Following Spring Walleye and Crappie

Following Spring Walleye and Crappie

In this episode, we’re talking about fishing for spring walleye and crappie— primarily we’re going to be focusing on crappie! Just because you have open water does not mean that those fish are going to instantly appear in the shallows.

Minnesota guide Brad Hawthorne says when that water gets to about 50-degrees, anglers will see crappies vacate the basin areas and start staging near where they are going to spawn. Cold fronts and weather affect crappie fishing this time of year so weather temperature change and weather as it pertains to crappies location.

Spring is an exciting time for fishing enthusiasts, as the warmer weather brings new opportunities to catch walleye and crappie. In this article, we will explore the current conditions and fishing prospects in various locations, including the Red River, Leech Lake, Lake Vermilion, and Green Bay. We will also highlight some cool products and techniques that can enhance your fishing experience.

Fishing on the Red River

According to Brad Durrick, the spring on the Red River has been relatively dry, resulting in perfect river conditions for catfishing. However, the catfish are not yet in full swing, as they require warmer temperatures to start their pre-spawn run.

While smaller catfish are being caught shallow, locating them can be a bit challenging. Nevertheless, the ideal water conditions on the Red River present a unique opportunity to pursue other fish species such as walleye, pike, and smallmouth bass.

Exploring Panfish on Leech Lake

Toby Cavall ivog of Leisure Outdoors recently scouted the panfish situation on Leech Lake. Leech Lake is a large lake with both deep water and shallow bays. The water temperatures vary throughout the lake, with the shallow bays in the north end reaching almost 50 degrees with the sun out.

However, Toby did not see a lot of panfish activity up shallow. The fish he encountered were staging out in deeper water, around 8 to 10 feet deep, along the deep weed lines. Toby had success using plastics such as puddle jumpers and tube jigs, without any bait. He believes that the panfish will start moving shallow in a couple of weeks when the water temperatures reach the mid-50s.

Crappie Fishing on Lake Vermilion

Billy Rosner highlights the crappie fishing opportunities on Lake Vermilion. While Lake Vermilion is well-known for its walleye and muskie fishing, crappies are often overlooked. With the early ice-out and the late game fish opener, this year presents a perfect opportunity to chase some crappies on Lake Vermilion.

Billy suggests focusing on the bays that are facing south in the afternoon, as they tend to warm up the fastest. If you’re not finding any crappies in one bay, don’t be afraid to move to another. Using a slip bobber with a minnow or a small crappie minnow on a jig can be effective. Billy also recommends trying some plastic baits. It’s important to release the larger crappies to preserve the resource.

Targeting Big Walleyes on Green Bay

Brett Alexander shares his experience hunting for big walleyes on Green Bay. The bite was a little tough on the day of his report, but there are a couple of different walleye bites going on in Green Bay. The west shore by Oconto and Peshtigo, as well as Suamico, is good for numbers of fish. The Door County bite has been really good, with most of the fish in the 25 to 32 inch range. Brett suggests using swim baits, jigs, and polar ripping wraps for targeting big walleyes. When the bite is tough, slowing down your presentation and dragging jigs on the bottom can be effective. Green Bay is known for producing huge walleyes in the spring.

Cool Products and Techniques

After the fishing reports, the show highlights some cool products and techniques that can enhance your fishing experience. Here are some of the products mentioned:

• The X-Rap from Rapala: This bait is popular for walleye and bass, but the smaller versions in size four and size six are excellent for crappie. They come in bright colors and natural patterns that can trigger bigger crappie to bite.
• Firefly Feather Jig from Northland Tackle: These lightweight jigs can be fished with live bait or soft plastics. They come in bright colors and have a great design that provides a lot of action.
• Impulse Smelt from Northland Tackle: This inch and a quarter bait has a flat-sided design and a small jig that gives it a nice gliding action. It’s perfect for crappie and other panfish.
• Moon Eye Jig from VMC: These jigs come in 132nd and 116th ounce sizes and are great for panfish and crappie. They can be used with live bait or soft plastics and have a great design.
• Easy Clip-On Bobbers from Camel Tackle: These round-shaped bobbers are easy to clip on and come in different sizes. They provide a great visual indicator for detecting bites.
• Light Bite Slip Bobber from Northland Tackle: This slip bobber is great for low light conditions or fishing in big waves. It has a brass eye grommet on the top that allows for easy line movement and strike indication when the fish are touched.
• Triple Tickle Grub from Kalin’s: This soft plastic grub is great for crappie and other smaller fish. It has a design that provides a lot of action and vibration in the water.
• Clam Panfish Fortis Net: This lightweight net has a long handle that extends to a 65-inch reach. It’s perfect for crappie and other game fish.
• Folding Knife from Bubba Blade: This five-inch folding knife is great for filleting smaller fish like crappie. It has a high carbon stainless steel blade with a titanium nitride coating for durability.
• QR 750 Reel from Daiwa: This low profile reel is perfect for lighter diameter lines and is great for crappie and panfish. It’s a value option from Daiwa’s range of reels.
• Micro Revolution 5.0 Pro from Aqua-Vu: This underwater camera system is great for all-year-round use, from ice fishing to open water. It has a high-res five-inch screen and a 60-foot cord for easy deployment and retrieval. It also has a temperature sensor and the ability to record and upload videos.