Do you stop crappie fishing after the spawn?

[M R Dux]

I'm really puzzled about this. I see so many posts here from folks who don't want to try crappie if they have spawned in a particular lake. I can see if a person is chasing bluegills/redears or spawning catfish but what is it about post spawn crappie that so many people avoid them like the plague? I catch as many if not more post-spawn crappie as I do pre-spawn and find them to be much more easy to pattern. I realize many leave the shallowest parts of the lake but they don't go to the middle of the river channel and sulk for the rest of the year. They still feed, maybe more than prior to the spawn.

Get out there on the ledges nearest to the spawning areas and pull a jig or crankbait. Don't expect to catch big egg-laden females but so what. Fillets are fillets. Put some ice in the livewell or take a cooler and ice the ones you want to keep as soon as they are caught.

Don't care to try them? That leaves more for those of us who are out there during the dog days when the temps are above 90 but the crappie are eating the paint off the baits we put in front of them.

On 2nd thought---as Gilda Radner (Roseanne Roseannadanna) used to say "Never mind".

BTW, my avatar photo was taken on KY lake in late June. We were longlining about 12-15 feet of water with the same baits we fished it in March.

[feelay]

I always laugh when I'm catching fish is summer or winter and someone asks "you can catch them this time of year? I thought they only bit in the spring." My response is..." I like something to eat everyday, so do fish."

[deathb4disco]

I always laugh when I'm catching fish is summer or winter and someone asks "you can catch them this time of year? I thought they only bit in the spring." My response is..." I like something to eat everyday, so do fish."

Agreed, but I think bluegill fishing is even worse for this.

On another forum, a member said someone told him that bluegill don't eat at all during winter.

[matzilla]

I don't fish the spawn nearly as much as I pursue crappie during the fall and through the ice in winter

[wannabe fisherman]

WHY would you?? they gotta eat all the time.

[CrappiePappy]

Those that stop Crappie fishing after the spawn, IMHO, are either chasing another species or not wanting to fish for Crappie that are not right against the bank (shallow). They want the "easiest" situation in which to "load the boat", catch the "bigguns", or "get a limit" on most every trip and that's the only way/time they know. That's their choice, and I don't fault them on it ... but, I do agree that they're missing out on the potential to do just that, through most of the rest of the year. They just need to learn the normal movement patterns on their lakes, and adjust their methods to suit. They may also be some of those people that have many other hobbies or sports they enjoy, and just choose to fish during that particular window of opportunity. I'm good with that, too.

I've caught Crappie all through the Spring/Summer/Fall, in years past, by simply adjusting to the weather conditions & the depth/location it sends the fish ... either by fishing from 0dark30 to midday, or night fishing, to escape the heat. I wasn't set up to spider rig or pull cranks back in those days, but still managed to find/catch fish. As I start a new year, now able to spider rig, I'm hopeful of similar results I got from casting jigs.

... cp

[warmouth]

It depends on how people fish, I've never long lined or spider rigged, and after the spawn fish are spread out. I start bluegill and cat fishing until June, and then get back on crappie on the summer pattern when concentrations of fish are big enough to go after them with one or two lines in the water per person.

The fish are just easier for me to pattern when they are in a big wad/school, which is not what post spawn fish are doing. Single pole fisherman have to cover a TON of water to get the bite compared to fishing for schooled up fish.

The othher thing is that the lakes I fish have a bunch of standing trees and cover, so long lineing would have me losing jigs every drift. I end up hanging catfish lines and chase the bluegills during the crappie post spawn.

If I was on different water I might do it a different way.

[NIMROD]

Here they usually slow down for a few days then post spawn is one of the best times. Once water levels , weather and wind settles down it's game on .

[chaunc]

Study hard, practice often, know what you're looking for. This is what works for me year round.

[NickD]

I'm a troller, so I would rather fish pre and post spawn anyways.