Crappie

[Greg]

Are you kidding me? Like I need another fishing buddy! Besides I just meet you. You could be a serial killer for all I know! The signs are all there, 1. You live in Lebanon! 2. You sell car insurance! 3. You laugh at my jokes so I know there’s something wrong with you! LOL Besides, except for a few short runs if I find the time, fishing is over for me for the summer. I’m a warm weather fisherman. I like to wade the creeks, when it’s too cold to get wet I stop fishing and start gearing up for deer season. I love to fish but I’m not fanatical like some of the guys here. Perhaps I can pencil you in for next summer. In fact, just two days ago I took you advice and bought an aerator so I can get serious about hauling some fish. I’d like to put some blues and flatheads in the pond and yeah, I’d like to come down and see these Piranha crappie for myself. I just wish you didn’t live so darn far away, then it might have been easier to get together! I live down near Branson in Christian county. Maybe next summer we’ll get together if you haven’t been arrested! LOL

Hey I've met him. I can vouch that he's not a serial killer. Nice guy actually. But I've been laughing at your jokes too so I'm not sure what that says about me either (LOL). This has been a funny, light hearted thread. Unlike a few we've had recently.

Greg

[Bird Watcher]

You're a good sport Buckshot. Good luck with the pond.

[Buckshotdad1960]

Yeah, anyone who wants to go fishing with the likes of me at least shouldn’t be allowed by law to own a firearm! LOL Just stay in good with that land owner so we can go back there. Maybe in the spring when their spawning we might stand a better chance at catching something bigger. Yeah, I’ve had fun and learned a thing or two. You’re a great bunch of guys! This isn’t the end even though this thread is spent. We’ll run across each other on other threads. So keep your rods held high and your hooks in the water! Until next time.

[stone9-7=2]

Wow that thing kind of reminds me of my ex mother inlaw, mean & ugly.

[FishinCricket]

Hey I've met him. I can vouch that he's not a serial killer. Nice guy actually. But I've been laughing at your jokes too so I'm not sure what that says about me either (LOL). This has been a funny, light hearted thread. Unlike a few we've had recently.

Greg

Golly, thanks Greg! Is this the part where I mention that I'm always exceedingly nice to people who offer to give me fishing equipment?

Yeah, this has been a thoroughly interesting thread... We all need to pick a date during the winter C&R to get together and terrorize one of the springs.... Whadda y'all say?

[Greg]

Golly, thanks Greg! Is this the part where I mention that I'm always exceedingly nice to people who offer to give me fishing equipment?

Yeah, this has been a thoroughly interesting thread... We all need to pick a date during the winter C&R to get together and terrorize one of the springs.... Whadda y'all say?

Sounds great.

Greg

[Kayser]

Would just like to add my 2 cents to this thread.

I'm from southern IL, and have been fishing small, shallow ponds for 18 years straight. There are a few factors that I've seen influence how well the crappie will do.

Vegetation- too much will choke the pond and restrict the living area, but if you don't have any, the invertebrates that the fry and minnows (read as forage) feed on will never be at a level to support a large fishery. Case in point- I live on an 18 acre "lake," but it only gets maybe 12 ft deep, about 4-5 on average. We used to have a lot of water primrose (not much other vegetation), and had fantastic crappie. Never saw one under 10. Bluegill were all 8-9" each. Then we put in grasscarp, which ate everything. No plants, no base for the food chain. Survival on younger year classes for fry dropped, and larger fish starved.

Bottom Substrate- most ponds that I've fished have been a mud/silt composition around the banks, dark brown or even black. Usually indicates a high fertility, and thus has the potential for vegetation and lots of invertebrates for the forage to feed on. These ponds are also lined with trees, and have a nice layer of decaying leaves on the bottom. These ponds have good crappie, all of the ones I've caught have been 10-14". Have fished a few gravel bottom ponds, and was not overly impressed with the overall health of the fish.

Predators- The most common one you will see is bass, just because they are so popular, but channel catfish and bullheads are also very effective. In all ponds that I fish, there are either channels or bullheads. In the 18 acre pond behind my house, we fell behind on our introduction of channel catfish from a nearby powerplant lake, and their numbers died off drastically. At the same time, the bluegill and crappie populations exploded, as did the bass, and all fish under 15" seemed severely stunted. All of the fish seemed to be competing for the same size baitfish, which became somewhat nonexistant in my minnow traps. We were able to to get back up to par on the catfish, which are now about 3-4 lbs each, and the quality of fish is almost back to what it was. In the other pond that I fish religiously (8 acres, 18 ft deep), there are bullheads that I have seen in the bass beds in the spring, which seem to be eating the eggs. The bass and crappie in this pond are doing just fine, all the crappie I catch are 10-12", and the bass are 12-16", and they are all extremely healthy. Bluegill are good too, very few fish under 7". I have fished another pond similar to this one, except it is only about 7 feet deep, and the quality of fish is comparable. A third pond that I know, about 2 acres and 6 feet deep, used the have catfish, along with nice crappie (9-11") and bass (12-14" avg), all very healthy. The catfish have since died off, there are no bullheads, and everything is overpopulated and stunted now.

Forage- this is basically what kind of forage is in the pond for your fish, and not just the crappie. The more food items you have, the more there will be to eat. Crawfish, fathead minnows, mosquitofish, and small bluegill are what I have seen in the ponds I fish. Doesn't mean there aren't other things there, but those are the main ones available year-round. The crawfish dont' compete with the others for food, and are eaten by the bass and catfish, which reduces the pressure they put on the other forage species. Bluegill are almost a seasonal forage, due to the rate at which they grow- they can grow too big for developing crappie to eat by the time Fall rolls around, which is when fish put on most of their weight. Fathead minnows and mosquitofish are about as good as it gets, due to their small adult size and relative prolific nature.

