple addition of a 4 or 2 lb leader of Vanish fluorocarbon will solve that problem. Its what I use, connected with a double uni knot, but if you have a favorite fc line, by all means stick with what you know. Its a confidence thing.
As with everything else, bobbers come up in discussion. There are many types and shapes to choose from. In shallow water, clear casting bubbles work best. Mid range depths are where those fixed red/white bobbers shine. In deeper water, where the depth is greater than the length of your rod, go with a slip bobber for best results. Just remember with the slip bobber that you might have to add weight to force the line through to the desired depth. A couple of small split shot should do the trick without overloading the bobber.
I like Thill’s Bubblegum bobbers for my slip bobbers. The bright flourescent colors stand out and are easy to keep an eye on. I like pink the best, it seems to stand out the most, compared to the green, blue and chartruse colors available.
Bait is limited in this case. Sometimes a #6,8 or 10 sized ice jig with some spikes or waxies will work well. I usually bring them with me if I have any left over from ice fishing. This year my waxworms are long gone, but I do have some maggies left in the fridge. Overall though, its hard to beat a #4, 6 or 8 sized hook with a shiner hooked behind the dorsal fin. The key here is to have the hook pointed back towards the tail. Why? Because the crappie tend to take their bait head first into their mouths, and you increase your hooking percentage by driving the hook through the mouth.
Later this week, will get into some articial baits available for spring crappie fishing.