Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Catching Early Crappies


 The Iowa Sportsman Magazine: April Issue

The ice is long gone, the grass is turning green, and the birds are singing, all of these are signs for anglers to get out and go fishing.  Walleyes, bass, catfish, and pike are fish that really come alive in early spring, but as we flip the calendars to April, panfish, especially crappies become the focus for many anglers.  It’s that time of year, so let’s get the gear ready and catch some!

 Crappies bite all months of the year, however crappies in the early spring are very rewarding once you find them.  Springtime crappies can be a feast or famine type of fishing, once you catch one, there are typically many closer by.  Let’s examine where to look for crappies this time of year, what gear you will need to catch them, and how to properly keep, clean and prepare some crappie.

 Crappies are located all across Iowa, from rivers, ponds, small county lakes, state parks and large reservoirs.  No matter where you live, you are not far from catching some crappies in the next few days.  The best resource you have is the DNR website to find these areas.  This site has a lot of information on it, including most every lake in the state and the fish that are living in each lake.  These lakes can be sorted by county, so you will find something close to you very quickly.  As we all know, all lakes are not created equal, especially when it comes to crappies.  Crappies can be very cyclical, meaning that they can do very well for a few years in a lake, then have some bad years in that same lake.  Spawning conditions can vary and create some very good years as well as down years.  There are many good crappie lakes in the state, especially if you are trying to get enough for a meal.  Doing a little homework online will lead you to an area and save you a lot of trial and error.  Getting a good working “network” of friends is probably the best route to go.  Once you develop some friends that you can trust with sharing information, giving, and taking information can lead to less homework, and more fish.  Who doesn't want that?

Early season crappies are probably one of the most sought-after fish this time of year.  It could be because all anglers can have success doing it.  You do not need a boat or kayak to chase these fish down, fishing from the shoreline can be just as effective.  When it comes to rods and reels, these do not need to be fancy either.  Crappie fishing requires some basic gear, but for the most part most anglers will have enough to get out there and catch a few fish.  The best combo for catching crappies is a spinning combo.  The rod should be six feet to seven feet in length and be a medium power with moderate action.  This rod will give you the flexibility to throw little baits, as well the ability to set the hook without ripping the bait out of the crappies’ mouth. Matching that rod with a spinning reel will allow you to throw light baits at the crappies at greater distances than baitcasters or spincast reels.  Spincast reels work well too, it is hard to beat a push button Zebco for a younger child.  Spinning reels should be lined with six- or eight-pound test line.  If you are going to be fishing in ultra-clear water, then a six-pound test is best.  If your lake, pond, or river has a lot of rocks, sticks or logs, then the eight-pound test line would be best.  Both lines will cast long distances and work very well with spinning or spincast reels.  Note, spring is the time for new line, trust me, it is well worth the cost.  I prefer monofilament line for casting to crappies.  Small leadhead jigs and live bait presentations are the best when fishing from shore.  Casting out different colored jigs with plastic tails or tossing out a live minnow under a slip-bobber is so fun this time of year.  If you are in a boat or kayak adding a longer rod, twelve-foot or longer as a dipping rod and or a spider rig rod.  Dipping is a technique when you are near or on top of the crappies, or a brushpile they may be hiding in.  A spider rig is just like trolling, however the bait is in front of your boat and more directly down in the water column.  All these techniques can be fantastic when the crappies are still away from the shoreline and best accessed in a boat or kayak.  Again, jigheads with plastics or live minnows are a crappies dream meal.  As you can see, the tackle and gear needed to get out and start catching crappies is pretty simple.  Get these items together and get to catching!


Have I mentioned that crappies taste great?  I am pretty sure if you are this far in the article you already know that fact.  They are a delicious fish that can be eaten many different ways.  Before we get to eating them, we need to take care of them properly.  Once you decide to keep fish to eat, you need to do one of two things right away.  You can either keep them alive until you process them, or you must get the fish cold.  If you are in a boat, a livewell is best to keep them alive, on the shore that really isn’t an option.  A stringer or a fish cage might keep them alive for a while, but not for long periods of time.  A small cooler is ideal for the shore angler or the boat angler.  If you know you are planning to keep some crappies, plan ahead with ice and a cooler.  If the water temperature is fifty degrees or colder, that will be just fine, and ice isn’t necessary.  Once you have your crappies on ice or in cold water, the next step is fileting them.  Again, keep the meat cold by placing the filets in a bowl of cold salted water with ice cubes.  The cold temperature firms up the meat, while the salt will help to reduce blood and preserve the meat.  One more step to delicious crappies, cook them up!  Frying them in oil is great, however there are a few other ways I like to enjoy crappies.  Crappies make delicious “Crappie Cakes”, as well as “Baked Fish Tacos”.  There are many recipes out there, but those are my three favorites for crappies.  You can get further details of these recipes on my website: www.fishingwithtoddreed.com .  Before you take your next trip, plan ahead to keep the meat cold, you will see the difference, and taste the difference.

