Spring to Summer Pattern

by MATT MAVIGLIANO

Sooner or later the crappie spawn ends, and on Lake of Egypt that time is typically in the 1st half of May. Don’t be fooled, the fish don’t exit the spawning areas in a mad dash. They will hang around our favorite honey holes for some time! They will be ready to feed based on the past weeks exhausted activities.

Focusing on structure close to spawning areas again will benefit the angler. Similar techniques used during the spawn will work. Casting and pitching of lightweight jigs will get the bite you desire. Baits with action get the edge as a lot of these fish are exhausted and need some extra stimuli to get them on it. I recommend 3 Pound Fishing minnow style baits or Paddle Tails available at 3poundfishing.com. Pyramid Acres and Just Add Water both carry most all 3 Pound Fishing Tackle.

I love starting with casting techniques and light weight baits on shallow structure. I will throw a 1/32oz 3 Pound Fishing jig (www.3poundfishing.com) with any of my personal plastics on it. Fan casting an area is critical and focusing on any portion of that area with structure is always a bonus. When I cast I focus most always on baits with movement. This includes curly tails or paddle tails. The crappie love this.

Like the spawn, your techniques need to be fluid. This means you are changing from casting to jigging, to pitching quickly. I always recommend a 10 Foot rod. It may seem like a long rod but it is efficient and easy to change between all of these techniques. Consider booking a guide trip and you will learn a lot about 10 foot rods and the value they bring.

As you move out from the spawning areas. Hit shallow submerged brush piles. These piles will house the fish that are a bit further along the spawning process. They are hungry. As a fishing guide on Lake of Egypt these are the piles that you can catch the most fish on. They are rested and hungry and will devour anything you throw at them. Minnows not required here, Simple hair jigs and plastics will get it done in short order. These piles should be active for sometime following the spawn as the fish start to migrate to deeper water.

On these structures I always start by throwing plastics. Taking what I can at this distance maximizes what I get when I get on top of the pile. I aways sneak up on a pile slowly and will hit it from different angles before I start to vertical fish on them. When I do reach this point more times than not I am only focused on the deepest fish on the pile.

I have always enjoyed the transition of fish to the next stage of the year. It allows techniques to change and for all of us to learn more about catching crappie. As a guide on Lake of Egypt I fish year round. But during this particular transition I love the fact that you can experience all techniques. We can cast, we can vertical jig. It truly is a great and easy transition that anglers can embrace and make the trip the experience you want coupled with your preferred technique. 