Hey, out of curiosity when do crappie spawn here in utah? I have heard that once the ice melts they get pretty active, but not sure. On a related note, what kind of habitat do crappie prefer? rocky shorelines? marshes? I am curious to know thanks!
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Crappie love brush and heavy cover, you'll find them hiding in submerged trees, brush or in the reeds. My experience is that they hold pretty tight to cover and it's always a good idea to tip with something. Most people use small jigs in bright sparkly colors and usually under a bobber.
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If you Google "crappie spawning temperatures" The first link should provide you with the information that you need. I'd link you too it but I'm not sure if that's frowned upon here.
Crappie activity depends greatly on the water temperature. Mid 60's are good for shallow water Crappie action. At this temperature they'll be in the shallow brushy water.
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They spawn in the spring. Usually May. Not sure if they are triggered by water temp or ratio of sun to moon.
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About five years ago, I located a large school of Crappie in the middle inlet area of Pineview and slayed them with wooley buggers. Since that time, I haven't been able to find them. I've tried early to late spring in what appeared to be great habitat. Has anyone been able to figure out the Crappie in Pineview and catch them on a consistent basis? It seems they've gotten harder and harder to locate, even during the spawn. PMs welcome if you don't want to post on the forum.
Thanks,
Justin
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Here's a tidbit from the mouthiest crappie fisherman in the state and one of the most deadly... in my opinion.[
] Full spawn occurs between 61 and 64 degrees. Crappie like shorelines with pea gravel and sand but added cover is a huge bonus. Males will wallow out nests and guard them. Muddy to stained water can cause them to move so extremely shallow to nest that you may, at times, see a fin sticking out of the water. The males guard the nest aggressively and, if you can see where they are nesting, then dropping anything they can fit in their mouths in front of them is going to get a result. Clear water brings in spawners anywhere from 6 to 14 feet. It is best to cast parallel to the bank until you discern a consistent strike depth and then you will know what depth will work in key places on the particular lake or river you are fishing. Females tend to grow larger and they will be swimming in open water a few feet out and at the same depth as the nesting males. If there is abundant shallow spawning habitat, such as at Utah Lake, the fish will be scattered over a wider area and you will have to stay on the move and cast to more places where there is apparent spawning habitat to get more results. If you catch the water temperature just right because of stable weather conditions, most of them may cruise in to do the deed in a short period of time and stack up heavily on spawning grounds. You may catch them by the hundreds if you get it right. Look for gravel and sandy flats with emergent cover and vegetation adjacent to creek channels, especially where flowing water cuts a definitive channel, because crappie move in and out of the shallows following distinct drop offs. You will find that coves that are near a main river or stream channel and have a distinct channel for boats will often produce good results. Spawning fish in clear water will be most active at dawn and dusk in the shallows and spawners in murky water will frequent nests throughout the day. The first color I would go with in most situations is chartreuse and any variable for different water colors can be applied to add to or take away from the look of the jig for the desired effect. A red jig head or red and chartreuse tube may work best in murky water and a plain chartreuse jig will often out produce other, more gaudy, presentations in water where the fish can see very clearly. Don't hesitate to go for a plain white, brown, or clear jig if the fish are biting cautiously to obtain a more natural look that mimics the bait fish and nest marauders.Give me a report and let me know how you do.[
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