One of the most fulfilling activities for many people is spring crappie fishing. This is the time of year that my son has a huge interest in going fishing with Dad. Cabin fever has been prevalent for several months and as the ice lifts off the local waters and temperatures start to rise, the ever-so-active crappie nears spawning time. As spring draws near crappie move toward their spawning areas. If you are a fisherman who enjoys crappie fishing and has chased them before, you know that springtime offers up the hottest crappie fishing of the year.

Most anglers enjoy spring crappie because they tend to migrate to shallower water and this alone cuts down on your search time. Instead of holding on hidden cover, crappie will tend to move to shallow treetops and stump fields, riprap banks and docks, many of which are visible, often in the backs of creeks or coves and usually fairly close to a lake’s banks. Besides the fact that they are shallow, spring crappie tend to stack up, so where you hook into one big fish, the chances are extremely good that you are going to catch a bunch of them. Overall, finding crappie and catching a big bag of slabs are at their best this time of year.

One thing you need to remember. You must present what the crappie wants to eat. Don’t be fooled into thinking that catching springtime crappie is like pulling fish from a bucket. The shallower flats and shoreline areas of most lakes still constitute a lot of water. Even if you find the right bank to work, it is necessary to observe the surrounding environment and make the most educated pattern presentation possible. Crappie are still a bit lethargic this time of year, so your bait must be presented at the proper depth and as close to the fish as possible, since they are not in the mood to go chasing anything around as of yet.

The spring migration to the spawning areas is gradual and the crappie will tend to migrate gradually into the shallows and back out over the course of a few months. The exact timing of their moves varies from lake to lake and even from year to year within the same lake, depending on winter and spring weather conditions. In other words, if we have an early spring with nice warm days in March, you can expect to catch crappie in the conditions described above. Crappie will begin moving from their deep main lake winter holding areas sometime very early in the spring. They use structures like channel ledges, humps and long points as staging areas, keying on any brush or stumps. Bass tend to have the same behavior during the pre-spawn period when they are starting to line up around cover that is usually adjacent to their spawning areas. They gradually move shallower and shallower and typically work toward the backs of creeks, coves and narrow lake arms.Throughout this migration pattern, both to and from their spawning grounds, crappie will move extra shallow with a string of sunny days and move deeper with each late season cold front. Regardless of water depth they almost always find rocks, brush or some kind of cover to hold around. That cover provides protection, and it attracts the minnows which a crappie likes to eat. Usually you need to have a few nice warm days strung together for the shallow water action to fully take place, but the air temperature does not have to actually warm up as much as you might think. As long as the sun shines brightly it will warm shallow areas, especially those that are surrounded by riprap or natural rocks. Water that is slightly stained and filled with wood and rocks to soak up the suns rays will heat up much quicker. When those first warm days occur, the crappie will still be holding on fairly deep structure and they will not move far just to feed. At this point, if the water temperature continues to increase, they will start chasing down their food within a few more weeks.

Typically, shallow hotspots that lie quite close to deep water will draw fish. Bridges or structures that run across major channels and the shallow ends of long points provide easy travel routes for the crappie from the depths to good shallow cover. Because areas that offer the necessary range of depth, along with good cover, and the required quality for the water to warm slightly are obviously limited in numbers, those spots can be golden in early spring. At this time crappie tend to feed more on minnows than on jigs and they won’t chase anything. Most of the best spots during this part of the season are limited in number and size, so the majority of the searching will be through different depths. A basic cork rig, with a float, split shot, No. 4 or 6 hook and live minnow, is tough to beat. Just flip the bait out and let it settle, and then experiment with different depths until you start getting bites. If you purchase a second rod stamp, you might want to try two poles at the same time at various depths. This method will tend to cut your search time down a bit.