So, in deciding whether or not to stock crappie, you need to evaluate the overall living space, the vegetation (for health of fry and forage), the health of predator species populations, and the health of the forage species. If they all seem pretty good, I wouldn't see why not to stock them. If they get out too stunted, try adding some brushpiles for cover, boost the forage population. Oh, keep the crappie you do catch. Nothing like acting as an apex predator to keep populations in check.

Again, just my 2 cents.

Rob

[troutgnat]

Buckshot,

There are many crappie to be caught from the bank at Springfield Lake in the spring of year. Even as early as March when you get those first long stretches of warm 50 degree days. Fish the windward banks early in the spring and you will be surprised how shallow the crappie will come up in the afternoons.

Here's a couple of clues:

Within site of one of the public access points

Even closer to the dam

You can park right off the road and walk down to your fishing spot

shallow cove and stretch of bank adjacent to bluff and deep water

Well, I just gave away one of my little hidy holes so I shall say no more but you really needed the help so go do your scouting solve the clues. Shame on you for not knowing where any crappie are around Springfield........LOL

Here's another one.........Did you know you can catch big ole' gills out of Horton Smith golf course pond! OK, I shut up now!!!! Oh, this is fun. I just can't resist.............Did you also know you can catch the hell out of bluegill on a fly rod in the pond behind Cox Medical building on south National close to James River freeway. I forget the name of what they call that little park it has a walking trail around it..........Do I get a guide fee for this?????...................LOL

[Buckshotdad1960]

(click, click, click) There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home! Anti M is that you? I had the most terrible dream! I dreamed I went into a thread called THE FINLEY RIVER because I wanted to see if I could find a place to fish for crappie close to my house. I was sure I would find a place to fish and make a few friends but I was wrong. They beat me up and took my lunch money. One old boy by the name of RSHreth bent me over a stump and made me squeal like a pig! DON”T GO THERE! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY! The people on that thread are real poor too. All they had for music was two DUELING BANJOES. Then I went over to a thread called THE JAMES RIVER and put my canoe in. I yelled out, ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN CATCH SOME CRAPPIE? But no one replied. I didn’t see anyone but I heard those dueling banjoes again so I just left my canoe on the bank and ran for the car! I’ll never go back there again! Man, my butt hurts! LOL

Kayser,

That was the best 2 cents you have ever spent! With that money I can feed my Ethiopian family of five for years! LOL Thank you for that post! It is by far the best one yet. I hope you don’t mind if I frame it and hang it on the wall? I’m going to carve it in stone so I can hit people with it! LOL Like any great document, your post will be studied for years to come by crappie anglers of all ages from all over. However, I noticed in your post you mentioned bullheads so I find the burden falling on my shoulders as my sacred duty to warn you that in the future to watch your language! LOL WE HATE BULLHEADS! Other than that your post was very enjoyable. Thank you for contributing and please feel free to do so again!

Troutgnat,

You’re my only friend!

For bravery above and beyond the call of duty risking personal loss of your private fishing spot to the hordes of nomadic crappie anglers in the Greene county area, I’m recommending you for the Silver Star! Congratulations son, you are by far the bravest angler I have ever known! This world would be a better place if more men were like you! (starts to cry) It is an honor and a privilege to know you! LOL As for me, I have been demoted for not knowing where to fish for crappie in the Springfield lake. In front of everyone my crappie rod was broken in half, my tackle box kicked and spilled, then I stood silent and still as my two golden crappie stars that took me years to get were removed from my shoulders and I was reduced in rank to fish cleaner! LOL But, oh yeah, I forget you already know that because you’re the one WHO DID IT! Now I’m gonna get ya Tony Scarebony! You think I give a darn about your Silver Star! If I catch you on the bank I’m gonna still your fish! LOL Watch your tackle box! Watch your tackle box! LOL

LOL, yeah, even I know I’m crazy!

Alright! Anyway, in all fairness though, once when I was at the Springfield lake walking around talking to people. I had one guy point to the general area you were talking about and told me that you could catch spawning crappie there in the spring. Maybe he knew what he was talking about but I didn’t give the information much credit because the guy looked like a railroad bum. Boy, this guy needed a bath! I don’t even know if he had teeth because of his scraggly beard but his breath sure smelt like cheese! Then he tried to bum some money off me. To top it all off he was using a snoopy rod from Wal-Mart! Gee…I sure hope that guy isn’t you! LOL

At any rate, thanks for the tip. This spring I will have my best detectives on the case and we’ll see if we can solve this mystery! I’ll call in Charley Chan if I have too! I didn’t know about the Horton Smith golf course but the next time I feel like getting hit with a golf ball I’m going there! LOL I did know about the Hospital though. In fact I’ve fished it and caught a ton of green sunfish. Nothing of any great size but I had fun. So keep those cards and letters coming, we all might just learn a thing or two from you.

[Kayser]

Go ahead and frame it, carve it in stone, and chant my name as you beat people over the head with it. All ponds have bullheads in limited numbers around my, seeing as they were all creeks that were dammed up. It's just a matter of getting enough bass in there (or take the bullheads out yourself) to keep the populations in check. Or, that's what I've observed. Who knows, I could be wrong. Been fishing hard my whole life, but that's still only 20 years. I still bow to the masters who bless us with their knowledge on this site (Al Agnew, cough, cough...Phil Lilley, cough...). Dang this chillier weather, must be gettin a cold...

Again, just some observations and opinions. Thanks for listening,

Rob