Fri, May 5th, 2023 - 5:01pm
May 23, 2022 - 9:00am | By James McCarty
The Flag Outdoors Expert Steve Carney has your weekly Outdoors Angle right here!
As we slide into the month of May, the crappies are starting to "stage" in preparation for the annual Spring spawn. Right now they are staging just off the shallows waiting for the water temperatures to rise before they head in to do their thing.
The water temperatures have been lagging in Lake's Country which means the annual spawn is very late. Normally they are in the shallows by early May but it seems this timeframe is about two weeks behind.
Look to the first break from the shallows as they will linger in 6 to 12 feet of water waiting for the right time. I always check the shallows first and then if I do not make contact, I will slide the boat into deeper water usually on the first sharp break.
Remember that crappies don't all do the same thing at the same time. This is Mother Nature's way of having a successful spawn as weather can raise havoc on a spawn. It looks like the spawn will be happening during the next two weeks and these crappies will come and go into the shallows depending on sunlight penetration and air temperatures. This spawn activity will give anglers about 10 days of excellent fishing once the crappies invade the shallows. Think very shallow such as 2 to 4 feet. Oftentimes you can spot the roaming crappies in the shallows with polaroid sunglasses. Many times they swim right by my boat oblivious to my presence.
Get ready... Some of the best crappie fishing is on the doorstep!
Steve Carney is The Flag WZFG Outdoors expert. He can be heard every Thursday morning at 8:05 on AM 1100 and 92.3 FM WZFG. Check out his weekly podcast on am1100theflag.com and hear his Outdoors Angle reports every Friday on AM 1100 and 92.3 FM WZFG. You can also visit stevecarneyoutdoors.com for more information.