As spring progresses and temperatures continue to warm, crappie will move to the tops of ledges and begin pushing into the creeks. They move shallow to feed more frequently, and the shallow areas they use on the warm spring days become much more widespread. Finding at least a few fish becomes somewhat less of a challenge, but they often aren’t quite as concentrated as those first wonderful days of spring. The best cover is still fairly close to deep water. Flats that are dissected by major channels and banks near the mouths of creeks will always hold a lot of crappie, especially on warm days when the fish have just begun their migration toward the spawning grounds. Warmer weather and sunrise are still the keys to finding crappie in the shallows, but such days are quickly becoming the norm instead of the exception.Floats or bobbers still come into play for finding crappie at this time of the year, but some of the best angling approaches are a little more active. The fish can be spread out, calling for searching type tactics. By now the water will have warmed enough so that the fish will chase a minnow or jig, as long as it is not moving too quickly. When I speak of a jig, I am talking about small 1 ½ to 2″ plastic tube or small plastic curly tail on a jighead that is weighted. A float offers two major advantages at this time of year, whether you are fishing with jigs or minnows. It allows you to control and track depths, making it easy to identify the productive zone and keep baits in it, and allows you to move the lure or bait slowly, even stopping it along the way, which can be essential for getting crappie to strike early in the year. When the crappie are spread across shallow flats and could be holding on any of hundreds of stumps or brushpiles, provided you have a water vessel of some type, trolling comes into play.

For shallow flats, corks remain part of the equation, and setting different lines at different depths will again help identify patterns much more quickly. Keep a marker buoy handy any time you troll and toss it out any time you get more than one strike in a small area. If you find a real hotspot don’t anchor right over it especially if the water is shallow. Try to anchor a good cast away from the area so the fish won’t feel invaded or spooked.

As spring warms even more, crappie will move farther up the creeks. Now is when they will spend most of their time close to the banks or on cover along shallow flats. This would be a great time to try a lure like the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap in the 1/4oz and 1/8oz sizes. Because all fish don’t move at the same time, crappie will be widespread by mid-spring. The creeks will hold the most fish, by far, with concentrations well up them, but some crappie will show up around any shoreline tree, dock or riprap.

Eventually the crappie will spawn and then they will start to move back toward deeper water. The journey out is gradual and some of the early season’s patterns and hotspots will turn on once again as spring gives way to summer. Fish are much more aggressive throughout late spring as their body temperatures have risen. They are much more willing to take a bait as it is moving, and they will typically grab a jig as readily as a minnow or small baitfish imitation.

Throughout the crappie run a few things will help you catch more fish. First, the best spring spots are much more distinguishable on a map than on the water. If you can find a good topographical map, spend time studying it before your first trip and identify some potentially good areas to hit as spring progresses. Next, pay attention to the water color, as crappie will hold much shallower when the water is stained than when the water is clear. Also as I have mentioned in previous articles, stained water warms faster than clear water.

Finally, crappies of the same size tend to hang out together. If the fish that keep taking your baits are smaller than the legal limit size, move on. If you catch a nice large crappie, pay close attention to the conditions and work this pattern over and over again. This should produce great results. Springtime, with its constantly changing temperatures, brings the best opportunity for most fishermen to catch a limit of slab crappie. Using these patterns will hopefully help you catch your limit. One important item to remember is that a crappie’s mouth is paper thin and a hard hookset could severely damage the fish, and disturb their eating habits, if you are practicing catch and release. Have fun guys and gals and I truly hope you catch a bunch of crappies this season!

Wayne Byrd is a warmwater specialist and bass tournament professional who lives in Colorado. He is an active contributor to Fishin’ Secrets.

http://www.fishinsecrets.com

Fly Fishing

Ancient Macedonian pottery paintings indicate that fly fishing, that is, fishing with a lure constructed of feathers to imitate an insect, was the first form of angling with a rod. Fly fishing differs from most other disciplines of fishing today because the fly must be cast on a fly rod, a very whippy, limber pole which is bent or “loaded” by a fly line. Whereas a bait fisherman uses the weight of his lure or bait to pull line out behind it when thrown, a fly fisher uses the weight of the line itself to bend and unbend his rod.

Hand fishing

It is possible to fish with minimal equipment by using only the hands. In the USA catching catfish in this way is known as noodling. In the British Isles, the practice of catching trout by hand is known as trout tickling.

