Posts Tagged ‘Crappie’

Planning your crappie fishing trip means planning an outing where you will relax, enjoy the nature around you and get some great fishing in. When you are planning to make this the case, there are various things that you need to take into consideration before you get started.
The fact is, just about any location in the United States or North America, for that matter, has a lot of crappie fishing to offer to you. This is one of the most sought after and well loved types of fishing available to you. What’s more, once you start planning a trip for these fish, chances are good that you will find yourself in a great position to catch them if you have planned for it in advance.
Fishing for many species of fish practically begs for anglers to have a boat. One of the best things about fishing for crappie is that most fishing areas in the United States give anglers access to crappie rich fishing areas where not having a boat is not a handicap. This makes crappie fishing particularly attractive to those who do not have access to a boat, and those who like to get out and throw a hook in the water with a minimum of fuss. This fact alone makes choosing the best place in the United States to fish for crappie almost impossible. Really, such an undertaking would be daunting for the most experienced, widely fished anglers in the world.
The best solution to not being able to find a single, perfect place for which to fish for crappie, is to simply determine what it is you are looking for, and to decide for yourself what location best fills your needs and personal preferences in a crappie fishing location. Some suggestions include these places other crappie fishing enthusiasts have tried and come back to time after time might be a step in the right direction as far as choosing some great crappie fishing locations.
Arkansas, known as “the natural state” is a naturally good area for crappie anglers. In particular, Bull shoals and Norfork Lake as well as Greers Ferry Lake are popular, large lakes with a rich crappie population. Smaller Beaver Lake and Fayetteville Lake, Sequoyah Lake, and Wilson Lake are also great crappie fishing spots. The Little Red River as well as the White River and the Arkansas River are more good crappie fishing locations in the Natural State.
Beaver Lake is located in Carroll and Washington counties, and the crappie seem to be fat and hungry in these areas. Greers Ferry Lake is located, for the most part, in Cleburne and Van Buren Counties, and its pristine shores, amenities, and abundant and varied fish population make it a local favorite for all types of fishing, and crappie is no exception.
Lake Bob Kidd in Washington County is another place known for excellent crappie fishing in Arkansas. In Izard County Diamond Lake near Horseshoe Bend is also popular for crappie anglers.

Crappie fishing is just as popular in Missouri as it is in many of the other states. In fact, Missouri crappie fishing can be so exciting and fun that anglers from all over the nation are making the time to get in on some of the action.
Sitting on a bank or in a boat out in the middle of a beautiful lake reeling in the crappie is an excellent way to spend your free time. Anyone that loves fishing will enjoy going crappie fishing in the waters of Missouri.
Crappies are a member of the sunfish family and they are known by other names such as speckled perch, goggleye and paper mouth depending on where they are located.
Even though crappie can be caught during the daytime, you will find that the best time to go crappie fishing will be during the night time hours. This is because most all species of fish feed mostly at night so this is the time when they are the most aggressive.
There are two types of crappie which are called the black and the white crappie. Both of these can be caught in the waters of Missouri depending on where you decide to go fishing. Some areas will even have both types of crappie swimming around. Below you will find a list of Missouri crappie fishing lakes where you can enjoy many long hours of great crappie fishing.
Crappie Fishing Lakes in Missouri
One of the first things that you need to know before you go crappie fishing is where they are located. If you are not familiar with the area, then you may not know where to begin. With so many lakes, rivers and reservoirs in Missouri it can be difficult deciding where to get started.
Actually, there are many different crappie fishing lakes in Missouri that provides excellent fishing conditions where you can go out and enjoy a wonderful day on the water.
Some of the best crappie fishing lakes and reservoir found in Missouri can be found listed below:
Lake of the Ozarks
Harry S. Truman Reservoir
Bull Shoals Lake
Mark Twain Lake
Smithville Reservoir
Thomas Hill Reservoir
Wappapello Lake
Pomme de Terre Lake
Table Rock Lake
Stockton Lake
These are some of the major areas where you can go crappie fishing and enjoy a lot of fun and excitement. You can find out about other fishing locations by talking to friends and family members that know the area better than you do.
You will also find that local bait shops can provide you with a lot of useful information such as maps of the area and old fashion experience. Nothing can beat the information that one angler can provide to another by sharing their experiences.
Methods Used to Catch Missouri Crappie
There are several different methods used to catch Missouri crappie that work very well. The four main methods used are casting, still-fishing, drifting and jigging.
Each method has its own unique qualities that suit the different style of each angle and the amount of experience they have. Therefore, the one that you use will mainly depend on what works best for you and the area where you are fishing. For example, casting and jigging will let you get the bait exactly where you want it without disturbing the fish.

You don’t have to go far to look for a good place for Arkansas crappie fishing. According to anglers in the state, almost every resident in the state lives within an hour of a choice fishing spot. The state is divided into ten fishing districts, each of which is littered with lakes and rivers where schools of crappie swarm, always offering fishermen a guaranteed good catch. However, each district has its own top lake or river for Arkansas crappie fishing, where you’re sure to catch some whoppers. I’m going to go over the 4 best in this article.
District 1 in the northwest has several lakes to boast with great Arkansas crappie fishing. However, Beaver Lake is known for containing a lot of great habitat for crappie in its 28,000+ acres. Though the size of the lake may cause difficulties in locating the schools of crappie, once you find them, you shouldn’t be surprised to get several trophy-worthy slabs. Situated in the Ozarks, Beaver Lake is also a beautiful location for Arkansas crappie fishing. In the spring, you might also try Coose Creek or Esculapia Hollow in the Pine Creek area.
While District 2 in the northern Ozarks is probably not the optimal part of the state for Arkansas crappie fishing, a trip to the upper end of Bull Shoals Lake can reap some rewards. Don’t bother with the lower areas of the lake; it seems the best spawn are found in the upper reaches of the 45,500-acre Corps reservoir, with most catch averaging around 1/2 of a pound and a few reaching two pounds. Search for sunken brush piles in Tucker Hollow or West Sugar Loaf, also, as there is very little visible cover for crappie in these areas.
In District 3 in the northeast corner of Arkansas, crappie fishing is good. There are several large popular lakes, but it’s little Lake Hogue, hidden away in the delta farm country, that contains some of the largest slabs. This lake was completely renovated in 1985 and has been stocked with big fish that produce MORE big fish. Though it’s only about 280 acres, it’s full of great cover for crappie.
District 4 is probably one of the best areas for crappie in the entire country. Arkansas crappie fishing here encompasses several excellent lakes, including Midway, Old Town, and Mellwood Old River Lake. Though Midway and Old Town are both great crappie fishing spots, Mellwood Old River Lake known for producing a day’s limit of 50 2-pounders for many fishermen.
Just focusing on these 4 districts while crappie fishing in Arkansas will put you in the best position to catch a ton of crappie – and isn’t that what it’s all about?