Fly-fishing for crappies is a fun way to change things up this spring

With the enthusiasm of the Pennsylvania trout season opener coming to an end and the preparation to the upcoming spring gobbler season on the horizon, there is an underrated and overlooked opportunity during this midspring season: catching crappies on flies.

Yes, you read that correctly. Although, I am not the first to pioneer this niche in the fly-fishing world, I do believe it is undersold, especially for those looking for a seasonal change from trout and to the beginner or novice fly-angler.

These largemouth members of the sunfish family offer a diverse opportunity to fly- anglers looking to cast into the still water of lakes and ponds of Pennsylvania. Once located, crappies are easily taken by fly presentations that include streamers, dry flies and even nymphs when the bite begins to become slow and selective.

Of the three presentations mentioned earlier, streamers would probably make the most sense when it comes to fly selection, and rightfully so. With crappies often preying on minnows and large aquatic invertebrates, anything to entice a reaction/predatorial response would be the popular choice.

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Effective streamers include Wooly Buggers, leech patterns, Clouser Minnows and Zonker strip baitfish imitations. Most of these patterns fish well on a size 8 hook. The size you choose, and weight selected, depends on the depth the fish are holding, primary forage and weather conditions.

All in all, you can’t go wrong with a black marabou, brass bead Wooly Bugger on a size 8 streamer hook. Paired with a 3 weight, 9-foot fly-rod and floating line, it is a deadly combination viable for multiple species.

After a warm, sunny day that raises the water temperature and increases fish metabolism, you may notice a few random rise rings on the still waters towards the waning afternoon hours. If there are crappies in that body of water, and it’s late April or early May, there’s a good chance they could be rising crappies.

This is when some of the most excitable flat water dry-fly fishing can take place. Although crappies can be selective at times about what they are rising to, often just a simple foam terrestrial fly (land dwelling insect) pattern on a size 8-12 hook is a sure-fire way to ensure a few hookups.

If you find your presentations are denied repeatedly, pay attention to the water’s surface and the air column just above the water for hatching aquatic insects, and adjust your fly pattern to match the hatch.

Now, when it comes down to a full-on rejection of both streamer and dry-fly patterns, you must become creative. Out comes the nymph patterns. As with most fly-fishing, when the going gets tough, the main fallback is to either downsize or slow your presentation – and in some cases, both are needed.

Crappies are no exception to this tried-and-true strategy, and you will no doubt have days in the middle of spring that leave you scratching your head. This is where nymph patterns shine. Some of the most exciting fishing comes when crappies seemingly have one thing on their mind this time of year – staying in the sun and getting warm.

If you pay close attention and have a decent pair of polarized sunglasses, you’ll begin to see for yourself schools of crappies hovering anywhere from an inch to a foot beneath the surface.

Often, you might spook a school of crappies on the first cast. The name of the game here is meticulous sight fishing. This can be done both from shore and while semi-elevated in a boat or kayak. Remember, these schools know they are easy targets when sunbathing, so approach and cast with caution.

Typically, crappies are associated with some sort of woody structure, whether it be a downed tree, flooded timber or over hanging bushes. On bright, sunny and calm days, start your sight fishing search in these locations for sunbathing crappies.

If weather conditions change, come back to the areas where you have seen schools of crappies and adjust your techniques to the conditions. When it comes to casting to sighted crappies in calm water, I often prefer an unweighted nymph with some sort of movement on it.

My personal favorite fly is a homemade nymph/streamer pattern tied on a size 6-10 wide gap barbless hook with just a tuft of tan rabbit fur attached near the hook eye. Simple and effective.

If that gets denied, I’ll move on to smaller, unweighted soft hackle nymphs or pheasant tail-style nymph patterns retrieved with slow and short 4- to 8-inch strips of the fly-line.

When it comes down to deciphering crappie behavior during the spring with flies, use deductive reasoning to figure out what isn’t working so that you can fine-tune what will work.

There is no substitute for experience and the excitement and challenge of fly-fishing for springtime crappies will keep you coming back season after season.