04/04/2000
- Article
Yet
Another Springtime Panfish Article
By Noel Vick
The
crusade to engage ice-out panfish flirts with the mundane.
It seems that despite the avalanche of advancements in
freshwater angling, nothing-new surfaces that pertains specifically
to spring panfish. GPS,
contour guided trolling motor systems, newfangled crankbaits that
dive to unimaginable depths, and so on, but nothing for softwater
bluegills and papermouths.
For
the most part, the same goes for revolutionary discoveries about
springtime panfish location. Countless
articles and numerous books have professed the essentials of
locating springtime panfish. For
decades we’ve read about and experienced fishing these classic
ice-out waters.
Dedicated
fishermen keep a stable of such waters at the ready. These hand-sorted places encapsulate the merits of the ideal
body of water. Many of
us fully understand what the right stuff is, but a little retrospect
never hurts, and we’re always hopeful newcomers want to catch up
to speed. After a brief
digest I’ll inject the established with a little of my own flavor.
Revisiting
the Basics
A
spring of the year renaissance occurs throughout the fruited plains.
From border to border, panfish, for this discussion crappies
and sunfish, reinvigorate in stride with summer’s front side.
Whether you’re tackling crappies on Reelfoot Lake in
Tennessee or Leech Lake in Minnesota, the months most associated
with showers and flowers are good.
Having said that, the bulk of the information at hand deals
with regions where winter means ice and spring is marked by a
softening of the water.
The
actual phenomenon known as ice-out is a variable one. In some years on certain lakes it can occur as early as March
or as late as May. Regardless,
the releasing of ice sanctions the beginning of spring panfish
season.
It’s
been long established that panfish gravitate toward shallower
reaches in the spring. Shallow
means warmth and shallow means food.
Improving weather and heightened sunlight potency combine to
warm shallow shoreline areas, particularly within wind protected
bays. Having a soft or
mud bottom adds to the allure of a shallow bay.
And generally speaking, bays found on a lake or reservoir’s
northern reaches better fend off chilling winds while at the same
time receiving the longest duration of sun energy.
The
issue of what exactly constitutes being “shallow” is relative in
nature. Time of day,
sunlight intensity, daytime temperature and corresponding water
temperature and water clarity are all factors, which determine the
meaning of shallow. For instance, under balmy afternoon conditions the panfish on
a stained water lake might waddle in only a foot or two of water.
But as the sun sets and the hyper-shallows cool they’ll
slide into deeper water – maybe over a weedy flat or out to the
first dominant break. Likewise,
predominately cool and overcast weather causes panfish to
“stage” in deeper water just beyond favored shallows.
Basking
isn’t the only motivational factor here.
From within these warming waters erupt a montage of
underwater life. Panfish
arrive to feast on aquatic worms and insects, larval forms of
airborne insects, baitfish, and zooplankton.
Anglers come to greet the fish.
Later on the shallow water preference has to do with
procreation.
Another
commonality of spring panfishing is the preference toward smaller
lakes. It’s only
natural that small water heats up before big water.
The obvious exception to the rule of course being smallish
isolated tracts of water on larger lakes.
At
this juncture I’ll stop restating universal panfishing truths and
progress toward a smattering of spring panfish items that should
advance you existing arsenal.
Overlooked
and Away From Crowded Bays
Customary
bays aren’t your only option.
Heat seeking sunfish and crappies find suitable conditions in
and around a number of other environments, and many of these less
obvious targets experience reduced angling pressure.
Often
not appearing on maps, dredged boat harbors behave like miniature
bays. Both single
occupancy and extensive muti-user harbors provide protected
habitats, which warm quickly following ice-out.
Their silt-laden bottoms are rich with life and swarms of
minnows regularly invade during April and May.
Feeder
creeks are yet another panfish magnet.
Spring’s thaw generates increased flowage toward adjacent
lakes and reservoirs. Incoming
waters are frequently warmer than the main body, a bonus, and with
the current arrives a host of edibles.
Creeks draining into bays attract fishermen’s attention,
while ones that touch less distinguished sections are largely
ignored despite their potential.
