How to Catch Crappie in Illinois

How To Catch Crappie In Illinois

There is certainly no shortage of good Illinois crappie fishing locations, especially in the spring. The state is littered with lakes and rivers where bites are frequent and slabs are quite large. No matter where in the state you live or are traveling, you are within a few miles of great crappie fishing. Beginning in late February and continuing through spring and summer, you'll find the peak of Illinois crappie fishing season.


Start with the Mazonia State Fish and Wildlife Area, where there are over 250 lakes ranging in size from an acre to about 50 acres. Here, you'll find some average sized crappie of about 8-9 inches in length. The best part of the season in these lakes is generally between March and May, concentrating strongly on shoreline areas covered in grass, beaver lodges, and fallen trees that create cover for the crappie. If you visit the "back lakes" of the area that must be accessed by foot, you could be rewarded with 14-16-inch crappie.


Another viable option for Illinois crappie fishing is Evergreen Lake, a full 886 acres just north of Bloomington in central Illinois. Some avid anglers claim that fishing in this lake regularly yields 10-12-inch crappie and up to 40 or more black crappie per hour, as well as 55 white crappie per hour. At these excellent fishing odds, most fishermen go home with their 25-fish limit for the day with no hassle whatsoever. Try fishing the coves of the lake, with jigs and minnows being the number one baits of choice.


While not producing such high quantities, Illinois crappie fishing at Sangchris Lake does yield some of the largest sunfish in the state, averaging 12-15 inches in length. There is a nursery pond onsite where around 70,000 fish are bred and stocked annually that boosts the population for a good catch. Take advantage of the large slabs in February, March, and April, when crappie are easily found in shallow cover and are prone to staying in shallow environments for spawning. Minnows work well here, as do jigs, but keep in mind that Sangchris enforces a 10-inch minimum size and 10-fish per day limit on your catch.


Illinois crappie fishing is at its best in Carlyle Lake, with its extensive 26,000 acres, in spring. Carlyle maintains a 10-inch minimum for your catch, and you'll find no shortage of keepers, with regular anglers claiming about 80% of the catch being of retainable size. The Allen Branch of the lake is full of stumps and good cover for crappie, making it a choice location for Illinois crappie fishing, though Coles Creek and the West Access area are also popular.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is commited to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Get more information on Illinois crappie fishing here: http://www.askcrappiefishing.com


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pond crappie fishing in Illinois

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Crappie Fishing – Lake Weiss – Strategies/Tactics/Advice/Tips for Catching Crappie on Lake Weiss

Crappie Fishing - Lake Weiss - Strategies/Tactics/Advice/Tips for Catching Crappie on Lake Weiss

If you live at or around Lake Weiss, then you probably already know that it is one of the best crappie fishing locations in Alabama. If you're not from Alabama but just a fan of crappie fishing, then you have still probably heard of Lake Weiss. Maybe you or someone you know has even been fishing at this lake before. This 30,200 acre impoundment has over 455 miles of shoreline for fishing and it has many acres of very shallow waters as well as deeper river channels, both of which are perfect for crappie fishing.


Lake Weiss has a great reputation in the fishing community, particular for catching crappie. Sometimes called the Crappie Capital of the World, Lake Weiss is located in northeast Alabama in Cherokee County. It's 1 hours from Birmingham and Atlanta, Georgia and it's on the Alabama/Georgia border. This is the prime location in Alabama for crappie fishing and many fishermen feel it is the best place in the world for fishing for crappie. It's no surprise then that some people even travel from great distances just to be able to fish in this lake.


Strategies and Tactics for Fishing on Lake Weiss


So how can you fish like a pro in the popular Lake Weiss? You need to know some insider strategies and tactics for fishing for crappie in this lake if you want to get the best results possible. First, you need to go prepared. Bring your best fishing rods and reels and an assortment of jigs, live baits and colorful baits which crappie tend to enjoy. Make sure you come with more than one type of bait since crappie can often be selective and may not respond to the first thing you try. This gives you freedom to experiment with different things until you find one that the crappie like.


Next, you need to find a good, comfortable spot for you and your boat and then experiment with different depths in the water until you find one that yields great results. Sometimes the crappie are about 10 to 15 feet under the surface of the water, especially if the water is clear and the sun is out. When it gets darker, such as around dusk, they may rise higher to the surface of the water and be catchable between 5 and 10 feet deep. These tactics will help you determine where the crappie are at and what they are responding to best on a particular day when you are out fishing. Remember that this can change from day to day so you will need to try again each time you come out. What worked on one fishing trip may not necessarily work on another, even in the same location.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Get more information on crappie fishing here:


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Missouri Crappie Fishing, and How to Reel Them in Fast

Missouri Crappie Fishing, And How To Reel Them In Fast

Missouri crappie fishing is first rate, no matter where in the state you examine. The lakes are ideal for crappie fishing, and anglers are discovering new fishing holes every day. However, based on statistics, there are top locations in each region of the state, and these are where both avid anglers and first time fishermen can expect the best chances of catching a large number of crappie.


