It’s a Crappie Time of Year

The pun in the title aside, if you chase crappie with a fly rod, now is the time, at least in my neck of the woods. Each year, I watch the trees around my home, specifically Bradford Pears and Dogwoods, for a sign that it’s time to chase crappies. Both trees have white flowers that appear on their branches in early spring. These flowers are my sign that the crappie bite is on. Can I catch them before these trees bloom? The answer is yes. After? Again, another yes. However, when the Bradford Pears and the Dogwoods are in bloom, the fishing is exceptional.

Bradford Pear trees in bloom on the banks of a local pond.

The blooming of flowers and the emergence of insects are triggered by the same environmental factors, such as air and soil temperatures and hours of available daylight.  This phenomenon is called a phenological correlation.  I have watched flowering plants for many years to give me clues about what’s going on in my local trout streams.  This information can also provide valuable insights into the comings and goings of warmwater species.

Large wet flies are a solid choice for early season crappies.

Depending on annual weather patterns, these trees begin flowering from early March to late April. This year, due to a particularly cold winter, I had to wait a couple of weeks longer than usual. During this longer wait, I enjoyed a bit more trout fishing while watching the Bradford Pear behind my house for those telltale white flowers to appear. Regardless of the severity of the winter, spring will eventually arrive.

If you fish in other regions, you may not have these particular trees nearby, but the idea remains the same. Local flowering trees, shrubs, or plants that bloom in early spring can be reliable cues that signal crappie activity in your area. Try observing what blooms just as the crappie fishing heats up, and use those seasonal changes as a guide.

A cluster of flowers on a Bradford Pear tree.

The Bradford Pear will bloom first (early to mid March), followed by the Dogwoods (mid to late April).  The two trees look similar at a distance, but their flowers' scents will give them away.  While the Dogwood flowers have a pleasing, sweet smell, I find the scent of the Bradford Pear rather unpleasant.  

In my area, the Bradford Pear flowers indicate that the pre-spawn stage has begun. By the time the Dogwoods bloom, spawning activity is usually in full swing. Crappies, which prefer slightly cooler water, will spawn before other sunfish species such as bass and bluegills.

Small streamers are go-to pattern for crappies.

Favorite Flies:

As we enter the second week in April here in the mid-Atlantic, the Bradford Pears are covered in white flowers, and crappies are returning to shallow water to feed and look for potential spawning sites. These fish feed ravenously at this time of year to build a calorie reserve to get them through the rigors of spawning.

A small craft fur streamer can be cast on the lightest fly rods

At this time of year, my preferred crappie patterns are big wet flies and small streamers. Some of my go-to wet flies include classic patterns like Woolly Worms, Soft Hackles, Carey Specials, as well as traditional winged wet flies. When it comes to streamers, I have good success with woolly buggers, small craft fur streamers, mini Clouser Minnows, small Zonkers, James Wood Bucktails, and Marabou Leeches. Later in the season, I will add topwater patterns to my arsenal. For surface action, I like my Triangle Bug, small hard and soft-bodied poppers, foam-bodied spiders, gurglers, and the classic Sneaky Pete. Crappies will feed on the surface, especially on overcast days and early and late in the day when light levels are lower.

Large brightly colored soft hackle wet flies are deadly on crappie!

The early pre-spawn season is often plagued by unstable weather, and this year has been no exception. Occasional seventy-degree days begin to warm the water and bring fish shallow; then, when a cold front brings spitting snow and thirty-degree temperatures, the fish retreat to the depths. Even in these conditions, the fish will feed, but flies must be presented on painfully slow retrieves. During these times, I swap out my small streamers for patterns like my Creature.

The Creature is a great pattern to use when fish get turned off by spring-time weather changes.

The Creature is a “mop-fly”, that is, a fly that is tied using dust mop fibers.  But rather than simply lashing a mop fiber to the hook, this pattern includes rubber legs and pheasant rump feathers for extra movement, along with a dubbed hot spot of contrasting color. I fish the Creature with a slow hand-twist retrieve, pausing occasionally. On the pause, the fly hovers and then sinks very slowly. The fish tend to hold onto the soft, fleshy mop material longer than with other flies, allowing me to detect subtle takes in cold water.

The Creature is a “mop fly” designed for warm water fish and is deadly on crappies when cold fronts give them a case of lockjaw.

As the water warms, small streamers and big wet flies retrieved with small strips rack up big numbers of fish. By the time the Dogwoods bloom, crappies begin to look to the surface for their next meal. Although crappies are not known for surface feeding, there is a brief window each spring when I catch them on topwater patterns. I look forward to catching big crappies on the surface every spring!

The Triangle Bug catches a lot of crappies on overcast days once the water warms.