 Catching panfish in general is a great way to spend a few hours or a few days.  Focusing on crappies this time of year is a must if you want to capitalize on the spring bite.  Start shallow and work out from there, lake channels and drop-offs are a great way to discover where crappies are this time of year.  Cover a few different areas and narrow down where you are catching them, this will lead you to more and more crappies in the cooler.  Just a reminder that anglers are allowed to keep twenty-five crappies a day in the state of Iowa, but I encourage you to be conscious of the body of water you are on and be a steward.  We all fish the waters, take what you need and let the rest go.  Some days I may keep a limit of twenty-five, while other days I may keep six for a meal.  Do your part to keep our public waters a great place to fish for years to come.

Get out there and enjoy this early spring, typically there is still a lot of ice on the many of the Iowa lakes, this year every lake is wide open.  Have fun and be safe out there!


Monday, February 26, 2024

The FRIST Bass

 


That first outing in the boat each spring is a special one.  First off, you just hope things float, the motors work and the batteries hold a charge.  After those things have been checked, it is time to make those first casts.  This spring was very unique in the way that I was not throwing a Quantum combo.  After using those products for about 30 years, it was time to move on to Lew's rods and reels.  It is always fun trying new models of things each spring, but a new product line was VERY exciting.  I was like a kid on Christmas morning.  The new combos were a pleasure a use, very balanced and overall lightweight, they are going to be wonderful throughout the many years to come.  More details on those will be coming.

The fishing the first time out is always a bonus, just hoping for that one bite.  Also, the first month or so of open water fishing is your best chance to catch a giant, especially a giant largemouth bass.  No giant on the first trip out but some nice fish.  The biggest did come on a jig and chunk pitching to some rocks, pretty typical for March, let alone late February.  A fun time, the boat floated, both motors worked, and fish were caught.  I guess the 2024 open water season is here!

Thursday, February 22, 2024

The Shortest Ice Fishing Season Ever

Last fish of the season:
9.5 in Bluegill
Looking back to November, I was so excited for the ice fishing season.  I love to fish from the boat, but the fall weather patterns did not produce a steady bite like a typical fall.  Each and every year before the ice fishing season I do some homework to search out new lakes I have never been to before to try.  I had three of them on this winters list, I only got to one of them.  I was able to make it out on the ice 14 different days, which is about half of a normal winter.  This was not the plan back in November, but once again Mother Nature is in control.

The ice is pretty much gone here in Iowa and it is time to move on to the open water.  It was the shortest ice fishing season ever for me, and I hope next winter is much longer.  My friends and I did have some great trips.  The best; the last one at the Okoboji Lakes.  I get up to the Okoboji area a few times each year, it is by far the best fishing in the state.  Whether you are ice fishing or fishing in a boat, no other place comes close...the only one that is in the conversation would be Pool 9 near Lansing.  The Okoboji trip "saw" many bluegills, crappies and yellow bass to come out of the holes, and many great meals in the future.  I am looking forward to a meal of yellow bass tacos tomorrow night as I write this.  The bluegills are the reason for going ice fishing at Okoboji, they just grow different up there.  An 8-inch bluegill is common and when you are doing things right, you will catch numerous 9-inch bluegills each day you target them.  What makes this even more exciting is that you literally see the fish down the hole when they come up to your lure, it is a rush for sure!  Mix in a few sightings of northern pike and muskie and you are in for a trip you will not forget.  If you have never been there...please...do yourself a favor and get there next winter.

THE GEAR:


I cannot conclude this without a special note about some of the equipment I had this winter.  The Vexilar FLX30 is my everyday flasher, it is hands down the best flasher out there.  However, the Vexilar FLX28 is a must for sight fishing, I love the wide cone angle it has for the early bite warning.  I love starring down a hole all day waiting for fish to bite, but sometimes you need to sit back and relax.  The FLX28 allows you to do this and gives you plenty of warning when a fish is coming in.  The low power feature on this model is key too, bluegills live in the weeds during the winter and the low power filters those weeds out of the screen, again allowing you to detect incoming bluegills.