Just south of Kansas City in the northwestern part of the state, you'll find excellent Missouri crappie fishing at Longview Lake, which is relatively new and already quite popular. Because of the lake traffic, you may want to hire a guide for your first outing to avoid complications. Smithville Lake is actually just north of Kansas City in the northwest as well and is probably the best known large reservoir in the area. It is such mostly because it is one of the few lakes in the entire state that maintains a large population of both black and white crappie. You might also try the small 110-acre Bilby Ranch Lake, 14 miles west of Maryville, where a little patience and a few hours will most likely turn out a limit for the day. Don't forget Che-Ru Lake, a 160-acre lake near Meadville. This lake provides a lot of favorable cover for crappie, including borrow ditches, shoreline, standing timber, submerged levees, and rock reefs. If you are a novice looking for excellent Missouri crappie fishing, venture over to Pony Express Lake, where the waters are so overloaded with the sunfish that you are guaranteed to catch at least a few small specimen.


In the northeastern part of the state, check out Mark Twain Lake, the only large reservoir in the area. With three forks of the Salt River impounded here and lots of small creeks and hillside drainages, as well as lots of standing timber, the lake is an ideal crappie breeding ground. In the past few years, most crappie have been small throwbacks, but now, the population has had time to mature and should be sized for bragging rights. Long Branch Lake to the north of Macon is full of crappie as well, although these tend to be smaller specimen that are not worth keeping at this stage of the game. However, Thomas Hill Lake to the southwest of Macon proves completely different, with tons of crappie meeting and exceeding 10 inches in length. The St. Louis area brags both the August A. Busch Memorial and Weldon Spring Lakes, which both have a great turnout of crappie year in and year out, despite the pressure put on them by the metro area.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is commited to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Get more information on Missouri crappie fishing here: http://www.askcrappiefishing.com


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Minnesota Crappie Fishing Strategies for All Ages and Anglers

Minnesota Crappie Fishing Strategies For All Ages And Anglers

Crappies are one of the most sought after species of fish in Minnesota. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is because they are always so eager to take the bait and then they put up a nice struggle for their size. This makes fishing for them fun, entertaining and perfect for anglers of all ages and skill levels. The other reason they are so popular is because the sweet-tasting filets of the crappie are simply delicious.


The state record for the black crappie in Minnesota weighed five pounds and the white crappie was a little less than four pounds. These catches were very impressive for this species of fish because crappies normally don't grow much larger than two or three pounds. A little less than two pounds is the average weight for a crappie.


It is easier to catch a crappie than it is many of the other species of fish. However, you will find that there are a few strategies available that can help you catch even more crappie when fishing in Minnesota.


Strategies for Finding Minnesota Hot Spots


One of the most important things to remember is that any "hot spot" can and will change with time. Therefore, if you have a favorite spot where you have always had lots of luck reeling in the crappie, don't be surprised if one day it stops being productive. This is simply the natural order of things. When the crappies are no longer biting it's time to move on to a new spot. There are several sources available that will help you locate new crappie fishing spots in Minnesota.


To learn where the hot spots are located you can pick up a survey of different lakes and take a look at the population level of the crappie in each lake and their size. Crappies live an average of ten to fourteen years. Therefore, when you find a body of water with large crappie in it, this is where you need to be going fishing now. Within a year or so all the larger crappie will have been caught or they will have died out. Bodies of water where the population of crappies is small will be a great place to visit in a couple years when they have time to mature.


As a general rule lakes and rivers that have a restricted limit on the size and number of crappie you can catch per visit will have many hot spots. This is because the limit gives the crappie time to grow and prevents anglers from wiping them out in one season.


Here are some of the lakes located in Minnesota where you will find many great crappie hot spots.


Lake of the Woods

Leech Lake

Lake Traverse

Lake Superior

Lake Minnetonka

Lake Waconia

Upper and Lower Red Lake

Lake Mille Lacs

Kabetogama Lake

Rainy Lake


You can also find crappie in many of the smaller lakes and rivers located all through Minnesota.


Learn All You Can About the Crappie

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Get more information on Minnesota Crappie Fishing here: http://www.askcrappiefishing.com/


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Tennessee Bass Fishing – Where to Go, Tips?

Tennessee Bass Fishing - Where to Go, Tips?

Tennessee Bass fishing is going to be its best this year at Dale Hollow, Tims Ford, South Holston and Pickwick reservoirs. The smallmouth bass fishing at Dale Hollow is going to provide some high catch rates and some fine fish. There are some regulations in place for smallmouth bass fishing, but this has resulted in some nice trophy size fish.


Anglers have said that fishing at night with jigs and spinnerbaits is the best time to catch smallmouth bass. You get away with using a four-pound test line and catch some nice sized fish. It is all of the presentation at Dale Hollow.


