Page 8 - Crappie NOW - March 2019

Story & photos by Kenneth L. Kieser

ost crappie are caught in the spring cooperated with this young guide who was
when mature fish move into the shallows teaching a veteran fisherman of 60-plus years
Mto spawn. The average date for fishing new tricks.
crappie spawns is generally around April We caught several “keeper” crappie
15 (in middle Missouri, sooner in the south, that were indeed “hugging bark” when my
later in the north). Most fisherman can fill a lightweight rod suddenly doubled. I mumbled
spawning-season fish sack, but finding pre- something about a nice bass when the sun
spawn crappie in big numbers is a different illuminated silver flashing just under the
story. surface. I had hooked a bigger crappie that
was diving for tree limbs.
Pre-Spawn Timber Tactics I could only hold on and fight out the fish,
Crappie move from the shallow to deeper while putting frightening pressure on four-
water when winter temperatures take over. pound test line. Luckily Faulkenberry had a
Submerged standing timber found on deep long-handled net and soon I held a 2-1/2-pound
flats becomes a favorite crappie haunt. They crappie. I took a couple pictures of the big
have food and a safe place to live. female before releasing her to spawn and
I seldom miss an opportunity to crappie fish, fight again. The old girl looked well fed after
especially with friends. I gratefully accepted feeding off of tree-bark minnows and insects.
Jeff Falkenberry’s generous invitation to join Sonar is useful in determining how many
him for a pre-spawn trip on Truman Lake branches are on a submerged tree or even
where he is an accomplished guide. how many fish are suspended around the
trunk. Fishermen without sonar learn to find
likely looking cover and drop anchors and dip
Finding early-spring crappie minnows or jigs.
feeding areas requires Determining fish productivity around a

electronic aids. tree is easy with sonar. Circle the tree while
making sure your transducer, the submerged
part that send signals back to your screen,
passes within a few feet of the trunk. This will
The day started with short strikes and no allow you to find where branches are thickest
hooked fish. We floated up several creeks and where fishing will be the best. Stay within
fishing tube jigs around submerged trees and fishing distance to the tree and continue
bushes in open water with some luck, but not watching your screen.
what Faulkenberry was looking for. We moved Next, let your jig rub down the tree trunk
farther down the creek while fishing closer to and on the branches. Crappie may hit that jig,
cover, in fact, as close as you can get. but pass on one a couple inches off the wood,
“Let your Roadrunner bounce down the depending on their feeding desires. You will
sides of each stump and tree,” Faulkenberry likely lose more jigs, but more crappie will be
said. “I think the bigger crappie may be hugging caught.
bark today.” Crappie occasionally locate close to cliffs
We immediately started catching crappie. and submerged rock islands. Small pockets
His idea was correct and the crappie of brush around these long, rocky expanses

8 Crappie NOW March 2019