Best crappie time is now

Crappie anglers know that during the spring the fishing can be excellent as the fish move close to the bank for the annual spawning run.
And that makes for an ideal situation for catching a limit of these tasty fish.
“If you can’t catch crappie now, you just aren’t a true crappie fisherman,” Fred Jones of Independence said.
When asked what lure is best now, Jones replied: “I use a small white or yellow jig, but just about any type minnow-like lure will catch fish if you put it in the right place.
“Look for pea-gravel banks and cast close to shore,” he added. “You might have to use a bobber to keep from getting hung up. If the water temperature is 60 degrees or higher, it is perfect for catching crappie close to shore. However, if we get a cool spell, the fish might move out, so try fishing deeper water.”
Like other crappie anglers in May, Jones has hooked his share of other species while fishing for the slab-size crappie. Recently he hooked several walleye, white bass, bluegill, as well as several largemouth bass.
“Last year, while fishing at Pomme de Terre, I hooked a big muskie,” Jones said. “The fight didn’t last long because I was using 4-pound test line. I did get to see the monster, and that was good enough for me. I wouldn’t have wanted that fish in my small boat.”
According to Jones and other crappie anglers, the next few weeks will be prime time for catching crappie – even with all the high water in the big impoundments.
Paul Martin of Sedalia tried the crappie last week on the Lake of the Ozarks and had the same result as Jones. Using a small white jig under a bobber, he caught limit of big crappie.
Most of the fish were in the 10- to 12-inch range, which makes for some excellent eating. He said he saw other anglers pulling out fish, because the word gets out fast when the crappie run is underway.
“There are many fish that fight much better than crappie and other fish that are fun to catch, but when it comes to great table fare, you can’t beat crappie,” Jones said.
Not too many anglers would argue with that.
On some of the big lakes, the changing weather has made some days good, and other days fishermen go home nearly fishless.
“I thought I had the answer to catching a limit at Truman after taking 15 big crappie, but when I returned the next day, I only caught one fish in three hours of fishing,” Jones said. “The temperature had dropped several degrees during the night, and the fish either moved out or had lockjaw. That’s fishing, but it’s not always catching.”
Fishing below the dam at Truman has been producing crappie, white bass, walleye and catfish recently. Local anglers who fish there say that if you go by the dam and don’t see many cars in the parking area, you might as well keep on moving. However, if the parking area is full, you better stop because that usually means fishing is good.
Warmer weather has anglers on the move, and many have found the fishing from fair to good statewide.
Dave Hill went after white bass on the high waters of the Sac River near Caplinger Mills. He thought he hit it just right when, on his first cast, his reel started singing, and he saw a flash of silver on the end of his line. After a 10-minute battle, he brought in a 5-pound drum. The Ozark native caught four more big drum before he decided the whites weren’t in that part of the river.
Giving up on fishing, Hill went looking for morel mushrooms and was glad he did.
“I checked a spot where I usually find a few morels, but this year there were many more of them,” he said. “I picked more than a hundred and had to use my shirt to put them in. I tied both arms of the shirt and made a big bag out of it and soon filled it with those golden morels. When I got home, my wife was delighted to see all those tasty mushrooms instead of fish. She told me I could go fishing anytime, but bringing home a big bunch of morels only happens a few times.”
Time is running out for finding the morels, though.
“I usually find the last morel around May 10, but it might last a little longer this year with all the moisture we have,” Hill said.
Crappie anglers have found the fishing picking up nearly every day. They know this is a good time to be on the water, as the fishing and catching are both good.
You never know when you pull into a cove, you might see a bunch of morel mushrooms along the shore like Sam Butler of Blue Springs did this week.
Butler said he pulled into a cove on the Lake of the Ozarks while crappie fishing and couldn’t believe his eyes.
“I saw morels all along the bank, so I pulled in and started picking them,” he said. “When I finished, I counted 214 mushrooms. I hadn’t found that many in years. I went home with a limit of crappie and all those morels. What a day I had.”