South Holston Lake is like a small, Dale Hollow. During the winter, you can catch a smallmouth bass on a float-n-fly or a jigging spoon. It is not unusual to catch a fish over twenty-five pounds of this lake. Ifyou are fishing this lake at night, you can use to grub and jig to catch plenty of bass. Tims Ford and Pickwick are coming along just nicely for smallmouth bass fishing. They do have regulations for minimum size, but it is working very well. These are just a few places in Tennessee that bass fishing is excellent for the most part. You can go just about anywhere in Tennessee and have some great fishing.


A couple other ones that you might consider are Percy Priest, Center Hill, and Norris and Watts Bar lakes. Although the smallmouths are declining in these areas, it still provides great fishing. These areas are still working with the 18-inch minimum size limit for smallmouth bass, which has started to improve the fishing conditions.


If you want to do some river fishing in Tennessee for smallmouth bass, you might try the Frank Fiss, the Pigeon River, Duck River or the Buffalo River. Although the pigeon River seems to be little down again this year, the Duck River is going to show some good numbers.


The Buffalo River on the other hand, is going to be a great place to find smallmouth bass, but you will see a lot of traffic as well. One popular river is the Little Pigeon River, which is starting to make a name for itself. You can catch some good size smallmouth bass down by the area of the French Broad River. However, if you want a wade in some water, you can go up by the Pigeon Forge.


To recap these places, the Little Pigeon River, has good fishing around the Pigeon Forge. The Buffalo River has a great fishing near Linden. The Pigeon River has great bass fishing by the French Broad River. The marina by Tims Ford Lake is a great place to start some smallmouth bass fishing. The smallmouth bass in Norris Lake is good around the Hickory Star Marina. Fishing at Dale Hollow Lake is good around Horse Creek Dock. With all these places to go fishing in Tennessee you cannot go wrong. You are going to have a great time fishing for smallmouth mouth bass.


If you are looking for some largemouth bass in Tennessee, you can look around Cumberland and Obey. The fishing for largemouth bass on Obey River is the best by the dam located by Dale Hollow. This area is great between June and September. One place to start is the Franklin Creek area. Identify the largemouth bass near the channel drops, and by the weed beds. You will find the larger fish, right after sun up by the shade areas on the water. Just use a green, black and blue or a brown jig with your favorite bait, and you are ready to go.


If you have an overcast day, use a spinnerbait near the tree trunks or the timber of the water. You will find a good fishing in these areas. Keep in mind that the color of spinnerbait you use is going to depend on the water conditions. Obey River is a great place to fish for bass. The Cumberland River has some nice size largemouth bass between the Cordell Hall and Old Hickory Lakes by Nashville.


During the summer months on the Cumberland River, you can use the black and blue jig, but make sure it is at least three fourths ounce or heavier in weight. In these areas you need to get down into the deep weeds. If you see a lot of wood in the water, this is where you want to drop your bait.


If you live in Tennessee or you are planning a fishing trip to Tennessee, these are some of the popular places for largemouth and smallmouth bass. The thing is that it is not going to take a lot of skill, only patients to catch these fish. However, once you find the right spot you are going to want to stay there and catch all the fish.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best bass fishing information possible. Get more information on Tenesee bass fishing here: http://www.askbassfishing.com/


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Aug 2008. A video of pontoon fishing on Lake Springfield. Primary purpose of the trip was to catch crappie but the bass jumped all over that spinnerbait. This is just a theory, but because the lake level is dropping to around normal, I think the fish are being forced out of the flooded weeds and are starting to set up on more traditional structure. Used a spinnerbait to catch a bass just a few oz. shy of 5 lb.

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A Crappie Fishing List You Can’t Do Without!

A Crappie Fishing List You Can't Do Without!

Old School Crappie Fishing Family Secrets

Gear To Catch Crappie - What You Need To Be Successful!

If you are familiar with crappie, you know they are cunning and crafty creatures with a high degree of intelligence. Indeed, If you lived the life of a southern crappie (especially south Florida!); you would be dodging alligators half of the day and cottonmouths the other half.

This means the crappie species should definitely be classified as a sporting fish, and not every fisherman who picks up a fishing pole, buys some crappie fishing gear he thinks will catch crappie,and purchases a fishing license will go home with a stringer loaded with crappie.

And if you want to out smart them, and come home with your limit of crappie- it all starts with your gear. You gotta have the right stuff, and the Oldfishinghole Has got a quick list thats been tested through decades of fishing. if you use the crappie fishing gear suggestions shown on this list you will increase your crappie fishing success.

The Oldfishinghole Quick list of Crappie Catching Gear

Use a cane pole (or bamboo pole) or fiberglass. We recommend one that is 10 to 16ft in length.( the best thing about the cane pole or of the bamboo pole is that it allows you to "feel the slightest movement and your reaction to set the hook can be much quicker)

Tie a number 4, gold Aberdeen hook

Put a small, 2inch bobber about 2 feet above the hook

Put a piece of spit shot (lead weight) the size of a BB on the line right beneath the bobber.

At Least 6 dozen of "Missouri Minnows" (the smallest you can find)

Well, that does it for the oldfishinghole's recommendation of recommended crappie fishing gear.


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