March brings high water and the chance to wade for a limit of Mississippi slabs. Here’s how a couple of crappie-fishing experts get wet to get bit.
If there was a “season” for fishing in the Magnolia State that gets anglers as excited as the opening day of deer, turkey or even duck season, it would have to be “wading” season for crappie, even though there are no officially posted dates.
Wading season typically begins the last week of February, or whenever male black crappie begin invading the shallows, seeking out good nesting sites. The bite often lasts through May and well into June, as wave after wave of first black crappie, then white crappie, move into shallow cover to complete the spawn, and then the males stick around to protect the nesting sites.
Pro fishermen Ronnie Capps and Steve Coleman have won more crappie tournaments in Mississippi than they can remember, but they often refer to the phenomenal wade-fishing the state offers as some of the best memories they have.
“Wading for crappie is more addictive than golf, turkey hunting, bowhunting, or any other sport I have ever tried,” Capps said. “It’s the ultimate hand-to-hand combat-type fishing there is. I have literally hooked a crappie that ran between my legs and broke me off because I couldn’t stop him.”
Suffice to say that the best time to wade is anytime water temperatures range between the upper 50s and the lower 70s. Regardless of what the calendar says, 60-degree water will push crappie into the shallows, either to spawn, feed or both.
In the spring, it’s not just the water temperature that moves crappie. Rising water, moon phase and lengthening daylight are some things that get crappie moving, but to many anglers, the best indicator is when the water temperature hits the 60-degree mark; that seems to be the best signal to a lot of fish to start moving up into knee deep water.
The best conditions for wading are when lake levels are abnormally high and water filters into the thickest of brush. Look for stands of ironwood, button bush and even young-growth hardwoods.
“On bushy structure, fish as close as possible to the trunk of the bush” Capps said. “The best ones will have four or five stems coming up from the trunk. Crappie love to spawn in the middle of these upshoots. Any hardwoods that have massive wild grape vines hanging into the water can also be super spots.”
Coleman is equally at home fishing waist-deep for crappie among the flooded willow and cypress trees and green undergrowth as spring waters rise.
“At the onset of the rising water, smart weed patches and sespania will be the first spots to try” said Coleman. “These types of undergrowth are most productive in the very back of a bay or creek arm, in conjunction with a creek channel or even a tiny run-off ditch.”
It’s important to remember that any type of break in the terrain will act as a pathway for crappie to follow — both into the shallow jungles and back out into the safety of deeper water. Also, any influx of water, such as runoff from spring rains or a naturally occurring creek, will concentrate crappie. When water has pushed into these areas and surface water tempertures reach into the 70s, anglers can expect to see a lot of activity from carp, gar and most of all, male crappie.
“Many times I have found a hot area and caught a limit of fish in a location as small as your living room” Capps said. “A good rule of thumb is to not fish deeper than waist deep. Typically, most of my fish are caught about mid-thigh deep when fishing in areas with good tree cover that causes an entire area to be shaded, even on a sunny day.”
Wading for crappie limits an angler to only what he or she can reasonably carry. This means leaving the bait tank, the rod locker and the livewell behind. Also, wading means a single pole, and typically not the long rods that are favored in other situations.
“Eight feet is plenty long enough for reaching out, but (it) still allows you to handle the rod in heavy cover,” Capps said.
In place of a bait bucket or tackle box, Capps and Coleman rely exclusively on 1/16-ounce jigheads paired with a small selection of plastic baits. These are packed in a small, hand-size tackle box that will fit in the front pouch of a pair chest waders. On occasion, Coleman may tip the jig with a crappie nibble or other scent-providing bait, but he maintains it normally isn’t necessary.
“The only thing those crappie are interested in is getting that jig away from their nest,” he said. “Sometimes they’ll ’bout take the rod out of your hands doing it.”
The final piece of wading gear is a chain or rope stringer that the angler can clip to his waders and string fish as they are caught.
“If it’s real thick, you might want to shorten it up, but most of the time, fish on the stringer will float right along behind you and be out of the way” said Coleman. “When you glance over your shoulder and see a big ol’ long line of slabs tagging along, you know you’ve had a good day.”
Favorite wading spots for Mississippi crappie
Lake Washington
Both ends of the oxbow taper out to flats that contain a lot of cypress trees and stumps. These areas may be accessible by foot. The inside bends of Lake Washington make up an entire flat area; some are better than others. Try Cuckleberry Swamp and John Henry’s Slough, areas you’ll need to access by boat to wade.
Grenada Lake
The headwaters of both the Yalobusha and Skuna rivers are good places to wade. On the Yalobusha, try the Red Grass Creek area; on the Skuna, try the Turkey Creek area.
Sardis Lake
Fish the areas surrounding the Hwy 7 access near the head of the Little Tallahatchie River. The backs of Clear Creek and Tubby Creek are also good when the water levels are appropriate on the south bank.
Enid Lake
The headwaters of the Yacona River often provide good wading but may best be accessed by boat. Other locations include the back waters of Long Branch at Frost Creek on the south bank of the lake and the backwaters of Wallace and Hubbard creeks on the north, near the dam.
Arkabutla
The backs of Hurricane and Mussacuna creeks are local favorites. Also, try the headwaters of Coldwater Creek in the vicinity of Hwy 304.
How low can you go?
A few years ago in mid-March, guide John Harrison of Calhoun City spent a day doing something he loves: crappie fishing — but in a set of chest waders, getting in the water to meet the fish on its own turf.
Harrison recalls that particular day vividly because he made an incredible discovery about the fish he thought he knew so well.
“I was at Grenada, and we’d had a good bit of rain that year, so the water was up,” he said. “My normal routine when I wade for crappie is to put the boat in and ride to the very back of one of my favorite creeks, then beach the boat and get out and wade around the shallow flats.”
“I was a pretty good ways back up the creek, and there was an underwater ditch that was too deep to cross, so I decided to walk out on the bank and cross the ditch where it ran back into the woods. Up there, it was only about 3 feet across and even somebody as short as me could step across it. Well, when I started to cross I noticed that a fish spooked in the ditch right under me and darted off toward the lake. The water couldn’t have been more than a foot or two deep there, but I got curious. Since I was carrying my wading rod, I pulled off about 8 inches of line and dipped the jig down in the ditch, and no sooner than it touched the water, a big ol’ crappie snatched it.
“I pulled the fish up on the bank, unhooked it and dropped it back in again, same thing — POW! The jig was inhaled by another pound-and-a-half crappie,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it, I was standing up there way back in the woods catching slab crappie out of a little ditch that was so shallow, I could almost see their backs sticking out of the water. That’s the day I discovered how far back and how shallow crappie will go to spawn when the conditions are right.”
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