Just Keep Moving!
Holly cow! ย Look at the size of the crappie in photo – ย Nice fish Audrey!
To catch this crappieโwe had to go to a lake where the water was cold. We had tried a couple โtraditionalโ spring crappie spots (lakes with bays and shallow shorelines), but they didnโt work. They were void of crappie and even the sunfish were small. Whenever I try traditional seasonal patterns that donโt work, I tend to flip my brain over and try opposite tactics. In this case (last week), I had an easier time finding good sized panfish on straight shorelines on cooler lakes. I didnโt change my bait or tackle approach, just my location.
Right now, many shallow bays throughout Otter Tail Lakes Country seem to be โpast-prime.โ ย As of last night, I was fishing bays that were 64 degreesโand full of Lilly pads. Lilypads are often a cue that crappie may have already migrated out…I prefer bays that are a bit deeper. ย Lilypads donโt bother me if they are clumpy/sporadic throughout a bay or shoreline. If entire area is choked with pads, then it seems the area is too shallow or the bottom isnโt quite right. I tend to do better in bays that have some contour/grade/drop-off towards the middle of the bay.
While some crappie may linger in โmatureโ bays, most have wandered back out onto the lake in search of suitable spawning grounds (unless there is suitable spawning in the lilypad zones). Iโve been seeing a lot of bays with out crappieโand even good sunfish lately. If youโre struggling with sunfish and crappie, change your location. When I take people on panfish outings right now, they are wondering why Iโm not sitting still for very long. ย The simple answer I give them is because the panfish are biting right now so we shouldnโt have to wait to get a biteโno waiting. Once you find panfish anywhere around the county, you should be able to catch them quite rapidly.
For baitโGulp is the best choice. The fish love it and you can cast it 1,000,000โit doesn’t fly off your line like live baits do, especially when youโre casting in wind or from shore. Be selectiveโlet the large crappie and bull sunfish go. The large crappie that Audrey is holding in the photo was released right after we took the picture. It feels as good to release large fish as it does to catch them.
Keep an eye on your equipment when youโre taking your boats in and out of Otter Tail County lakesโbe sure to check for weeds and any other critters that might be hanging from your boat or trailer and drain all of the water from your boat hull and live wells. We all appreciate your efforts to keep our lakes free of aquatic invasive species!
Have a great week on the lakes!
Ross Hagemeister