Targeting Truly Massive Crappies

Ryan Repke asks:

I'm just wondering if you knew of any lakes that produce big crappies. I'm all about selective harvest. I release fish 99% of the time and have tight lips when it comes to spots as I'm sure you do too. Not looking for your spots but any info would be greatly appreciated. I mainly fish pool 2 for walleye and crappie. My biggest is 15 and I really want to beat that PB. I've researched a lot on stocking reports and creel surveys but just can't seem to find a lake that produces 16+ inch crappies. Thanks

Thanks Ryan.  I think it a noble quest to get out there and break previous personal-bests, especially by putting in the work to track down a specific species.  I can start out by telling you something you probably already know by now, in that a 16”+ crappie is a rare find.  While there may be certain water bodies that kick them out with more regularity, I think the key to understanding here is that few kick them out with consistency, and even more rarely to the same individual.     

I can speak from experience in saying that most of the truly big crappies I’ve taken have been on accident, while fishing for walleyes or bass, and my personal best at 16.25”es didn’t come from Rainy, Upper Red, or Lake of the Woods.  It came from a small farm pond while bass fishing a cold front with a ¼ oz. jig and 4” white curly tail grub.  Others in that 16” category were taken with jig/minnow presentations early season when fishing shallow for walleyes, and in northern WI muskie waters, both being lakes that get zero press for their crappies.  The pattern here being that there was no pattern or good tip-off and indication that giant crappies would be there.     

Many others in the 15” to 16” category come from famed northern waters previously mentioned, but are increasingly in short supply.  Instead, it’s the nearby contributing waters, nearly always difficult to get to, barely connected to these historical big-fish-factories, and not well-known for crappies that most of my best fish come from.  These northern fish are old, so they rely on time and little pressure to grow this size.  There are quite a few obscure northern MN waters that hold fish over 15”es, but for every 1 fish over 16”es, you’d have to catch at least a hundred 15’s.      

There exist several record-keeping groups that track master-angler, trophy caliber fish of all species, and this is a good place to start if you’re hunting for monsters.  Keep in mind, not all people are entirely honest in their accountings of fish sizes (real shocker there), but patterns still will emerge.  Creel and stocking reports are moderately helpful, but the gillnets should tell a story, particularly if larger individuals are present in any number whatsoever.  Keep in mind you’re talking about a very small percentage of the lake’s total crappie population. 

The two biggest factors that contribute to large crappies I’ve taken are both timing (seasonal) and presentation.  My biggest crappies have come in the mid-spring time-period around docks and shorelines sometime around the spawn, and during the first few weeks of the ice fishing season.  Both are opportunities to catch big crappies poised to out-compete pesky smaller fish.  To attract big fish and deter smaller ones, fish big.  In the spring, that means larger jigs and plastics.  Fish slowly, but accept that fact that you’re trying to keep 12” and smaller fish away.  In the winter, that means spoons, 3” jig/plastic combinations, and rattle lures like the Slab Rap or Rippin’ Rap.  Most of my biggest winter crappies have come by walleye fishing with walleye-sized baits. 

I wish you luck, and let me know when you crack that pig!

Joel     

Favorite Weedy Walleye Tactic

David Cook asks:

I would say I'm above average walleye fisherman and catch a lot of walleyes but one thing I have been trying to figure out is how to catch them in the weeds. I can not figure out a method or maybe it's just the confidence in doing it to be successful doing it. With that being said here's my ?. What do you like to do or what is your favorite way to catch walleyes in the weeds? I have seen so many videos of people catching walleyes in the weeds and having super success. I try pulling Spiners over the tops but I can not figure out right weight or amount of line to have out. I always just snag weeds right away. Any help or advice would be awesome. I have tried for 2 years and I can just not get it.

Thanks
David

Dave – You’re not alone.  It’s a part of my own game that I’d like to get better at.  The guys I know that are great at finding walleyes and weeds virtually live there, relying on weed bites throughout the year for resident fish that are always there in at least some number. 

There’s a few ways I’ve been successful in getting walleyes to bite in the weeds, and much depends on time of year, where you’re fishing, and what types of weeds you’re targeting. My favorite way is definitely to rig around deep cabbage edges, and even within if sparse enough.

Knowing your weeds is important.  Cabbage is considered a broad-leafed, rooted plant in our lakes, and to me is the premium in fish-holding capability.  Coontail is a close second, though there are many species that hold fish, especially in the absence of the big two mentioned above.   