Hugely
overlooked are what I refer to as shoreline “corners”.
Here, two essentially linear pieces of shoreline meet,
forming a corner that might appear as a subtle curvature or an
abrupt directional change. Either
way, the optimum corner features weed growth (emergent and/or
submerged), a shallow flat, and soft bottom composition.
Such corners also offer multi-directional wind protection,
which fosters further warming.
Akin
to shoreline corners are shoreline “dimples”.
These ostensibly minor depressions appear as a slightly
wobbled line on a detailed map or not at all on a crude one.
The vast majority of shoreline dimples need to be discovered
in person, from a boat. A
typical dimple presents itself as in inward curve in the shoreline.
It might span for only 20 or 30 yards, but if the dimple
presents a bottom content change (commonly sand to mud), vegetation,
and wind blockage, the results can be astounding.
Shoreline dimples are repeatedly associated with standing
vegetation (cattails and reeds) and bog-like conditions.
Springtime bog seepage introduces favorable warm and fertile
water.
Staying
with the bog theme, floating masses of this mushy stuff constitutes
a panfish haven. Inside
a bay or not, waters surrounding a bog warm rapidly and they’re
filthy with aquatic life. The
outer lip of a suspended bog behaves like a tuck-under garage.
Sunfish and crappies, the cars in this metaphor, pull in and
out while foraging and evading predators.
Isolated
stands or islands of bulrushes and reeds are favorites on big water.
Such clusters of emergent vegetation teem with underwater
critters, which become highly active following ice-out.
A mass of standing vegetation mixed with submerged greenery
is seriously volatile. Productive
areas are marked with dense or scattered browned and dead weed heads
jutting through the surface.
Objects
retain heat, and as duly noted, post ice-out panfish gravitate
toward heat. Immersed
structures like docks, bridge pilings, retaining walls and other
manmade structures absorb and preserve heat.
Again, a shallow bay isn’t always part of the equation.
A train bride gapping narrowed waters, cluster of docks,
fishing pier, flooded dwelling, and bastion of landscaping rocks,
harbor rocks or railroad ties are all prime examples of unorthodox
panfish haunts that deserve attention.
Inside
– Outside Tactic
At
the onset, when I revisited spring panfish basics, I neglected to
delve into specific presentations and recommended pieces of
equipment. Tote along a
spinning reel, sensitive rod, light line, jigs, and a sampling of
live baits and your armed to do damage.
Cast, jig, adjust bobber depths, move around; it’s all part
of the core technique. But
my primary aim is to add a little wrinkle to the fundamental
approach. And an
inside/outside attack is a fine addendum.
By
inside/outside I’m referring to a systematic means of determining
what depth the fish are in, assuming you’ve first selected a
general area. Motor
right up to bank and commence fan casting.
There’s no such thing as being too shallow while engaged in
a search mode. Make a
few casts. Nothing?
Creep along the shoreline while continuously casting.
Still nothing? Gradually
back away. You’ve now
determined that panfish aren’t residing in one, two, three, and
even four feet, but you know they’re somewhere out there.
Proceed casting and stealthily parting waters, driven by an
electric trolling motor or oars.
Explore the five, six, and seven-foot marks.
Your efforts are finally realized as the small cork bobber
slips out of sight. A nifty 13-inch crappie comes boat side.
Moments later a second tug of the line manifests into a
matching papermouth. A
pattern is born. It
seems that unstable weather has caused the fish to hold offshore in
anticipation of a future invasion.
Unless
you’ve tracked their location since late ice, determining what
depth fish are using at any given point during the spring feast is
challenging. Patterning
them with an inside/outside approach eliminates guesswork, and the
amount of time it takes to finally locate fish is nominal.
Keeping
tabs on water temperature is another way to quickly eliminate water.
I’ll presuppose that your rig is equipped with a
temperature gauge. Right?
It should be! Anyway,
say for instance that shoreline temperatures loom below the
45-degree mark, you can safely bet the invasion hasn’t initiated.
