Steve Carney: Post-opener in Minnesota is time to target crappies

After a long wait this spring, crappies are now shallow and are cooperating with anglers. Cold and rainy weather in April finally gave way to higher water temperatures, and crappies have responded.

Here are some crappie-fishing tips as we approach mid-May, the best time of the year to score on shallow-water crappies.

The very shallow

When I head to a small, muddy back bays, I look to the shallows first to determine how active crappies are at any given time. I always throw my jig and bobber smack into the base of the cattails in 1 to 2 feet of water.

As I do this, I make sure I keep my boat well away from the cattails, because any commotion will drive the fish away in a hurry. My casts are sometimes from 30 to 40 yards away. I also sneak into the shallow bay with my electric trolling motor. Outboard noise will often spook fish within 100 yards around the boat.

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The not quite so shallow

I have found lots of crappies this spring in depths of 4 to 8 feet, just outside of the cattails. Often, weed growth is just starting, providing cover and security just outside of the shallow cattails.

Make sure you fan-cast around the area and stay in 4 to 8 feet of water. You’d be surprised how many crappies just hang to the outside of the vegetation, waiting to move shallow under low-light conditions.

Food: It’s where the fish are

Many anglers think May crappies are spawning, but in reality they’re now feasting on small minnows, and larvae and worms that are emerging from muddy lake bottoms. At this time of May, the food is shallow, so predator fish follow.

Water temperatures are now ideal – in the upper 50s, which is the prime temperature for food sources to become a factor. Crappies will come back in at a later date to spawn, but right now, it’s all about the food.

The plastics factor

Fishing crappies with a bobber setup can at times result in limited action. I usually have one angler fishing with a bobber while I spend some time fan-casting a small 1⁄16-ounce jig with a plastic tail in various areas around the bay. This way, I can cover water much faster, and I often find the fish in a bit deeper water.

Once I find them with the jig, I’ll switch to the bobber and concentrate on that spot. At this time of May, crappies are so active that I don’t use live bait. Jigs with feather tails or plastics work just fine as long as I provide action on the bobber retrieve. Just a slow hop back to the boat works well.

If there’s a breeze, let the wind do the work.

I always enjoy the month of May because shallow crappies provide some of the best fishing action of the season. Get them while you can before they disperse and move to their late-spring haunts.