The first challenge to finding fish then is identifying great cabbage.  Being a map nerd with a natural resources background, I’m fascinated by the amount of great information the MN DNR has on its Lake Vegetation Reports.  While not available for all lakes, there are detailed maps with vegetative reports on species, locations, and abundance for the fishiest walleye “weeds” in all of our lakes.  Research the lakes you fish, and study these reports closely to see if there aren’t some prime weedbeds that exist in key locations.  To me, these are cabbage locations with an interesting twist, inside turn, or point, with access to broad sandy shallows inside, and immediate depths outside the weedbed.    

Early on, a lot of lakes I fish weeds for have the deep end of that cabbage being around 10-14FOW.  Fishing then when it is sparse, you can drag rigs in and amongst the weeds themselves, but need turbid, stained water or a good chop with some overcast conditions to make it a real winner.  Otherwise you’re just pushing fish around the shallows with your boat.  The perfect weed bite lakes in my opinion do not have crystal clear water, but have enough clarity to support ample weed growth to depths in the mid-teens by mid-summer.

Early I’ve pulled shiners, rainbows, or even large creek chubs on a short leash (3 foot leader or less), with a heavy 1/2oz. bullet sinker and a float.  This is a great early season big fish technique.  Later, as weeds develop more, I’ll float a worm up off the bottom a bit.  My experience is that it takes some floatation to keep away from the bases of those stalks which are the snaggiest and least forgiving.  You may tangle in the leaves or upper portions of the stems, but can easily pull through here.  Detecting fish vs. weeds is something that takes time and feel.  Especially with crawlers, gills in that same cabbage love to harass you.  That said, there’s many times I’ve caught walleyes in with gills on early weed bites so don’t be discouraged. 

A good way to get the feel and reduce snagging is to take a VMC Walleye Wide Gap hook , size 4 or 6, and texas-rig the crawler by just burying it into the body.  The larger gap allows that worm to collapse on the hookset, and though you will convert more bites to fish in the net by leaving the hook exposed, the frustration factor in not snagging as many weeds will keep you in the game.

Stick with it, try different lakes, and grow your confidence in this technique as it’s worked well for me.

Crappie and Bluegill Spawn

Bobby Kuenen asks:

How far out from  the crappie/gill spawn are we? I've been fishing the lakes around Faribault and catchin bass but just starting to see some panfish up in the shallows.

Hi Bobby - I've been out a few times including opener, and just fished a bit yesterday.  All I can say is man, what a difference from near 70 degree water temps to the 56-58 degrees I saw on Thursday.  

On the opener, we had 80+degree air temps, and crappies were around their beds, appearing to be finished from the few lakes I was on.  Bluegills were starting to move in and were just off the weed edges eating everything.  Everything now is in a bit of shock from what I saw.  There were fish shallow on the inside weedlines, but much more inactive than I'd seen before the cold weather we've been having.

Generally speaking - crappies spawn first in that 55-60 degree area, with gills next in that 68-70 degree mark.  That said, this spring hasn't been normal with that big swing of cold and rain.

From what I'm observing in southern MN and western WI, crappies appear to be done with some visible nests still holding a fish or two.  Bluegills were just pushing into the shallows around opener but had not been building beds on the lakes I've been on, and they'll be set back here until water temps gradually get where they need to be and stay there for a week or so.  Should that happen, it'll all come at once!  

Keep in mind that each lake is different, and water temps both leading up to the cool down, and how quickly they've rebounded will play a strong role in the progression of the spawn for each species.  

Braid Benefits

Chip Timm asks:

I mainly fish with a swim jig and plastics for walleye and crappies in Wisconsin. Could you simply explain the pluses and minuses for using braided line? I have never used it but have heard from others that it is the way to go.

Thanks for the question Chip - I think what you're hearing out there is a sentiment echoed by a good number of anglers that switch from mono to braid for a host of applications.  The benefits are many, and immediately noticed.  First and foremost, braid is much more sensitive, transmitting a great dose of extra vibration in the form of "feel" to your bait, bottom, structure, and/or a fish that eats.  Also importantly, braid stretches very little, increasing the ability of many to drive hooks into fish, especially on long ends of casts.  Because of its construction, your average braid is more durable in terms of abrasion resistance, so it fishes well in a number of snaggy environments from trees, to rocks, and even zebra mussel infested areas of bottom.  

Downsides would be some of the upsides.  Because of the lack of stretch in the line, some applications like pulling cranks, leads to people pulling hooks out of fish's mouths.  A softer rod with a more moderate action helps to diminish this effect while still getting all the benefits of braid.  Another downside would be the fact that braid is a "hard-line" and is not semi-transparent.  These opaque lines are then more visible in the water, but this effect can be nullified by simply tying in a section of fluorocarbon.  Sometimes in river current, I'll have a mono-rod that I fish to test the effect of current on the line, as each type cuts through water differently.  

