# Cowan Crappie



## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

So, I fished last week, and I was catching tons of crappie shallow in deep cover. Most were dinks, but there was a nice mix of fish in the 10” range. Given their color, and numbers, I was expecting big things yesterday.





  








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Rooster


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May 14, 2021








However, I was disappointed. The jig & bobber bite was super slow, the ratio of dinks to quality fish was much lower.





  








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Rooster


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May 14, 2021








The gills were a bit better (especially after 4pm), and I got many in the 8” range.





  








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Rooster


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May 14, 2021








I fished a road runner for a while, and while the bite was pretty good, they were all 6” fish. I did not see anyone catching quality crappie. Not sure what is going on? Hopefully the warmer temps next week will improve the bite.


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## G-Patt (Sep 3, 2013)

That's a nice gill! I'm hoping for big things tomorrow morning on the crappie bite. Plan to free line minnows in shallow fishy areas. Report to follow.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

I dipped for about 2 hours today in between pounding saugeyes at a shallow central Ohio lake in a known spawning area. Dinks only.
Did get plenty of big spawning gills again. An the saugeye bite is insane right now...
If I don't go back after eyes Sunday I'll be dipping a bigger deeper lake. I'll post here if I do.


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## fishless (Sep 18, 2014)

Saugeyefisher said:


> I dipped for about 2 hours today in between pounding saugeyes at a shallow central Ohio lake in a known spawning area. Dinks only.
> Did get plenty of big spawning gills again. An the saugeye bite is insane right now...
> If I don't go back after eyes Sunday I'll be dipping a bigger deeper lake. I'll post here if I do.


How deep were the saugeye....thanks


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

fishless said:


> How deep were the saugeye....thanks


1-3fow....


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## G-Patt (Sep 3, 2013)

Crushed the crappies on Saturday. Lost count of how many I caught. Just free-lining minnows, no weight, no bobber. The keepers were a little deeper than expected in about 15 to 19 fow. The bigger ones were females. From the looks of cleaning them, they still has some eggs but were not full of eggs. So probably post-spawn females that were staging a little deeper off the spawning beds. The males were in literally spawning just off the bank in less than 4 inches of water. Many of them were splashing water on the rocks and logs on the bank. The action caught the attention of a local resident:


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Thanks for the report! Nice pic, and hope that little raccoon got some crappie (they only eat junk food at the campground).

I’m really confused on what the crappie are doing at Cowan. Did they spawn deeper this year with the rollercoaster temps? I've been pounding the banks at least once a week, and never ran into the big girls. I will probably give them another try later in the week.


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## G-Patt (Sep 3, 2013)

Sorry, my report is from East Fork. Should have probably posted it separate. But from when I was at Cowan earlier this season, the keepers I caught were in 20' to 23' fow range off of a long underwater point that goes out to the middle of the lake. I couldn't find them shallow despite my best efforts. If you have fish finder or the Navionics app, try targeting the first drop off from the points and flats. If it's anything like EF, some of the females could be done laying their eggs and staging and feeding-up.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

I'd keep checking back. I was catching spawning crappies into June the last couple years.


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## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

We are fishing Cowan Saturday from kayaks. Going to start with crappies then switch to bass. How’s water clarity and temp? Any place better to start than others? We’ve never been there so any info will be helpful. Thanks.


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Fished this afternoon. Not much seems to have changed in the last few weeks. Maybe a little slower (fewer dinks), but a better proportion of 10"+ fish.

Slowly dragged a chartreuse & white Bobby Garland about 3' under a bobber all day.

Water is in really great shape.









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## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

We fished Friday Saturday and Sunday morning at Cowan. Put in at the campground boat launch. Hit all the coves west of campground and north side of lake. We caught crappies everywhere we fished. I’d say the three of us caught over 300 crappies over them days and probably more than that but I’d say only about 40 keepers (over 10”). We also bass fished some and only caught around 5 largemouths. We did catch around 10 eyes but none legal size. Caught a few white bass with one about 3 lbs. Tried fishing at night fir bass but only caught got one small white bass. The highlight of the trip was I was in my kayak and saw a guy spider trolling with crappie rods. I watched him fight a fish for about 15 minutes. I finally paddled over to him and asked him if he wanted help. He said sure. I asked him for his net and I paddled over to him and got it. He hadn’t seen the fish yet. I got about 10 feet away and told him to try to raise it up toward me and I’d bet it. He did and when the fish came up it was a huge flathead. I told him it was to big to fit in the net. So I told him to pull it beside me and I’d grab it. He guided it up to my kayak and I slid my hand inside it’s gills up to his mouth. It starts thrashing so with one hand I paddled to his boat and told him to grab it because it tip me over if I tried to bring it aboard. He grabbed it and pulled it onto his boat. He had a yard stick and it was 4” longer than that. We took some pictures and he let it go.


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## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

We estimated it around 35-40 lbs. The guy was really happy. Said it was his biggest fish ever. He was using minnows on a crappie rod with 6 lb test while spider trolling. Over all I really liked Cowan. Beautiful looking lake. Reminded me of alum without the speed boats. I will definitely go back.


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

I am sure he appreciated the team work and wont ever forget that fish, I wonder what test line he was using? when I push minnows I routinely catch 6-8 lb Channels on 4 and 6# mon. I fished East Fork yesterday with similar keeper ratios, I am wondering if the bigger post spawn females have moved out to deeper waters? did you try fishing away from the banks and deeper?


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

After a 45 minute drive, get the kayak down, drag it to the water, paddle out to my spot, fish fior about 15 minutes, and get a call from work. Server down! Paddle back, load up, and get on the road. I swear Bill Gates (actually Linus Torvalds in this instance) knows when I'm fishing. Sit in the office 10 hrs a day, and never a problem that can't be handled with a phone call.....start fishing, and everything breaks.

I did pop a few small male crappie in the short time I was there.

Anyone still fishing the banks for crappie? I'm not ready to put-up the bobber just yet.


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Fished today from 1 - 6pm. Still getting crappie near the bank, but it is slowing down. Only seemed to get smaller males today, and all the better fish came from tree tops in deeper water. Didn't get anything over 10". I might put-up the bobber, and start vertical jigging.

Stumbled into a large shallow area covered with bluegill beds. Had a blast for about an hour. No monsters, but all were in the 8" range. They were absolutely belligerent....crushing the 1" gulp as soon as it hit the water...constant action.

















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## G-Patt (Sep 3, 2013)

Good to see the gills are on the nests. I'll probably give that shot on my local water in the next week or so. They are the best eating freshwater fish in these neck of the woods IMO.


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