Catch More Springtime Crappie

By TAM Sta

It’s the time of year when crappie shing can get mighty easy. However, you can always strive to load the cooler with more and bigger sh. Here are a few tips:

• Know Your Prey: Crappie are on the move this time of year. ey might be staged up at prespawn or postspawn depths, or they might be right up on the banks in a foot and a half of water spawning. Knowing their cycles will help you nd them.

Before and a er they spawn, crappie hold on brush and structure just outside of their spawning areas. ey move up into the shallows to spawn in waves, and this can go on for a month or more. So, while some sh are easy targets when they’re spawning or guarding fry on super-shallow brush, there are other, possibly larger, sh feeding a little deeper.

If you’re not catching the numbers or size you’d like to see in the shallows, get on the trolling motor and use your sonar to nd the creek channels and rst drops o the spawning areas. Find some good brush or search the fronts of docks. You might nd big schools slab crappie. Pitch jigs or minnows to individual brushpiles or slow troll these deeper areas to nd sh.

• Ditch the Bobber: A minnow under a bobber is a traditional and e ective crappie rig. It is not, however the most e cient way to catch them in most situations. During the spawn, male crappie are the ones that stay shallow and guard the nests. ey are aggressive, and they are not necessarily feeding when they attack. ese sh are particularly susceptible to gaudy, brightly colored jigs.

Crappie jigs are the best way to cover water both on spawning banks and on deeper brush. Even when they’re feeding heavily, crappie on brush won’t chase their prey more than a few feet. A jig allows you to make numerous casts and thoroughly cover the water horizontally and vertically in the time it would take to hook and soak a single minnow under a bobber.

Move quickly until you nd the you can slow down and catch them all. If you still want to support the local live bait store, go ahead and buy some minnows and thread them through the lips on a crappie jig.

• Scent: You might not need it all the time to catch sh, but scent helps crappie nd your lure and convinces them to eat. It doesn’t hurt to tip your jig with a minnow, and arti cial attractants like PowerBait Crappie Nibbles or JJ’s Magic can sometimes make them bite when they’ve got lockjaw.

• Network: Make friends with other crappie anglers. ere’s no shortage of available crappie in most lakes. Sharing information with other anglers helps everyone stay on top of the sh. You don’t have to tell anyone where you sunk your Christmas tree in January, but a little give and take doesn’t hurt when you’re talking about stages of the spawn or e ective colors.

For more crappie shing, visit www.coastalanglermag.com.

Walleye from shore, northern pike, and even some landlocked salmon and lake trout are on tap for this month. April is one of our slower months of the year, with a handful of trips pitching jigs for trophy walleye from shore, but the majority of our fishing will be from a kayak for shallow water ice-out northern pike. We also have plans to offer a few kayak charters trolling for landlocked salmon and lake trout in new Old Town Predator PDL (pedal driven) kayaks.

Walleye fishing in the Connecticut River is a great way to kick off the spring fishing season. During high water, wall-

Walleyes and Northern Pikes

By Tim Moore

eyes move up river and congregate at the base of dams and in river confluences to spawn. This is probably your best chance at a trophy fish, but we highly encourage getting a quick photo and releasing any large walleye so they can finish spawning. We pitch ¼ ounce non-lead jig heads with 3” curly tail grubs. Twitch or slowly drag your jig back, but make sure you have plenty of extra jigs and grubs to replace the ones taken by the submerged wood. Walleye are (in my opinion) one of the best eating fish out there. It’s not hard to go home with a few eater-sized fish, if you time your trip right.

Northern pike are another fish that spawn in the spring. Just after ice-out (depending on the year) big female northerns move into shallow flats and feed to prepare for the spawn. They are usually followed by a pod of males waiting for their chance to seal the deal. Like walleye though, timing is everything. If the ice doesn’t melt soon enough the pike will spawn under it, and the females will move out deeper and stop feeding for a time. Luckily, tvhe shallow flats are the first to become ice free, making them a prime area for kayak fishing. When it comes to lures, the fish pick the winners. Daddy Mac Lures has released a float- ing version of their popular Viper series that I believe will be a pike slayer, but I know we’ll be spending considerable time throwing the Juice Mini 8 bucktail from Bigtooth Tackle as well. Whatever lures you fish, make sure you fish them slow to accommodate sluggish fish in cold water.

If you can’t be outside fishing and hunting, at least you can travel around talking and learning about it!

This winter I was living the dream, making the rounds at retail and consumer shows for Dexter Outdoors, a division of Dexter-Russell Knives, a manufacturer of high-quality, Americanmade knives since 1818.

What an amazing journey it has been!

I started out at the New England Fishing and Outdoor Expo, which

EDITORIAL

Traveling the Country, Talking Outdoors

By Dan Kenny

is held each January in Boxboro, Massachusetts and is fast becoming the most killer fishing and outdoor expo around. From there I went to Springfield, Massachusetts, Fort Worth, Texas, Columbus, Ohio, Suffern, New York, and Providence, Rhode Island, Somerset, NJ then back to Massachusetts for appearances at Klem’s in Spencer and the Massachusetts Striped Bass Association in Hanover.

It’s incredible how many great people you meet. I spent time with dozens of cabin and lodge owners, such as Wheaton’s Lodge, Twin Maple Outdoors, Fernleigh Lodge, The Anchorage on Champlain in Vermont, and captains and guides from Fishnet Charters, 3rd Alarm Charters, Lots-aLimit Charters and the Vintage Fish Company.

