I finally got into them. It was a last minute thought from Blake, last Friday, when he messaged me from work, asking “fishing tonight?” That’s all it took. I’m easy, especially when it comes to fishing.
Although both of us work different jobs, we do have the same 6-2 day shift and only live two blocks from one another. This makes those last-minute decisions happen a lot easier so it was no surprise when I got home and found Blake pulling up next to the house, only minutes behind me.
We headed to one of my early-spring “go to” spots, hoping the water had warmed up enough to get fish moving in shallow. I had been there a few days prior and it just wasn’t happening. Maybe it was finally ready.
I keep a close eye on the water temperatures of a handful of local lakes. Doing this allows me the luxury of not missing out on one of the better early-spring crappie bites that takes place each and every year.
No boat, just waders. This is my early season approach. Hop in the truck and drive, not worrying about how the trailer is doing because there is none. This makes getting around a little easier, especially when some of those lakes are back in the bush.
Before fishing, a quick water temperature check was made and when it showed 54º, I was thrilled, as according to my past records, the fish should be biting in this spot. The only thing that could ruin it was a strong wind and we had that but it was coming from behind us, over our heads. We were good to go.
Blake and I are both on Northland Tackle’s pro staff so it was our plan to start fishing with one of their newer products, the Impulse “May Fly.”
Blake stuck a black one on the end of a white “Bro Bug Head” jig. The jig sports bulging bug eyes, a small bug-shaped profile, and a fine wire hook, which is perfect for threading on mini soft plastics, like the “May Fly”. The smallish combination of both the hook and plastic makes it easier to fool early-season panfish.
The Impulse “May Fly” is designed with a miniature “true-to-life” mayfly body and features ultra-sensitive legs and an undulating “tri-tail” that quivers and pulsates at the slightest movement. Described as 1” long, it actually looks smaller than that because of the wispy, little tentacles. This is one of those baits that when I first laid eyes on it thought “oh yeah, this is going to work good.”
Let’s face it, when it’s early in the year, there isn’t a lot of larger prey available for crappies. That’s why they start up shallow, where bugs are hatching and minnows are micro-small. They’re in the hunt and pretty much conditioned for small baits. Now, as summer gets underway and the water’s a lot warmer, well that’s a different matter.
I went with the black “May Fly”, as Blake did, but a used a black jig-head. It’s a good idea to compare presentations with your partner, especially when you’re first starting out. You like to give the fish a little selection to see what works the best and in this case, it was the “black-on-black” combination that I was fortunate enough to try.
Casting near the old feeder-bed of an abandoned beaver lodge, my bobber didn’t have to sit very long before it slowly popped up, signaling a bite. Reeling in, keeping the rod high to avoid the “beaver brush”, I maneuvered a nice crappie to my feet. The rest was easy.
Almost every cast had the desired result, as long as you were extremely close to the brush. Cast too far out, away from the entanglements, and nothing. Keep it close, flirt with danger, and success was had.
We went home with a nice limit of crappies. It’s happening NOW. Get out there and give it a whirl. Good luck, have fun, and be safe.