Longlining Question

[crappie_dan]

At what water temp do the crappie generally get active enough to take a bait moving at say 1+mph. I would like to switch from tightlining to longlining asap, just dont want to get ahead of myself. Thanks

[SteveJ]

Scott and I got our limit here in East central MS yesterday both spider-rigging and long-lining. After they slowed down on SR we started to long-line to cover more water and started to catch some more. The surface temp was 63 and our speed was 1 mph. It was a perfect weather day, got to 70 with very little wind. We went the day before which was very windy, blew us off the lake and only got 1 keeper, water temp was the same, just unable to fish where we wanted in the wind. The males are starting to get color so the spawn is getting close.

[skiptomylu]

I would say just before they move in to the banks. I usually can start catching them when I find them in something like 12'-14' of water, but things really pick up when you find they have moved into something like 6'-7'. I find they will go in and out for a while and here it seems they hold at that 6' area for almost all of spring, but you can still catch some in water 10'-11' or so during that time too if you can locate them there and sometime you will also find a few big ones there.

Black Crappie will start moving in when the water temp hits about 58 and White Crappie maybe a bit higher at 62-64 degrees or so.

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