Gear:

In my opinion, the fly rod is the perfect tool for catching crappies.  The long, flexible rods prevent hooks from tearing out of the crappie's delicate mouth.  For this reason, I reach for fiberglass or slow-action graphite fly rods.  Rod weights range from three to five, depending on fly size and wind conditions.  

My favorite crappie rod is the Panfish On The Fly/JP Ross Toad, a 7’-7” fiberglass (S-Glass) 4wt. Perfect for casting any fly you would use for crappies.

This year, I have also been enjoying fishing with ultralight one and two-weight rods when conditions allow.  Some of my local lakes contain stunted crappie populations that seldom exceed a foot in length.  On these waters, I am thoroughly enjoying my new Orvis Superfine one-weight.  Despite their small size, these little crappies can put a serious bend in this rod!  While a floating flyline will handle most of your fishing, I always have an intermediate and sink tip line on hand when I need to present flies a little deeper.

Where To Find Them

I tend to focus on smaller bodies of water early in the season as they warm up faster, then move on to larger lakes as the season progresses.   In the spring, crappies will be found around structures such as fallen trees, aquatic vegetation, submerged brush piles and timber, pilings around bridges and docks, and rip-rap areas.  One lake in my area has a corrugated steel wall along the shoreline where it abuts a roadway.  This uneven vertical surface is a magnet for crappies.

Crappies love to hang out around natural and man made structures, like docks.

I have a few local ponds that offer good bank fishing, with open shorelines that allow for fly fishing.  However, most of my fishing will be done from a float tube or a kayak. Watercraft will give you better access to fish and offshore structure, and allow for more effective presentations that are impossible to replicate when fishing from shore.

Float tubes and kayaks will give you better access to good crappie water.

The first crappies of the year are already in the books. I do most of my crappie fishing on smaller ponds and lakes, since these waters tend to warm up faster in spring and often hold good numbers of fish. Occasionally, I will also fish slow-moving sections of rivers for crappie, but my main focus is definitely stillwater. I am looking forward to enjoying more crappie fishing in the weeks to come, on those days when I can pry myself out of the local trout streams!

The Dog Days Of Summer

Bluegills and other panfish are easy pickings on their spawning beds in the spring. That is how they get their reputation as being pushovers. Fly selection is not critical, and poor presentations will often still yield results. However, springtime doesn't last forever, and catching a trophy panfish can be challenging when the spawning season ends. While trophy-sized bluegills often let down their guard when focused on keeping their bloodline going, they did not get that big by accident. Outside of the spawning season, big bluegills can be a challenging quarry to chase with a fly rod.

A bluegill this size will put a smile on your face and a serious bend in your fly rod!

Few anglers don't smile ear to ear when fighting big bluegill on a light fly rod. These scrappy fighters know how to use their saucer-shaped bodies to full advantage and never seem to give up. So if you want to keep that three or four-weight fly rod bent to the cork this summer, here is how to do it.

A nice bluegill, caught by fishing a nymph in deep water

To Catch The You Have To Find Them - Go Deep

As the water warms and the shallows become choked with weeds, larger bluegills seek deeper water as the season progresses. They find relief from the blazing sun, stable water conditions with cooler water, and abundant food in deeper water. The largest panfish spend most of their time in deeper water, only entering the shallows to spawn. These fish can be found on the outside edges of weed beds, transition areas (changes in bottom composition), and deep water structures such as creek beds, drop-offs, sunken timber, rock piles, and artificial fish reefs.

Using weighted flies or intermediate /sinking fly lines will help you reach fish holding in deeper water. Try subsurface patterns like small streamers, wet flies, and nymphs. I prefer short, level leaders and unweighted flies when using sinking lines. Short leaders and unweighted flies keep the fly at the same depth as the fly line and can improve strike detection.

Fly line manufacturers don't typically make sinking fly lines for three and four-weight rods. Fishing with sinking fly lines is one of those times I will break out that five-weight for panfish fishing. You can find sink tip, intermediate, and full sinking lines for a five-weight, and big panfish will still put a respectable bend in these stouter rods.

A floating dragon fly nymph, like the one pictured here, fished on a sinking line can be deadly.

Targeting fish in deep water with a fly rod is one of fly fishing's more difficult challenges. Getting your fly down to the fish and detecting the light hit of a bluegill inhaling your fly is no easy task. Here are a few tips for fishing deep water:

• Maintain a direct connection between you and the fly. Keep as much slack out of your line as possible - Keep your rod tip low to (or just under) the water's surface while retrieving the fly. By doing this, you will eliminate any excess slack line and be able to detect strikes better.

• Watch your leader/line like a hawk. Often, you can detect the take of a fish by watching your line where it enters the water. Look for anything unusual and set the hook when you see something. You will be surprised how often you end up hooking a fish despite never feeling a thing. Practice this, and after a while, you will develop a "sixth sense" for visually detecting the take of a fish

• Practice casting sinking lines. Sink tips, intermediate, and full sinking fly lines are cast differently from your standard weight-forward or double-taper fly line. Familiarize yourself with the differences in advance, so you are not flailing around on the water, trying to deliver your fly to the fish!

