Willard Crappie?

[Caddfly]

I drove past Willard the other day and noticed some open water in the bays and was wondering when the crappie start to get active. Anytime in the near future?

CADDFLY
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][blue][size 1]If you can find them you can catch them anytime. They are slow until the spawn though. My records from past years show that Mothers' Day (May) is usually right in the middle of some good crappie catchin'. [/size][/blue]

[blue][size 1]They don't get frisky as soon as the walleyes, but I have taken a few while pitching plastics along the rocks during walleye time. Chartreuse or white are usually the best bet...for both.[/size][/blue]

[#0000ff][size 1]The big kicker is going to be the water level. Unless there is some serious inflow, there will not be enough water in the marinas to get them inside. You will have to hunt around the perimeter of the main lake to find whatever spots they decide they like best for the spring fling.[/size][/#0000ff]
[signature]

[wiperhunter2]

Finally some good news on Willard, a friend was driving by the north marina this last weekend and said the water is all the way into the marina. This means the water level has come up at least two and maybe three feet, when I was there a few weeks ago there was a sand bar that blocked water going into the main part of the marina that was at least two feet tall. I'm guessing it is not very deep but the fact that it has come up that much so quickly would seem to mean that Willard is filling up and there should be some crappie fishing in the marina this year by mothers day. WH2
[signature]

[DKSRenegade]

Are you trying to get me into trouble Tube Dude. I went fishing on Valentines Day and my wife's birthday. Now you are telling me to go out on Mothers Day! I don't think so!!! I think that I will go golfing instead.DKS
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][blue][size 1]You got my heartfelt symphonies (sympathies). TubeBabe (my wife) thinks fishing trips on those "special" days are just dandy...as long as she is along for the fun. In fact, one of the best crappie fishing trips I ever had was on a Mothers Day trip to Willard...back in the late 70's. TubeBabe, myself and five kids from our recently combined families all fishing minijigs under bobbers a few yards off the rocks near the north marina. We filled several chain stringers and then released at least a hundred more.[/size][/blue]

[#0000ff][size 1]Actually, I didn't get much fishing in when the school really moved in. I was busy tieing on jigs, taking fish off the hooks, applying sunscreen and rubbing the knots on the back of heads when somebody got whacked with a plastic bobber on an errant cast.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 1]Of course the days of crappie hordes are long gone at Willard, but there are still some roving bands and small groups to provide some sport. Like I said, finding them is the hard part. If you know how to get them to play, during the different months of the year, you can usually score a few.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 1]Good luck on the kitchen pass. What kind of bribery are you using? Might need some different bait. If your wife thinks golfing is okay and fishing is not, maybe you need to convert your marriage license to a fishing license, so you have to renew it every year. FORE.[/size][/#0000ff]
[signature]