# Crappie question for the die hards



## JimG

Now that we are in July thinking back to early spring till now would you say the "Bite" was normal, below normal or excellent in the area you fish ?

Reviewing my notes from spring on I found the numbers were down , but the size was up in numbers than the last few years.

Instead of large numbers I left with 10 to 12 in the above 10 inch size.
But I believe fishing Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie the water clarity has changed so much that the crappies travel deeper in the bay and cash in on the river run offs.

Since I fish all throughout the state I was wondering what the rest of you encountered in your quest for the "Silver Slab"

Thanks, and good fishing,

JimG


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## chaunc

Still hitting as good as ever here in PA. Got these last week.








And 21 more sunday when i took the kids out. Here's a keeper.


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## madcrappiekids

Chaunc - if i drive up, can you put my son on some of those??? He would love that!!!


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## chaunc

Any day next week. I'm booked to take friends out all thru the weekend. Mid-week is best on this lake. Not as many boaters out then. At the launch at 6AM, off the water by noon or one. Bring a cooler.


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## madcrappiekids

chaunc said:


> Any day next week. I'm booked to take friends out all thru the weekend. Mid-week is best on this lake. Not as many boaters out then. At the launch at 6AM, off the water by noon or one. Bring a cooler.


WOW! Thanks for the offer, tied up with fair and 4h this week and next...school starts on the 19th and not sure what all between now and then....but if i ever get a chance I'll send you a PM to see what we can work out! 

BTW, checked out the microspoon page, look interesting, have to order some of those! 

THANKS!


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## Smallmouth Crazy

chaunc said:


> Still hitting as good as ever here in PA. Got these last week.
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> And 21 more sunday when i took the kids out. Here's a keeper.


Very nice looking crappies.


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## russ

Hey Chaunc,

Nice Fish!!! We got some dandies yesterday in Indiana fishing weed beds.

Where are you at in PA? Interested in doing a show?

Russ
www.midwestcrappie.com


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## chaunc

I'll send you a PM


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## T-180

JimG,
To answer your question, the spring was pretty decent if the water level & clarity allowed you to fish. I've long since given up on having a "normal" spring here in Ohio, so I just keep plugging away. I didn't get quite the number as normal but work kept me from staying on them constantly.
As for the post spawn / summer, it has been excellent. Really good numbers & the average size the last few weeks has been very good..... I think the bad weather kept a bunch of "spawn" fisherman from picking off the big hens. The biggest problem I see is that many of the crappie that I kept to eat were unable to spawn & were re-absorbing the eggs. Hopefully not large numbers of fish were that way or the next couple years could be down a little.
Get out there & get after them,
Tim


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## NorthSouthOhioFisherman

Jim my crappie numbers for erie and the surrounding areas was better tha the year before... Maybe because I have more expierience... When I fish down south in an inland reservoir (CJ Brown) I totally nailed the average crappies down there 200+ 7-12in...
We'll see what turns out this fall


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## Lewzer

For me on West Branch my numbers were down this year. A few of the old trusty brush piles have rotted away and the fish were in different locations. I spent half my time looking for them instead of going direct to one or two spots and start catching them.
Once they were found, it was no problem catching. Overall I'd say the fishery on WB was still very good, I just spent more time searching instead of catching.
Mosquito crappie were very good on the North side of the causeway in the first two weeks of May.


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## BIG J LAV

Mixed Results. Had some good trips with Great size Crappie at Shenengo and Pymie. Mosquito has been good but the fish seem a little smaller then the past few years. Berlin, WB, and Mogadore are new to me, but this is where I live now, and the results have been below par compared to what I'm used to out East at Shenengo and Pymie. I am to the point to where I have even tried to fish the East Ends of Berlin, WB, and Mogadore because all the nice fish I catch are East of this part of Ohio. LOL
________
No2 Vaporizers


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## chaunc

I feel your pain man. I'm so spoiled by fishing the best crappie lake in western PA, that i wouldn't know where to start over. Remember the type of areas that produced for you here and find one lake to learn where they are, on that lake. There's big fish there. You just have to take time to find them. 
I fished Delaware lake last may. First time ever on that lake. Fished areas that looked like my home lake and they produced some nice fish. Nice enough to finish 10th out of 50 boats in the tourney. Get a map of the lake you choose. Study it hard. Fish the areas that look good to you, then turn around and fish the deeper water there. Watch your locator. Find the wood, drops, and bottom changes. Learn where the channel is and where it makes turns. Look for underwater points. Somebody has dropped brush on them. If not, drop some yourself. There's big fish in that lake. You'll just have to work hard to find them. Need help? Send me a map and i'll help pick some areas to check.


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## crittergitter

I had a fair spring for the times that I got out. I spent most of my summer chasing muskies or floating rivers for smallies.

I might get a fall trip in for some slabs.

CG


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