[#505000]Ok I've never targeted the Crappie, but I thought this spring may be a fun time to give it a shot. That in mind I had a few questions a few of you may be able to answer.[/#505000]
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[#505000]I am going to target Utah Lake, but what is the best window of time to target them day night, and what time period should I be looking at?[/#505000]
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They are very difficult to find. I caught a few of them during their spawn many years ago in the brush off the Provo Airport dike. That area is now choked with Phragmites now though, so it is not fishable anymore.
With the high water, they should have had a good spawn last year, and another good one this year.
The only place I've ever heard of them being caught fairly consistently on Utah Lake is the pumphouse area where the Jordan River leaves Utah Lake.
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From April 15 you can catch them at Provo Boat Harbor, LD boat harbor best times are 5:30 AM to 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM
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I actually caught about 15 or 20 pretty good sized crappie through the ice one very cold morning this winter (location to remain unnamed), but found them right next to the phragmites and actually in the phragmites on their outer edge. I found a spot where the plants were bent over and provided a type of floating mat of cover and I dropped the tiny jig tipped with a meal worm down in the openings of the phragmites.
The ice was rather thin so it was a little spooky approaching the weed edge but the water depth was about 4'-5' deep and the fish were right in there.
I haven't been back, (I'm confident it's all open water now) but suspect that the crappie would still be in those weeds. I think other stick type cover is better, but if you can find deeper water, it may be worth your while to sneak up to the edges, look for overhanding cover and drop a small jig in there.
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Utah lake can be phenomenal for crappies during the "spring fling" (spawning). In my hands, the last two years, I have had success from the last week of April to the last week of May. Fish vegetative structure inside harbors. Blue Heron was right on about the times, but one can get them in mid day as well with good technique. I prefer a dark and light contrasting plastic (either tube jig, curly tail, or my fave, a slider) attached to a tiny roadrunner jig, tipped with a small piece of crawler, below a bubble. Use a stop and go retrieve. The crappies will often hit on the drop. Hang on tight to the pole. Each year, I have scored buff channel cats and eyes while fishing for crappie. They seem to be attracted to the spawning activity too. Good luck, I can't wait till it is time for that to start myself.
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