Search deeper. Inversely,
imagine that you’re reading 55 to 60-degrees along a bog; panfish
should be nearby.
Long
Casts…Slow Retrieves
Finding
them is job one, but as any seasoned panfish zealot will tell,
enticing finicky crappies and sunfish is rigorous.
Aggressive panfish hit things they couldn’t possibly
consume and make quick work of mouthable chunks.
I won’t bore or insult you by making suggestions under such
circumstances. But when
I know there’s fish around, and conventional means fail, a mixture
of long casts and slow retrieves prevails.
Spooky
fish demand careful attention.
Get too close and they’re gone.
During the spring of the year panfish frequently suspend just
beneath the surface, and even the slightest disturbance sends them
scurrying. Enter the long cast. No
flippin’, tossin’, or pitchin’; we’re talking about long
range rod tip to surface missiles.
A 1/16th, 1/32nd, or lighter jig might
be too light to fling 25-feet and beyond, especially into a
headwind, but with the compliment of an aerodynamic float and
split-shot, great distances are attainable.
Using
light line and a long rod acutely increases casting distance.
Narrow diameter three and four-pound test monofilaments and
fluorocarbons cast with ease and they’re strong enough to battle
scrappy panfish. Superlines
such as Spiderwire and Fireline can also hurl a bait, and they’re
less susceptible to abrasions (timber, rocks, etc.), as well, such
lines better deal with the occasional northern pike or largemouth
bass.
Skittish
panfish will flee from the explosion caused by an incoming bobber.
And a rambunctious retrieve is certainly not in order, but an
angler’s impatient nature forces he or she to hastily jig and pop
in hopes of establishing interest.
Slow down. Take
a deep breath. Puff a
cigar (adults only), as do I, or sip some coffee.
The last thing you want to do is immediately rip your
presentation through a school of already distressed panfish.
Let it sit 10 or 20-seconds before beginning the retrieve.
The
retrieve itself is the next process that demands restraint.
Just because you’ve got a jig tied to the end of your line
doesn’t demand that it be jigged… No jigging, jerking, or hopping.
Instead, slowly crank the reel so that the bobber barely
causes a ripple. Patience.
Keep it coming ever so gradually – occasional pauses are
okay.
I’ve
watched this slow-retrieve worked masterfully on a western Wisconsin
lake. A married couple
I know live and breathe the pursuit of black crappies.
They don’t own the fastest boat or latest spinning outfits,
but man o’ man, can they put on a freshwater clinic.
I’ve watched them saddle-up to a likely panfish haunt,
anchor, and literally embarrass the rest of the field.
Seated, facing in opposite directions, they begin casting and
retrieving in machinelike fashion, without altering the presentation
or even incorporating live bait…
Long casts, slow and steady retrieves, and limits of
springtime crappies.
It
takes a tantalizing lure to perform without bait. I’ve had great success enticing springtime crappies with
tube jigs. These
tempting lures feature an elongated lead head, which is buried
inside a colored/plastic body.
The horizontal jig’s backside has rubbery tentacles that
pulsate when advanced through the water.
Depending on size and color, a tube-jig mimics everything
from a shiner minnow to a misplaced grasshopper.
Whichever, panfish cannot resist.
Dozens of manufacturers offer prepackaged tube jigs, but if
available in your area, bulk bodies and heads are a better value,
and color/design options are seemingly endless.
Bait-free tube jigs are especially effective on sluggish
crappies and sunfish, but under normal circumstances, a taste of
waxy or minnow is recommended.
There
are fundamental concepts and practices that routinely assist in the
pursuit of springtime crappies; a number of them were noted at the
onset. But by taking
into consideration the notions of overlooked areas, inside/outside
tactics, and long casts and slow retrieves, your game can only get
better. Have at ‘em!
And please exercise conservation during the spring breeding
season. Panfish,
particularly the larger more conditioned fish (smarter) are
vulnerable when spring is in the air.
Grade the quality of fishing not by how many carcasses are in
the bucket, but instead by how many inches of fish were caught and
released…
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