Winter Crappie Fishing Secrets

Crappie fishing can be enjoyed all year long with some excellent results. Winter fishing is fast becoming a very popular sport enjoyed by the angler that doesn't want to put up the fishing rods just because the cold weather moved in. Winter crappie fishing can be very rewarding and it has many advantages over spring and summer fishing. However, if you want to be successful during the winter, then you need to know a little about crappie and how they respond to the colder environment. Crappies have a very soft fleshy mouth that can tear easily. This is what earned them the nickname papermouth. You must be careful when fishing for crappies not to pull too hard when setting the hook or you will most likely lose the fish. You should also use a net to help bring the fish over into you boat so their mouths won't get torn. Below are a few winter crappie fishing secrets that will help you bring in more fish on every adventure. Winter Habitats for Crappie One of the main things that you will need to know about winter crappie fishing is where they can be found during the cold weather. Of course, this will partly depend on where you live and how cold it actually gets. Regardless of where you live, there are a few basic rules that you can follow that will help you have a fun and successful crappie fishing trip each time you go out. If you live in an area that freezes over during the winter months, then at the beginning and the end of the freezing weather you need to look for the crappie in the shallow water. They will be found where there are plenty of weeds and other vegetation. The remainder of the winter search for them in drop-offs and in the deepest parts of the water where the most vegetation can be found. When fishing in a lake the crappie seem to prefer areas where the ground is softest due to sediment build-up. Ice fishing is growing in popularity because you can reel in lots of crappie with this method. Look for them in shallow bay areas, near creek channels whenever you go ice fishing. In the winter the crappies are normally suspended a little above the bottom of the water but you will still need to find the exact depth to get the best results. The northern sides of lakes and rivers tend to warm up first so this is where the crappie will be located during the last few weeks of winter as spring is right around the corner. Dark and murky waters also heat up faster and will draw the crappie as spring approaches. Getting a layout of the lake or river that you are fishing will help you to determine where the crappie will be during the winter months. A depth finder can also be quite useful and save you a lot of time when searching for the fish. Equipment and Tackle You don't need to use expensive equipment when crappie fishing, that is unless you just want to.

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