I was able to get my hands on the new Eskimo E40 auger from the good folks at the Cedar Falls SCHEELS store.  I have used every electric auger on the market, each has its pros and cons.  This auger, so far has no cons.  It was absolutely amazing this winter.  Now, this was not your typical winter and I only saw a foot of ice once this entire winter, most winters these augers shine when there is 18+ inches of ice.  So far this auger is has impressed me and everyone that has used it.  Next winter the real test will come when we get a large amount of ice on the lakes...I hope.

CLAM Tikka Flash
Lastly, a new lure.  CLAM came out with the Tikka Flash this year.  A small horizontal hanging bait with a spinner on it.  I tried this bait back in November on some crappies in the boat, right away I noticed the unique fall of this bait.  It shimmies down the water column and looks great with side to side action with jigged.  It was a great bait this winter for crappies and a few perch.  I did make one upgrade to the smallest size of Tikka Flash.  I took off the small treble and replaced it with a larger one, this helped the hook-up ratio tremendously.  


On to the open water, it was a short ice season but I made the most out of the few weekends we had to get on the ice.  

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

The Prettiest fish swimming?


The Yellow perch, which can be found in lakes around Iowa and in the Mississippi River, might be the coolest fish swimming in our Iowa waters.  Their bright colors and dark black stripes are unmistakable with any other fish.  These fish do not grow very large, a big perch is considered around 12 inches, and if you catch one over 13 inches, that is nearing "trophy size" in this state.  Currently, the best place to go after a "trophy" is the Mississippi River.  Pools 9, 10, and 11 have good numbers of perch in them.  Other top places to search for perch through the ice are; West Lake Okoboji, Spirit Lake, 12-Mile Lake and Brushy Creek to name a few.  

Perch are fun to chase around, but you better have a lot of energy and several augers with you.  They are a roaming fish and are constantly on the move.  You can sit and wait until a group swims by, or you can move around and hunt them down.  Hunting them down has always yielded more perch for me, and the more holes you have drilled the better.  Using your Vexilar to move from one hole to the next is so important to catching these fish.  Also, a smooth spinning reel is a must.  Those big perch do not like the looks of the bottom of the ice and when they get close they are sure to go on a fun, letting that drag sing.  It is a beautiful sound, but at the same time you hold your breath!  My favorite lure for perch is a spoon.  There are many good ones out there, the CLAM Pinhead is great and the CLAM Rattlin PT Spoon are my two favorites.  They sink fast, have great paint jobs and the hooks are durable.  Another great way to catch perch is using a live minnow with a Tip-Down.  These rigs have been popular on the Mississippi River for decades for all types of fish.  They really work well on days that the perch just do not want a spoon or a jig.  It is worth every penny to pick up a couple, they have saved several days on the ice for me.  

The ice season is coming to a close and if you do not get a chance to get out and chase down some perch this winter, I hope this helps you to catch a few more in the future.  Enjoy your time outdoors and be safe out there.



Friday, January 26, 2024

What's the BEST bait for Winter Crappies?


Crappies can't hide when you are
watching your VEXILAR.

The winter of 2023/2024 has not cooperated well with ice anglers, however I have had the opportunity to go out and catch some crappies on four different bodies of water.  I love chasing crappies throughout the entire year, and one thing I do know is there is NOT a perfect bait.  These fish seem to change their mind on the hour as to what they want to eat.  I have a series of baits that I try each time when targeting crappies.  Here are those offerings:


1- I will usually always start with a jig and large plastic.  I really like the CLAM Dropkick jig, it has a large hook and the larger plastic really fits on them well.  I do not worry much about the style of plastic, just as long as it is larger and appears like a minnow.  My favorite color is the white/pink glow jig with a white plastic.  I can give it a a quick "glow" in the early mornings or later afternoons to entice a few more bites too.  

2- After I have tried the jig and plastic, I have two options to pick from.  If I am only catching smaller fish out of the schools, or pairs of crappies that come in, I will switch to a spoon tipped with spikes.  This will help me ignore the small crappies and help me catch the larger ones.  The second part of this decision is if the jig and plastic is not working at all, then I will switch the plastic out for two or three spikes.  This will catch those leery crappies that do like the larger plastic/jig combo.

3- If those three baits haven't hooked a desirable fish, then it is time to finesse them.  Crappies can be very temperamental and once in a while they want a very small, finesse bait.  I always have a finesse jigging rod ready whenever I am on the water.  My choice is a "Schooley" set up with 1# line, micro jig and a couple of spikes or micro plastic.  A spring bobber helps aid me to see the "up bites"  with these finicky fish.  This set up is the most basic way to fish, but to be honest, it always seems to work.  

Schooley Reel Set-up