• Alternatively, you can fish your subsurface patterns under an indicator. This common stream practice also works well in still water for presenting flies to fish holding in deeper water. Use a sliding indicator system to make casting easier when fishing deeper water. Balanced fly patterns are preferred when fishing under an indicator, as they offer a more natural profile

Leaving the bank behind will help you to access fish holding in deeper water.

Leave The Shoreline Behind

Unfortunately, we often must get off the bank to fish deep water effectively. Fishing from watercraft will give you better access to fish-holding water. It does not have to be fancy; a float tube, canoe, kayak, or johnboat will do the job.

A fish finder is a great tool for locating both fish and structures as well as giving both water temperature and depth readings.

Better Fishing Through Technology

On more than one occasion, I have received snide remarks from other anglers when they observe the expensive fish finder mounted on my kayak, especially when fishing a tiny farm pond. The fish finder's primary use is to locate deepwater fish and structure. Electronics take the guesswork out of finding fish and structure in deeper water.

The squirrel tail wing and rubber legs help slow the sink rate of the Brim Killer.

Slow Your Sink Rate

In the natural world, the things that fish eat seldom plummet rapidly towards the bottom. A fly that slowly descends through the water column does a better job imitating a fish's natural food than one that sinks quickly. Often, a fish will take a slowly sinking fly while ignoring those that sink quickly. If your heavily weighted flies are not doing the trick, fish a lightly weighted pattern that falls gradually. Slow down your presentation and watch that line for takes while the fly is sinking.

Fishing at dawn or dusk is a great way to beat the summer heat.

Fish At The Right Time Of Day

It has been said that the best time to go fishing is any time you can. I have never caught a fish from my couch! During the dog days of summer, fish can be sluggish and reluctant to take a fly in the heat of the day. Concentrate your effects early and late in the day. Get on the water before dawn or fish during the last few hours of the day. The fish will be more active during these times of the day, and you may even get some surface activity if you want to give those poppers a workout. If you can't get up early or stay out late, try to fish on cloudy days. The fish will be more active if they can find some relief from the blazing summer sun.

This bass took a nymph suspended below a topwater foam bug fished near a submerged fallen tree.

Try A Popper-Dropper Combo

We all like to fish topwater patterns for the exciting takes. Unless you are fishing early or late in the day, using a topwater fly may not be the best course of action. However, you can present two options simultaneously by suspending a subsurface fly like a nymph, wet fly, or small streamer beneath a topwater bug. Suspending a fly beneath a surface pattern allows you to fish effectively over subsurface weed beds without fouling your flies in the vegetation on every cast. Strike detection is also easier since an "indicator" floats above your subsurface fly.

Water lillies provide both shade and food for many fish species, especially panfish and bass. Those edges are perfect for popper/dropper rigs or a floating dragonfly nymph fished on a sinking line.

Get Down In The Weeds

During the summer, aquatic weeds can grow right up to the water's surface, making fishing difficult. These weed beds, especially the edges, are prime big bluegill habitat. Fish these areas with nymphs, wets, and small streamers. Try popper/dropper combos or fish under an indicator to present your flies just above the vegetation. A favorite fishing method for these edges is casting a floating dragonfly nymph on a long leader with a sinking line. The floating fly swimming just above the weeds or lake bottom is irresistible to big panfish.

Wet wading creeks and streams is a great way to cool off and discover new waters to fish.

Try New Waters

If you have trouble locating big panfish on large lakes and reservoirs, try fishing smaller lakes and ponds. In comparison, the fish will still be occupying deep water, but that deep water may only be 4 -8 feet deep in a pond instead of 20-30 feet deep in a larger body of water. Fish in these smaller bodies of water will be much easier to target with a fly rod. With fewer places to hide, you will locate fish quickly.

Many species of panfish, like this redbreast sunfish, thrive in moving waters.

A favorite method of fishing during the height of summer is wet wading creeks and rivers. Wet wading streams is a comfortable way to spend a hot summer day. Moving water is often cooler and contains more dissolved oxygen than still waters, which means you can often find good fishing during the hours when lakes and ponds seem to go dormant.

This bluegill has a size four streamer intended for bass stuffed into its mouth!

Go Big Or Go Home

A large panfish will have no problem eating a size six fly. I often catch big bluegills when fishing for bass on size four flies, sometimes as large as two! Many prey items that panfish rely on for food are larger at this time of year. These prey items include dragonfly larvae, leeches, crayfish, and young fish and minnows. Large nymphs, wet flies, and small streamers will produce the largest panfish. As a bonus, these flies also attract the attention of larger predators like bass.

Do you have a tip for summertime panfish on the fly? We'd love to hear it. Leave a comment below!