All in all, I'm a huge braid guy, and think the benefits far outweigh the downsides.  Not all braids are created equal however, and depending on what you're doing, you may want to consider a few different options.  I'm a fan of Sufix 832 Advanced Superline in 10-20lb. test.  You can fish lighter line for sure, but I like the stiffness and performance of the slightly heavier line.  This is especially true with casting crankbaits that tumble and can potentially tangle in your line.  Braid that is too soft or supple can create issues with tangles and wind-knots.

For light-jigs, clear water and long casts, I prefer the Sufix Nanobraid.  The stuff casts a mile and really performs better than mono varieties on small reels.

Joel

How Important is it to Roost a Bird?

Pat S. asks:

Pat found a great bird for his son Noah on a "Plan B" property that he didn't get a chance to roost birds on the night previous.  

How much stock do you put into putting birds to bed?  Very calm out right now, clear skies, but no responses to an owl call.  What does it mean?  Should I hunt a different spot in the morning?

It's a question that turkey hunters are faced with every season.  First off, how important is it to roost birds in general, and then what if nothing responds?  For the most part, I tend to hunt with more confidence when I know where my target is sleeping, but the age old adage "Roosted Ain't Roasted" really rings true.  In looking back at my journal over the years, I'm seeing about 15-20% success immediately off the roost for all the birds I've played a part in killing over the past 20 years.  That's a pretty small number in the grand scheme of things.  I know later in the season after I'm worn down from week after week of turkeys, sleep can be more important, but it is nice to have a good idea where they're at first thing.  

As far as a response or not, and then switching properties, that's when you need to fall back on your scouting, and maybe more importantly the characteristics of the area you tried to roost them.  Is it a perennially favorite location with numerous toms seen through your scouting, or is it an isolated hail-mary to begin with?  I always let that make my decision if no birds play ball the night before.  Last night for example, I blew an owl call right around sundown and heard nothing.  Just as I was leaving however 15 minutes later, I heard 3 different toms sound off, one time only for each bird.  Had I not stayed that last little bit, I probably would've thought there was nothing going.  They don't always gobble well on the limb, and sometimes they get to bed late, so use your best judgement regarding habitat, history, and recent scouting to make the right call.

UPDATE - Pat went with Plan B and found a great longbeard for his son Noah.  Congrats to the both of them!    

Trolling Crankbaits for Walleye: Spring to Summer

Blayne Kasper asks:

I am just wondering if you have any quick tips to trolling crankbaits for spring walleye (speed, amount of line out/depth, equipment) that sort of thing. I usually fish smaller to mid sized lakes in Central Minnesota, and I am relatively new to this method and wanted to try it out more this summer.

Hi Blayne, this is a big topic, but I’ll do my best to boil it down for your specific area.  Walleye season opens in mid-May where you’re fishing, so spring trolling there is a somewhat relative term to that time period. 

As a general rule in lakes, most early season trolling works well with a big wind, as fish locations tend to be shallower during this time of year and overhead boat traffic can spook fish.  That said, you do run the full gamut, with some clear lakes that will likely never have a good crankbait bite with the exception of maybe dusk or after dark, and some lakes that are murky and turbid enough to enjoy a good shallow crankbait bite no matter what the wind does.  Still, wind will concentrate fish on shorelines and make for a prime trolling run.  For this type of fishing, I start with #5 Shad Raps  or #5 Smash Shads (for rattle) long-lined on #10-20 Sufix 832 or mono between 75-150 feet behind the boat depending on depth I’m trying to achieve.  As a general rule, be as close to the bottom as you can, often “ticking” it occasionally” without rolling or fouling. 

In clearer systems, consider planer boards to run your baits away from the boat towards shore, as you hover over deeper water and avoid driving over fish.  Some well-known systems like Upper Red Lake, Leech, and others allow you to pull shallow diving crankbaits on boards in as shallow as 4FOW and catch walleyes like crazy.  Planer boards or no, speeds should range from 2 – 3mph traditionally, with big winds often kicking up the preferred speed over 4mph. 

As fish move into summer patterns from near shore breaklines to off-shore structure, lead-core trolling really comes into play.  Don’t be scared by the specialization, as it’s a really effective tactic.  Make an investment into two St. Croix Eyecon trolling rod setups of equal length; longer if you’re going to try to troll other rods with them, or mid-lengths if they’ll be the only two rods being used.  The moderate actions on these rods really put more fish in the boat, especially with braid, as they give a bit while allowing the fish to get the bait all the way into its mouth. 

