Easy Spring Crappie from Shore
Just grab a single light rod, a small bag of gear, and you're on your way
by Craig RitchieLife can be pretty complicated a lot of the time, which is why simplicity always holds such enormous appeal. Loafing in front of the TV on a lazy Sunday afternoon, grilling a couple of hot dogs for a quick yet tasty lunch, or just going for a morning walk to clear the cobwebs as you start the day - they're all simple things, but always utterly rewarding.
Spring crappie fishing from shore is really no different.
It's not like ice fishing, where you need to drag mountains of gear and dress up like an astronaut just to keep from freezing to death. And it's not like those first boat trips, where there's even more gear to fuss with as you prepare, then have to sort, clean up and put away at the end of the outing.
For spring crappie from shore, you just grab a single light rod, a small bag of gear, and you're on your way, with no muss and no fuss. You can go fish for an hour or two, have a load of fun, and be done with it. In a way, easy spring crappie fishing is a lot like going back in time and being a little kid again. It's simple, it's carefree, and it's always utterly rewarding.
At this time of year, crappie move into very shallow spots along lake and river shorelines to spawn, putting them within easy casting distance of the bank. Because the sun sits to the south of us in spring, look for south-facing locations, which will receive more sun exposure and warm up more quickly. Spots like the mouths of inflowing creeks, where warmer water enters a lake or larger river, are always crappie magnets in spring, as are the edges of shallow flats adjacent to creek channels, or any shoreline structures that can reflect sunlight into the water and speed up that warming process. Marina docks - especially those adjacent to creeks or brushy areas - are one of the best because they provide an appealing combination of cover, shallow water, and structures that contribute to reflecting more light toward the water.
Causeways are also dependable crappie spots in spring, as are bridges and other physical structures along the water's edge that abut shallow, calm areas with some kind of protective cover,
One of my favorite spring crappie spots is a set of locks on a nearby canal. The stone lock walls absorb sunlight through the day, radiating that heat into the water to such an extent that the water in and around the lock can be as much as three or four degrees warmer than the adjacent bay. While fishing within the lock isn't permitted, the stone shoreline approaching it is fair game, and almost always productive thanks to that temperature differential.
The other item I bring with me on my spring crappie jaunts is a small cooler, since a half dozen fish always make for a wonderful dinner. Keeping just enough fish for a meal fits with the whole "keep it simple" approach, so I don't face an extended afternoon at the fillet board after I get home.
Simplicity really is a reward in its own.
Just for fun, take advantage of one of these nice spring-like afternoons, leave the boat at home and poke around some nearby shore spots for a few spring crappie. Keep it simple and I guarantee you'll have way more fun than you ever expected. In fact, you might even find it so much fun that it becomes an annual tradition.
Spring Crappie Gear:
Over a near 40-year career as a full-time outdoor writer, Craig Ritchie has fished all over the globe for a variety of freshwater and saltwater species. The author of The Complete Guide To Getting Started In Fishing, he has written thousands of articles for magazines, websites and newspapers worldwide, appeared as a guest on several television fishing programs and won numerous awards for his writing and photography. He lives in the Great Lakes region where great fishing is as close as his own back yard.
