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What has everyone been seeing as far as crappies moving up into the shallow? I have been trying in some spots where the crappies usually move to and spawn, but they just aren't there yet. Has anyone been seeing a good movement in yet?

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Pretty early yet. If we get some warm sunny days, look for shallow mud bottoms that get a lot of sun, and there might be some fish there.

Right now with this weather, they are probably still in the vicinity of where they were when the ice went out.

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Crappies are not moving to spawning locations after ice out.

The spawn will not occur for several more weeks.

If you mean the fish are not in their normal early spring locations, thats a different story. Sure, you can find crappies after ice out in areas that they spawn, but there are a lot of fish going to areas after ice out, where they wont be spawning. They are on a hunt for food right now. Thats it. No spawning rituals are any where close to happening yet.

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The pelicans and rants are still hanging out in deep water, which would make me think that there is not much up in the shallows yet. Big lake is correct, crappie spawn wont start for at least a month or longer, typically around 58-60 degree water temp, but they will move to the warm water earlier to find some food.

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I am going to try Long Lake out this weekend in the boat. See if I cant find the crappies in 20 feet.

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last weekend the crappies were biting in the levy right by the fergus falls high school.

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I saw a half dozen people down there catching something. I didnt stick around too long to figure out what it was. I could imagine they wouldnt taste very well.

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Why would they taste bad? They don't eat off of bottom, and there is always fresh water circulating through there.

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How do you figure? The water is always moving and its not like they are eating muck off of the botom.

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I have caught crappies up stream a few miles during the summer and they taste terrible. Downstream can only be worst and with all the goose crap in the river at that location that is why it is sewage.

If this warm streak keeps up I will be trying some warm bays this weekend! Now I just hope the motor works.

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Why would that make them taste bad? What did they taste like that made them bad? Do crappies out of muddy/mucky bottoms taste bad? No. The water is always flowing through there.

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Some fish just don't taste good from some waters.

That spot on the levee is shallow and stagnant. The current never really scours out that bay. Couple that with the large amount of goose doo-doo, runoff from the yards and streets in that area, and it is not too appealing. Good spot for C & R, though.

My brother caught some walleyes a couple years ago in September on Norway, and they had an 'off' taste to them. Not sure why, they just did.

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I also think the levy is a very good place for catch and release. I wonder if any of the ppl down there are keeping any? gross

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I think its all in your guys' heads. Id be much more concerned for run off of lakes because of feilds and the amounts of fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides. What water circulates through a muddy lake flat? It's all a mental thing. I bet if you had crappies from different spots and from the levy together, you couldn't pick out which ones were which.

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To each his own, I guess.

But just look at the hilly terrain north and west of the levee, with all the nice green lawns that have been fertilized. Couple that with the goose droppings all over that area further adds to the phosphorus load. Get a good rainstorm, and that stuff races down the street, picking up what ever crud is in the street. It goes into the storm sewer, and has an express ticket into the river.

You are quite correct about ag runnoff. In most cases, the runoff is slowed and filtered by natural vegetation around the lake edges.

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Gissert well said.

Pout, try lake Alice in town, crappies are huge and I am sure taste even better with the 3ft of goose crap on the bottom of the lake grin.gif

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Yeah thats a good one. Thats a little different that on the river. Those crappies in the levy don't stay there. They come in from the moving part of the river, and they were there, at least only bit there, for about 1 week. Your going to tell me that fish that are in an area like that for 1 week are going to get bad? If fish got to taste bad in that amount of time, there would be no fish anywhere that would taste good. They all would have swam through an area with some type of chemical or muck.

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I agree with poutpro, its all in your head. The lakes have as much if not more damaged done to them, that is why you see the overgrowth of weeds in area lakes.If this water is so bad why do we see all the kids and adults swiming in it throughout the summer.They swim in it, they tube in it and fish it.The levy is one little area of the river and if you pay attention it turns over every year early in the spring,the river then helps filter that area out, natures way.Fish do not spend alot of time in this area only when the water warms up then they are gone.I do a lot of fishing in the Fergus area,(up and down the river,private lake, public lakes)at least 2 to 3 times a week and have not noticed bad tasting fish.I think size of fish affects taste more then anything.One note, the other night I was fishing a lake for crappies late, was about 11:00pm heard some splashing along the shore, at about 11:30 was going to go home got everything packed up and decided that I was going to go look see if I could see what was along the shore.When I flashed the light down I saw hundreds of walleye right next to shore, I would assume they were spawning, never saw that before.

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Cool thing with the Eyes, that would have been awesome to see.

Just my experience with the OT river Crappies above Diversion Dam they do not taste very good. Would think down river a few miles would not be any better.

Hey, go catch some and let us know how they taste.

Headed out this weekend with the warm spell action should be good!

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