 Locating
and creating habitat for crappies is as much fun as catching
them!
On Long Island, we have many waters where these feisty
little fish can be caught, so we first have to look at
the location , before we decide how we are going to catch
them.
My choices would be the Peconic River, in Riverhead and
Twin Ponds (northern lake) in Wantagh. These areas, known
best for there bass, pickerel and catfish, hold a good
number of crappie that are not pressured anywhere near
as much as the other species. It is important to remember
however, that crappie have small, soft mouths, requiring
light line, small hooks and tiny baits in order to entice
them into striking.  Crappie,
like its cousin the bass, relate to structure. Brush piles
and lay downs are exceptional places for these fish to
congregate. If the area you like to fish holds crappie
and tructure is scarce, think about placing one of two
brush piles of your own to create a unique location for
you and your friends to fish. A plastic bucket and a few
limbs, or a small Christmas tree sunk in some quick dry
cement will work well. Fill the bucket with the cement,
push the branches or small tree into the pot and support
in an upright position until dry. Placement can be made
from a small boat or wading. Make sure you work with someone,
as much for safety as for help. Those buckets can get
very heavy when the cement dries!
Once you have located a prime area, leave the structure
that you have made alone for a week or two. During that
time, small water creatures will attach themselves to
the limbs, making it a habitat or stopping point for crappie
on their daily expedition for food.
A favorite presentation of mine is to suspend, under a
stick style bobber, a small plastic tubebait on a 1/8th
(one eighth) oz ounce jighead, tipped with a live waxworm.
This method, or the more conventional night crawler rig
(cut the night crawler into three pieces and use one piece
at a time) offered in a similar way without the tubebait,
will keep the children amused while you try to catch them
with a more subtle approach. The natural movement of the
water and surface wind will bounce the bobber and "jiggle"
the bait below the surface. Crappie tend to hold or suspend
halfway down a piece of structure, so if you are fishing
in six feet of water, present your bait at three feet.
Warmer days will find fish closer to the surface. You
may wish to cast a small crankbait or 3/16th(three sixteenth)
oz spinnerbait both of which work well, but be prepared
to catch bass and maybe even perch at the same time! Fly
fishing is also an exciting way of catching crappies using
a wet fly presentation. Dry fly is also a hot item during
those summer mornings when the sun first rises. Try a
size 14 or 18 hook dressed with green or brown in the
body color. Drab colors I have found are better in clear
water situations. If the water is stained or muddy, I
suggest a bright yellow or pink.
I do not advise the eating of these fish from any of the
waters mentioned. In the southern states these fish are
a delicacy, here however, the pollutants we have learned
to live with, make consumption unsafe especially for small
children. For more information contact your local D.E.C.
office.
Enjoy crappie fishing and please practice, catch and release.
Tight Lines!
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