What is your favorite early spring cold water tactics?

[Hoosier Crappie Man]

Just looking for some advice for catching the crappies in early spring before the water warms up? Whats your favorite jig colors.
One thing I do is use the hollow tube jigs and stuff a little cotton inside of the tube and then soak them it an attractant, the cotton holds the scent longer and produces more fish for me. I can usually out fish my buddies doing this. I seem to have the best luck with the red/white jigs.

[GRIZZ]

I'm assuming your in Indiana from your name. The water is gonna still be cold for a while. The colder the water the slower and smaller you fish. I'd use 1 inch berkley micro tubes under a bobber moving as slowly as you can stand without going crazy. Try a variety of colors. Sometimes one specific color does the trick, but my favorite is the green/chart color. When I'm using berkley tubes I probably use that color 90% of the time.

For live bait, find some smallish emerald shiners if they have them in your area. Hook them in the meat behind the dorsal fin and they stay alive and wiggling longer.

If the water is just starting to warm up you might get lucky and find them schooling at creek mouths or on points close to fresh water sources if your fishing the typical natural shallow lakes they have in Indiana. The water coming in from creeks can be slightly warmer from sunlight and attracts the fish. They won't be coming shallow yet but staging off the shallow areas in pretty good schools. If you find a school this time of year they will most likely be feeding but you might have to wait for the "bite". This time of year it isnt neccesarily at dusk and dwn like when its warm, but more likely to be in late morning to late afternoon because of water warming. I'd still give dusk a shot, but I've never done well at dawn for crappies when its still cold.

Personally I'm a light line jig caster, and would use the berkley tube or triple colored grub like these -
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...rTarget=browse

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...rTarget=browse

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...020&id=0017665

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...020&hasJS=true

http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine...niPanfish5.jpg

Something I've been itching to try but havn't found anywhere yet are these - http://fishstanley.com/catalog/wedgetails8.cfm


Hope this was helpful - go get em.

[Hoosier Crappie Man]

Thanks Grizz for all the tips, I will put them to use. Also, I have most of the grubs that you linked to or mentioned so I am already hooked up there. I went out a little earlier and gave it another shot but wasn't able to stay long cause my dog didn't wanna stay close by. I didn't catch anything in the 20 minutes I was there but atleast I got to get out for a few. I will give it another try this weekend since I think we have a few day warm up period that just arrived - maybe it will warm the waters a little.

[Moose1am]

One important fact to remember this time of the year. Shallow water on the North Shoreline that has a dark bottom will warm up first. Find some of this type of water close to deep water where the shallows are connected by a point or bar all the way from the shallow water to the deepest water in the area and you will have a honey spot come spawn.

Put out some shallow brush piles (depends on the sunlight penetration and the water clarity ) and you will enhance that spot. By seeding the area with brush piles you start the food chain and the crappie will be there sooner or later.

Just looking for some advice for catching the crappies in early spring before the water warms up? Whats your favorite jig colors.
One thing I do is use the hollow tube jigs and stuff a little cotton inside of the tube and then soak them it an attractant, the cotton holds the scent longer and produces more fish for me. I can usually out fish my buddies doing this. I seem to have the best luck with the red/white jigs.

[GRIZZ]

Sorry you didnt get anything, but you know what, up in the north its great to wet the line this time of year. Its like medicine.

[ILUVCRAPPIEFISHIN]

I've heard alot of people talk about the North shoreline or the North side of the lake warming first. This may be a dumb question but why is that? Doesn't the sun rise in the East? It would seem the West side would get more sunlight!

[CrappiePappy]

I've heard alot of people talk about the North shoreline or the North side of the lake warming first. This may be a dumb question but why is that? Doesn't the sun rise in the East? It would seem the West side would get more sunlight!

where the Sun rises or sets, or even how long it stays out ... it's more because the Earth is tilted away from the Sun (our hemisphere is), and the East/South/West banks tend to be shaded for a lot of the time -- whereas the Northern banks are exposed more, when the Sun is more directly overhead. It's not always 100% correct ... but, just a guideline. ...cp

[crappie joe]

Yes and south wind blows in the spring warms up the north shore first.

[Hoosier Crappie Man]

This is all some great info - keep it coming

Thanks

[ThrillSeeker]

I use a Kentucky rig w/ live minnows and a 3/8 oz weight or a Kentucky rig w/ Charlie Brewer sliders in Black/Chartreuse or Blue and White w/ a 1/4 oz jig head.