Panfish Fishing

The image of a typical midsummer crappie fisherman has changed little over the years. Many still envision him as a simple man sculling a jonboat with one hand and working a cane pole with the other, a bucket of minnows at his feet.

Conditions were perfect. The lake’s calm bays were soaking up the sun’s energy, and I knew big bluegills would be drawn to these spots. I headed toward the north shore, where the spring sun had the most impact.

A Norman Rockwell portrait of crappie fishing would probably depict a scene on a still-water lake or reservoir. But a growing segment of anglers has discovered that to find abundant slabs, you have to go with the flow.

When planning your river strategy, always consider the water level, which dictates where the fish will hold. The fish respond to water-level changes of only an inch or two, moving into shallow backwaters when the water rises and out to deeper areas when if falls.

McClellan works his way in and out of creeks and large coves, keeping an eye on his depthfinder and on the surface of the water. Often, he'll spot the telltale rings left by small shad flipping on top.

Brad Whitehead knows crappies. Though he’s just 30 years old, the Muscle Shoals, Alabama, guide grew up with a fishing rod in his hand. And he logs more time each year chasing crappies—about 225 days, conservatively—than some anglers do in a decade.

River panfish habitat is extremely diverse, so it’s best to rig three rods three different ways, so you’re always ready for what’s next.

Serious panfish anglers are always on the hunt for the hottest bite, which means looking for lakes jammed with bull ’gills, broad-shouldered ’crackers, slab crappies and sag-bellied perch.

Shellcrackers, as redears are commonly called because of their propensity to feed on snails, clams and mussels, are colonial nesters. So, where you find one ’cracker this time of year, you’ll virtually always find more—sometimes hundreds of tightly packed nests will fill a cove.

Catch More Crappies Tube bait Tips For Any Condition John Neporadny, Jr. With its Plain Jane appearance, the plastic tube bait hardly looks like a lure diverse enough for anglers to catch crappie in a variety of ways.