New to Kansas fishing

[Laker taker]

I just moved here from Colorado and am not familiar with the warm water fishing that is done here. The fishing I do in Colorado is for deep cold water Lake Trout, Kokanee Salmon & Northern Pike. I used to only fish the front range area lakes for walleyes in the early spring and fall.

Any way, typically, is there a certain depth or type of structure you look for at this time of year for the Crappies? My research seems that within the next 45 days or so, the shallow, warm water in the back coves, etc... will hold the Crappie that are spawning.

Are the brushpiles key right now? How about the deep river channel? Is vertical jigging the preffered methods right now or a slow drift dragging jigs or live bait?


Not looking for any honey holes, just some rules of thumb that you go by in the seasonal movement and methods out in eastern Kansas.

Thanks.

[KCBALLER]

welcome aboard from missouri

[Crappie Chatt]

WELCOME TO CDC Laker taker!!! Water temps around here should be in the mid to upper 50's. I DID say should be. Just now reaching the lower 50's. As it warms up,,, jig and bobber, next to the banks, should be the ticket. The feeder creeks and rivers will warm up 1st. Fish the lay-downs and log-jams. I'll start on the down side of the current. SLOW!!!! I have not been catching much lately but,,,, it's about to happen!!! <*)}}}><

[Bob # 1]

Hello, from Indiana
Cant help you from here.

PS
The coffee pot is on

[Laker taker]

Thanks for the tip.

I know I'm not going to get anyone's tried and true methods (us lake trout guys are pretty tight lipped too), but I thought I'd ask!


The style of fishing I'm used to is following the lake trout from early ice out in shallow water (less than 25 fow). Early on they are typically suspended anywhere in the column. Then they follow the spawning suckers and rainbows onto shallow flats, humps and river/creek inlets. As the water warms they start to decend onto deeper and deeper structure (primarily humps) where they end up in 90 to 120 fow by mid to late july.

We use 6" to 8" tube jigs with custom/homemade, 1 oz jig heads, fished vertically under the boat with a up-down motion.

Salmon is all trolling with big attracting gear either on lead core line or downriggers.



Anyway, as you all can see, my fishing experience is considerably different than the fishing here.

[Fish Taxi]

Sounds like crappie could be used for lake trout bait... 1 oz jigs might be useful for fighting off water snakes, or guys that crowd your honey hole. :D

You might be able to adapt some of your tackle and techniques for catching stripers and wipers here in KS.

If you are interested in crappie fishing, you probably ought to get some new gear... I like medium-light spinning tackle and 4# or 6# line. I use 1/32, 1/16oz jigs mostly in the spring, and 2 inch tubes or curly tails. Medium minnows work fine too.

I was finding crappie last weekend in cover 8 to 12 feet deep, and also suspended near cover in the same depth range. I like the jig/bobber method myself, but In-Fisherman had a good article about long poles and rods for crappie fishing in the current issue. Good luck if you go.

[Smoky]

Welcome to our forum from the foothills of the Smoky Mountains! Tight Lines!

[BuckCreekMike]

Taker I would say once the water temps reach 55-60 start looking for riprap and locate brush or structure near it and start there with jigs or minnows etc.. as the temps rise they will move closer to the riprap and eventually spawn and can be caught with a jig and bobber set 18-24" below right up near the bank.

[AntiochBA]

I'm a newbie....when you say 55-60 degrees, are you measuring water surface temps?