Crappie fishing looks good

Crappie fishing looks good

It happens every year, the green blush that colors the trees in our yards and woods, and it’s a sure sign that spring crappie fishing is improving in area reservoirs.

I recall my father many years ago declaring that it was time to rig up for crappies when he noticed the buds forming and bursting on the willow trees. We might venture out prior to the willows budding, but not with the same confidence as when the light green haze started to color the landscape.

Green, our universal “go” signal, means the air and the ground are warming up to full flower, and the food chain is bubbling up in our fishing waters.

Crappies are catchable throughout the year, but when the willows are budding, there’s no better time.

Green means the crappies are up in the shallow cover, where they are looking for food and spawning sites.

Veteran crappie anglers know the fish can’t resist a lively 1- to 2-inch minnow hanging off a fine wire hook below a bobber.

Those who are a bit more technical about their presentations employ tiny jigs, tipped with either a minnow or a couple of maggots.

Minnow-and-bobber fans simply cast out close to the cover and wait. Jig fishermen work their rigs under a float or simply cast and retrieve around brush and other vertical cover.

Either way, they find lots of willing crappies this time of year, and they often are the biggest specimens they’ll catch all year.

That’s because nearly all of the crappies – from yearlings to big ol’ slabs — move up to the shallows to eat and spawn.

That means plenty of action for anglers of all levels of experience. Children looking for their first “catch” need look no further than crappies. Long-time anglers out for a few hours of fun will find them to be just enough a challenge to sharpen their skills. And those who fish for a plateful of fillets know all about the excellent table qualities of crappies.

Fortunately, our local waters support large populations of crappies. Mosquito Creek Reservoir may well be the king of local crappie waters. Crappies love to mingle in the willows and other vertical cover, and Mosquito’s miles of brushy shoreline are like crappie magnets.

Berlin Reservoir also has lots of crappies. The Ohio Division of Wildlife reports Berlin crappies are ranging from 8 to 11 inches this spring.

With the water level up in the bushes this weekend, Berlin will yield nice catches to those who fish close to the flooded cover.

Lake Milton and Pennsylvania’s Shenango Reservoir also are solid crappie producers.

Again, the best bet is to anchor up close to the cover and dabble around in the fallen trees’ tops and the pilings of bridges that cross both lakes.

Crappies are more known for their numbers than their fight, so heavy tackle is not necessary.

As a matter of fact, many anglers make the mistake of fishing with line that is too heavy for crappies.

Their vision is reported to be better than average, so crappies can see heavy monofilament and will shy away from suspicious-looking offerings.

Spool up with 4- to 6-pound test line and you’ll get far more bites than those who are using 10-pound line. While it’s not likely you’ll encounter too many fish that will pull your line into the nearby cover, it’s a good idea to have an ample supply of hooks and bobbers in case you do have break-offs with such delicate line.

The most important thing about spring crappie fishing is to just do it. Now is the best time.

The fish will be up in the shallows for the next few weeks and you’ll regret it all year if you don’t sample the action soon.

jwwollitz@aol.com