Spear and bow fishing

Spear fishing is an ancient method of fishing and may be conducted with an ordinary spear or a specialised variant such as an eel spear or the trident. A small trident type spear with a long handle is used in the American South and Midwest for “gigging” bullfrogs with a bright light at night, or for gigging carp and other trash fish in the shallows.

Fishing nets

All fishing nets are meshes usually formed by knotting a relatively thin thread. Modern nets are usually made of artificial polyamides like nylon, although nets of organic polyamides such as wool or silk thread were common until recently and are still used in certain areas.

Fishing lines

Fish are caught with a fishing line by encouraging a fish to bite upon a fish hook or a gorge. A fishing hook will pierce the mouthparts of a fish and may be barbed to make escape less likely. A gorge is buried in the bait such that it would be swallowed end first. The tightening of the line would fix it cross-wise in the quarry’s stomach or gullet and so the capture would be assured.

Ice fishing

Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and hooks through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. It is practised by hunter-gatherers such as the Inuit and by sportsmen in many cold climates.

What ever technique is you favorit, one thing is for certain; fishing is a fantastic recreational hobby or sport. A growing number of people around the world is joining the fellowship of fishermen. More and more people are finding out about the relaxing effect fishing has. One could wonder why it is so. Maybee because the world surrounding us all is going faster and faster, and we need a breathing hole ones and a while to catch our breath. Fishing provides that hole! A lot of us has known it for years, some has just discovered it, and others will join in the future.

Happy fishing - see you out there.

Huge amount of information on Course Fishing - check out for your self.

Trout fishing is fun way to enjoy your free time and it can be very rewarding to your diet. There are many places that you can catch trout around the USA. Salt water trout are abundant and do not really require much different equipment than the normal rod and reel found at any sporting goods store. They are usually small, so light tackle is more than adequite. Fishing lines with a low pound test are best because they won’t be visable underwater. The best place to find them is in shallow rivers or the flats in small bays. A spinner is a great lure to use instead of live bait because it is easy and effective. However, night crawlers are a cheap live bait that last days in a styrofoam container that is kept out of direct sunlight.

Another way to catch trout is use a fly fishing rod. This is a very fun form of fishing because it is more active and with practice you can become a very accurate caster. You may have seen this done, and trust me it is easier than it looks. A light rod and reel are not expensive. You can also purchase fake fishing flies that are exclusive to this type of fishing. The flies are light, so light fishing line should be used to let the fly control the cast. Find a stream that is 10′ - 20′ across. Tie the fly to the end of the line using 3-4 simple pretzel knots. Pull some extra slack into your empy hand, leaving about 5′ of line coming out of the end of the rod. Slowly wave the rod back and forward with your hand about shoulder height.

When you have a good feel for where you want to cast, go back and gently cast forward flicking you wrist forward as well. Release the slack in the line as you flick your wrist. Flicking your wrist just about doubles the speed of your cast with minimal effort…much like a golf swing, casting should be effortless. You will be casting a lot and force may spook the fish. Try aiming for opposite edges of the river where the water is more calm than the actual flow. Fish love to wait in these areas because food will flow by them from the quicker current.

When you have caught some trout, it is time to clean them. This is very easy when you know the basics. First take a sharp medium size knife and place it perpendicular across the area between the skull and the dorsal area. Cut straight downward about halfway. Then flip it over and slit the belly open from the anus to where you cut it’s neck. Then hold the dorsal area and pull downward and back on the skull. This will rip the head off and pull the guts out of the bottom. Simply run your finger through the slit to clean any excess guts and throw the fish on ice.

A staple recipe for trout is to flour the outside of the fish, skin and all, and cook it in a fry pan with butter and oil for a couple minutes per side. The skin will slide off very easily. Then use a fork to carefully lift the meat off of the rib bone. The fish is very tender and will melt in your mouth. Feel around for bones because some will stick to the meet. This is a very healthy dish that is rich with low fat but has fish oil and protein that promote low cholesteral and promote muscle gain. Enjoy!

Find out more great information about trout and fishing at http://www.abouttrout.info!