When it comes to the northern, oligotrophic lakes, I prefer to keep my spots secret. This, because any (and I mean any) additional pressure can really hurt the population. This isn't to say I think you guys will create that pressure. This website happens to pop up at the top of google frequently, and I don't want fisherman reading about the best northern spots. Viz is usually good enough that you could spot fish every damn one of them out of some lakes. That photo Jon posted of me with 15 or so crappie on my stringer is NOT from a northern lake. In those lakes, I only take 4-5 crappie per trip.
Now then, when it comes to the Madison lakes, which are essentially eutrophic with the exception of a clear water phase (mid April - mid June), the only limits are how many I want to fillet. This, because panfish can rebound much better in these lakes, due to the abundant food and weed structure. Lake Waubesa is probably one of the best panfish lakes in Wisconsin. This lake gets more pressure than any I have ever seen. 100's of Fisherman routinely yank out 25 a piece, and still every year, the fish are back. There are many reasons for the L. Waubesa panfishing strengths. I won't go into it here.....basically, it's the perfect storm for panfish.
So yeah, I'd take you guys around and show you the ropes. It's not like you'll "ruin" any spots
. My research has shown amazing recruitment in Mendota the last few years. The crappie are strong, and not nearly as heavily targeted as the perch. This, because they aren't always biting. In fact, they are pretty finicky biters in Mendota.
I have found them in all kinds of water, in all parts of the state. Rarely do I jump in an inland lake and not find a few to shoot.
Here are some rules:
1. You need to decend without kicking. Weight yourself properly, and in the really shallow stuff, only take 1/2 breaths if you have to. If you kick, you won't see many crappie. In very shallow hunting - 4 feet or less - do not decend headfirst. Just let some air out until you sink - knees first. This also means that ascending is tricky (because you are quite negative). It needs to be done by giving a very gentle shove off the bottom, and then using all hands until you are far enough off the bottom to do a frog kick. I can't stress enough - if you are a spaz kicker, you will not have good luck crappie hunting (and you'll also ruin the hunting in that area). And surface splashing is an absolute no-no as well. Issues with kicking are the main reason novices never see a fish.
2. Don't miss! Knick one of them, and leave a nice flesh wound - and the school bolts. Happens every time. So NO desperation shots. Bring em into 3 foot range, or wait until the next dive. And if you do get one, and it's going nuts on your line, do not move quickly to secure the fish. Just ascend, and slowly pull the fish to the surface. If you spear gets caught on weeds, move it up and down gently until the toggle lets go. Don't let the other crappie see you grab the "wounded" one. All of the "off the spear and onto the stringer" business should be done at the surface, preferably some distance away from the "hot spot".
3. If you see a sandy bottom, you probably won't see a crappie (sand covered in plants in ok). Either muck or cobble. Cobble, infused with plants is the absolute best spot on earth to find a crappie.
4. They are ALWAYS in numbers. If you see one, another is around. If you only see one all day, you spooked em
.
5. Look for "plant mounds". They love em. A plant mound is that spot on the bottom that seemingly, for no reason has a nice stand of thick, tall plants. Do not drop down on this mound. Drop down 5-7 feet away from it. This same rule applies to fish cribs or any other structures on the bottom. Drop down on top of them, and they split. This is 100% different than in saltwater spearing. Connor's head would spin when we were in the Bahamas, and I never dropped strait down on the grouper. I always came in from the side. This was NOT suppose to work, but grouper seem to be like crappie in that if you never kick, they never move.
6. Spread out! Too many guys in one spot creates too much commotion - even if everyone is still doing it right. Crappie don't like to feel like they are caught between two predators. They approach you because they are curious and think they have the advantage. Put a couple guys on the bottom at the same time and they will leave. Jon has been good enough in the past to guide a rookie or two...or three on a few dives. I come back with stringer of fish, and those two guys never see one. And in many cases, we are working the EXACT same spots. This is because the fella Jon is guiding usually follows closely (because he wants to learn, obviously). However, this works against both hunters. Uh oh!, what about the buddy rule? Well, I guess I'd say that you need to have a "relaxed" buddy rule, if you hope to kill crappies. Each time your surface, take a look to make sure your buddy is doing okay. But, don't crowd him. And remember, you aren't going after tuna in 100 feet. So, don't push yourself. I can fill my stringer on less than 1 min dives - no problem. Also, it's important to know that the fish move around. Jon and I go out all the time, and there is never just ONE spot. There are many small pockets of fish along the shoreline.
- Now, all of these rules apply to crappie that are NOT spawning. If you ever come across them spawning, any hack in the world can still kill fish because you can't spook the school away. If you are lucky enough to find a spawn, target the thinner, darker fish. Those are the males.
I'll give you guys a guided trip this spring. If we are very very very lucky, Waubesa will give us a week or two of clear water. Hope for a dry spring.
Ted
