Minnesota Fishing Guides - Brainerd Crappie Fishing Guides - Brainerd Fishing Guide

Minnesota Fishing Guides
Brainerd Crappie Fishing
Brainerd Fishing Guides
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EARLY SPRING The key to finding those early spring crappies is locating the dark, muddy, backwater areas. Boat channels, harbors, boggy areas are all potential hot spots. As a crappie fishing guide in Brainerd MN, I always check mud bottom areas before sandy areas in the early season. The sun's warm rays always seem to heat the mud areas quicker. In the early spring, the warmer the water, the better the fishing. The magic temperature is about 50 degrees. Once the water temperature reaches that level, the tiny insects start to hatch. Before long, these insects will start to attract schools of minnows, and before long the crappies will follow. The crappies come to these areas to EAT! They don't come to spawn here. Most species of freshwater fish go on a feeding spree prior to actually spawning. The extra protein helps the female fish with egg develop. Pre-spawn fish are very vulnerable during these periods. This is why some states opt to close some fishing seasons during this time. It would be very easy to put the "hurt" on large numbers of fish in a short period of time. The same is true with crappies. This is why selective harvest is a must during the early spring crappie fishing in the Brainerd Lakes area. The techniques I use to catch spring crappies are fairly simple. All you'll need is a selection of small jigs (1/64 oz to 1/32 oz) and a casting bubble. My favorite colors of jigs are pink/white, chartreuse, and plain lead. I favor jigs with little or no dressing (hair, feathers, etc.) during this time of year. One of my favorite crappie jigs for this time of year is Northland's Fire-Fly Jig. The water is still very cold in the early spring and in most cases, the smaller offerings just seem to work better. In most cases when the water is still very cold, it's best to let your cork sit. As the water warms each spring, Give the bobber a little more action. The reel, pause, motion allows the jig to swim to the surface and then slowly fall back down. Crappies just love to hit a slow falling jig! Return To Top
LATE SPRING The crappies usually spawn some time around the middle of May, about the time of the Minnesota fishing opener, in the Brainerd Lakes area. The best locations for finding spawning crappies are adjacent to old bulrush stands and deep water cabbage beds. The general rule is the crappies relating to shallow bulrushes spawn first, and then the crappies relating to the deep water cabbage spawn later. But on years when it’s usually warm, the cycle can get speeded up. Years of working as a crappie fishing guide in the Brainerd Lakes area have taught me to be flexible. Some years it seems like the two patterns are occurring simultaneously. On calm sunny days during the middle of May, I like to cruise the shallows to search for spawning crappies. Even though the walleye season is in full swing, the crappie fishing on these types of days is usually fantastic, while the walleye fishing is typically just so-so. The first location I always check is the old bulrush stands. In most cases the new bulrushes haven’t even begun to break the surface yet. That’s why remembering the locations of last year’s bulrush stands is so important. Use an electric motor to search the sandy areas surrounding the newly developing bulrush patches. Look for spots where the bottom is heavily matted with the remains of last year's bulrush stalks. A good set of polarized glasses is a must for this type of fishing. It's always exciting to come around a little corner on some old bulrush bed and find the water filled with big spawning crappies. The technique for catching these fish, once you’ve located them, is relatively easy, I like to use a 1/64 oz plain lead jig tipped with an 1 ½ inch long white “Puddle Jumper”. Use about 4 feet of line to simply “cane pole” the bait in front of the fish. These crappies are aggressive, so don’t become a “meat hog”. I’ve seen several cases where aggressive anglers have wiped out lakes. Keep a few of the smaller crappies, “the males”, for dinner and rest the rest go for the future. Return To Top
SUMMER Under construction- come back later! Return To Top
FALL Under construction- come back later! Return To Top
WINTER Under construction- come back later! Return To Top

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