Get a linecounter reel and spool it with backing as needed to fill the entire spool with #18 leadcore line.  If you’re uncomfortable with this step, any reputable sporting goods store can do it for you.  Remove lead from the last few inches of line, then tie your favorite braid/mono knot to connect a length of #10 fluourocarbon leader and snap for the lure.  You can adjust the length of your leader from 30 feet in extremely clear bodies of water like Mille lacs, down to 3 feet in turbid systems like the Mississippi River. 

Find fish with your electronics that you’d like to target and start a tenth of a mile or more away to get your trolling run figured out.  Select baits, reset your line-counter, and let out line a few “colors” (10 yard segments) until you start to detect bottom.  Reel up until you’re just making contact occasionally and hold depth even while going 2.2 – 3.0mph.  Let out line to cover deeper water, and reel it in to effectively fish shallower while covering your bases in proven color patterns.  For me, that’s a mix of basic colors like perch, red craw, firetiger, purpledescent, etc.

This is a big topic, but hopefully I’ve covered a few key points that will help put more fish in the boat this summer.

Joel

Peak Gobbling Activity in the Midwest

Brad Uitdenbogerd writes:

Hi, I attended your seminar at the deer/turkey show in Minnesota last weekend, and enjoyed it. You briefly had a slide up showing a graph of a few years of peak gobbling times in Minnesota. Where can I find that graph on your website or elsewhere, I would like to look at it closer.
Good hunting,
Brad

Hi Brad.  That information was adapted from some years of data collected by author and guide T.R. Michels, here in southern Minnesota.  His Turkey Addict's Manual is a great read!  Attached is the graph, but as I described in the seminar, more important is what it tells us.  Keep in mind, the red line is the general trend for most years and does vary season to season.  That said, it helps us understand the progression through the breeding season and what it means for our hunting.

In the early season, gobblers are willing to breed but hens are not and toms do a great deal of gobbling for a variety of reasons.  This peak can and usually does happen just before the season opener in MN.  Then comes somewhat of a lull, similar to the "lockdown" phase of the deer rut, with toms staying in close visual contact with ready hens at all times.  There's less of a need to gobble under these circumstances.  Then another peak happens in early May with the majority of hens going off to nest.  My experience has shown that while gobbling doesn't necessarily pick-up in the morning hours only, it continues well into the middle part of the day, this time period is great for hunting whenever you have a chance to hit the woods.  Then the late season decline happens as hens' interest declines. While toms are still ready and willing, food is plentiful and the breeding season is winding down so they're not as likely to come a great distance or gobble with the same gusto they did earlier.  Of course there are exceptions to every part of these phases, but they've held mostly true for as long as I've hunted in the Midwest.

Keep these in mind as you select seasons and head out there to hunt birds, but remember, there's never a bad time to hunt turkeys!

Joel

When To Go Fishing?

Jacob Kruse asks:

I've been a big fan of your work since your time at In-depth Outdoors and have enjoyed your latest videos with Tony Roach. I always love watching you catch big gills.

What are your thoughts on time of day, weather, barometric pressure and lunar phase affecting fishing or when you should be looking at getting out? Particularly relating to bluegill and other panfish. With young children my fishing time is limited, so I figure why not try to optimize when you can get out.

It's funny, the exact moment I read this I was eating lunch at Hunter's Point on Mille Lacs with Tony and I showed it to him.  His response?

"Go fishing anytime and every-time you can.  You may get hit by a train tomorrow."

My thoughts these days are much the same as his, but I fully understand when you're coming from.  More and more often, the pressure to catch fish surpasses the idea of just going fishing.  So to maximize your time on the water, I've found that 60% of the time the following works everytime:

• Fish pre-frontal conditions - These are signified by any change in the weather, typically for the worse, where calm stable weather gives way to precip, winds, or other storms.
• A stable barometer provides the best long-term fishing as fish settle into more predictable locations and patterns, while the hottest or fastest fishing is in the hours when the barometer has reached the "shoulder" of the slope and is starting to decline.  Continual peaks and valleys make for yo-yo-like fishing patterns and inconsistent action.
• Use a site like Weather Underground to show the graph of relative barometric conditions.  
• Lunar phases tend to affect predatory fish more from the research that's out there, and bluegills don't feed after dark in "most" lakes.  There are clear water bodies and lakes with active night-time invertebrates that are the exception to that rule.
• Early and late is always the best, but it's better to find them during the day and move with them if you can.

Per Tony's advice, don't look for reasons not to fish, but if you get the choice you're usually best served by heeding the above advice.  That said, I've had incredible days in bluebird conditions with pressure high enough to give every fish in the lake a headache, but they didn't mind.  All the more reason to hit it when you can!

Joel