crappies

[hamrej23]

Anyone ever get crappies through the ice on the Minny? Ive tried a few times, but besides LQP no luck.

What about further north than LQP like marsh?

[Deadwood]

Nope, never any through the ice for me. Shortly after ice out in the back waters -- yes.

[hamrej23]

yeah, ive done better on the river for crappies in spring than anywhere else around here actually.

[riverrat56]

I know that river crappie anglers are almost a secret society, but what can a guy look for in locating river slabs?

I'm not looking for any specific areas or even a stretch of river, just some general atributes of a spot you would look for crappies in?

[ec30_06]

The first thing I would look for is calm water. Best chance will probaly be backwaters or back channels that fish can get into easily from the river. I have also got some in backwaters that are not connected, but do get flooded into or are fed by a crick. This will probably not be a numbers game, but in certain years at certain spots some big ones have been caught. I find it much easier to target them in lakes. If you catch one consider yourself lucky! (why would anyone fish for crappies when you can catch cats)

[DARK30]

Got this one a few years ago...nice.

[Cody Lubeley]

Wow thats a nice slab how big was she?

[coolhand]

Riverrat is right in you need to find some back water like a small bay or a inlet from a stream. I have a couple of areas that are very productive in the spring. Timing is key. If you think that you have found a good spot try to fish in the deeper water just out from this. You should find the females waiting for the males to have the nest made for the eggs. One thing you need to keep a eye on is the water temp. I have found that the crappies spawn early in some areas of rivers. Hope this helps.

[Lowblazah]

good lord Kevin...that is the biggest crappie I think I have ever seen

[Rainman]

Kevin, nice picture there. That looks like the same picture I saw a while back. Lets see the real picture.

[DARK30]

lol

[Deadwood]

I've caught my crappies in the backwaters among the submerged trees/roots/branches/dead falls, etc. in 4 feet of water or less. Many snags to be had, but lots of fun when that 'snag' takes off running.

[Shack]

LOL, that picture has a cross between looking real and the old post card my grandparents had haning on the picture frame in the dinning room of the angler in a row boat with a boat sized northern.

I had to look twice though .