I met representatives of manufacturers like Enigma, Okuma Fishing, Savage Gear, Radfish Lures, Al Gag’s Whip-It, Daddy Mac Lures, Jase Custom Fishing Rods, Wicked Fishah, Filthy Anglers, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, and retailers such as Tackle Supply Depot,

Red Top Sporting Goods and X-Spot Archery. Each of these stores offers thousands of quality lures, rods, reels, tackle items and archery supplies.

In addition, many of these shows include seminars by fishing and hunting professionals. There’s just so much to learn about freshwater & saltwater fishing and hunting for waterfowl, turkey, deer, bears and other game. I only wish I had the time to attend all those seminars.

The truly great thing about traveling to shows is meeting the real people behind the company names—the hundreds of hardworking men and women who are ready and willing to share product knowledge and answer technical, equipment, technique specific and questions on innovative new products. Keeping up with the latest gear, tackle, firearms and technology is a priceless experience. Yet, it’s not all business. I relish the opportunity to renew old friendships with industry folks, and to build new ones. Best of all are all the wonderful interactions with attendees, each of whom have their own life stories to share.

All that travelling can be a grind—there’s too much time on the road, plus logistics, set-up time, and long days—but spending nearly every day hearing and telling fishing and hunting stories makes it all worthwhile. I gained a new respect for all the different ways that people are led to an outdoors lifestyle.

In the end, we all have a passion for the outdoors, and that’s what brings us together!

Until next time, God Bless & Go Fish!

The PR PRINCESS is a luxurious 44 foot Jeanneau Sun Odyssey with more than 328 square feet of sail, she sleeps 6 and is perfect for up to 8 guests. A thoroughbred from stem to stern, she is fast while still providing generous space above and below deck. Once aboard, you will find warm teak and plush leather appointments. The sleek hull lines and sharpbuilt forefoot exude a hora of speed, while the displacement and well-designed open transom extension are proof that aboard the PR PRINCESS, sailing and comfort go hand in hand.

CHARTER OPTIONS:

Weekend: $1,600

Week: $4,000

Half Day: $500 Full Day: $900 All fees exclude the cost of a captain. Custom packages also available upon request. For more specific information please contact, 617-488-2848

Boston’s

Spring is here! And so is the fishing! There will be some great ice-out freshwater fishing opportunities this month, but I will be focused on getting ready for the upcoming saltwater season, and specifically kayak fishing.

It’s no secret that fishing for Striped Bass is my favorite type of fishing, and fishing for them from a kayak may be my favorite way to target them. There is nothing like hooking up to a big fish, and getting towed around while fighting the fish and trying to land it.

Kayak Fishing Boston’s North Shore

By Joe Gugino

When choosing a kayak for saltwater fishing I would only suggest getting a siton-top kayak. You don’t want to be in a situation out on the water where you flip your kayak, and not be able to get back into it. I would also suggest a longer kayak, and preferably one with a rudder, to help better stay on track through the wind and waves. And if you are really committing to saltwater kayak fishing, your only choice is a Hobie pedal-drive kayak. When spending as much time on the water as I do, pedal-drive is the only way to go. Not only is the pedal-drive faster, but it is also less tiring. And when trying to get spot to spot, or when actually fishing, you will catch more fish because your hands are free!

After choosing the kayak, you want to make sure you are rigged up and ready to go, and the most important thing is safety. ALWAYS wear a proper-fitting life jacket on the water. Even though you may be a good swimmer, you won’t be able to swim if you fall out and hit your head. I also always have a dive knife, and pliers right on my life jacket in case I need to quickly access them. I also suggest having a flag at least three feet high behind your seat so you are visible. And if fishing at night, make sure you have a light on the flag, a head lamp, and reflective tape on your kayak. Other things I carry with me are a waterproof two-way radio, air horn, a first-aid kit, and water (always stay hydrated!)

The best thing about fishing from a kayak is that you can access so much more water that you can’t get to from land, and might not be able to access from a boat either. You are much quieter than a boat so you can truly sneak up on, and not spook, fish in shallow water. You can use all the typical strategies and lures like plugs, fly, or bait, but one of the most effective tactics is fishing a tube and worm. I don’t fish tube and worm as often as I did when I first started, but a sim- ple 2-foot or 3-foot long tube, preferably in dark red, with a nice juicy seaworm on the back is hard for a Striped Bass to resist. Just cast the tube behind you and slowly troll the worm over shallow or deep structure.

This month we have our Why Knot Fishing Kayak & SUP Fishing Night on Wednesday April 12 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm at Toscana’s in Peabody, MA. We will have kayaks on hand, and will be specifically covering some gear and tactics. And then on Saturday April 22 from 2:00pm –4:00pm we will be at Little Harbor Boathouse in Marblehead, MA doing a Kayak Fishing Rigging & Demo Day. We will have many of our team members bringing their kayaks fully rigged and showing how to rig them up!

If you want to come fishing with me this summer we run Hobie First-Cast Programs at Little Harbor Boathouse on May 21st, June 3rd, June 17th, and June 25th. Where you can come try out a Hobie for three hours in a group. Or I also run Hobie Kayak Fishing charters all summer long!

Sales Representative