GREAT OUTDOORS: Crappies abundant in local waters

Crappies are one of the most common and popular pan fish sought by anglers in the U.S. Most reservoirs in Ohio have populations of them that fishermen target. Because of heavy fishing pressure, crappies are often regulated with a daily bag limit and often a minimum legal keeper size to protect them from overharvest. Here, because of the greater attention given in the spring to walleye, yellow perch, white bass and steelhead trout, fewer anglers realize that many locations along Lake Erie's connecting waters containhigh numbers of crappies that grow much larger than those typically caught from Ohio's inland impoundments. With no bag or size limits on Lake Erie, it is possible to fill a bucket, cooler or wire basket here in the spring while they are concentrated close to shore in almost every tributary, bay, harbor, inlet, lagoon,marsh and marina. In general, white crappies are more widespread, but both black and white crappies are present throughout the watershed. Black crappies have seven or eight dorsal spines and random splotches of black pigment on their sides. They prefer clear, vegetated water in the clearer harbors, rivers and marinas with firm bottoms. White crappies have five or six dorsal spines, and their black pigment forms a pattern of vertical bars down their sides. They are more tolerant of stained water and mud bottoms lacking vegetation, thus morewidespread. They both ambush minnows, aquatic insects, zooplankton and other prey from submerged woody brush, aquatic vegetation and man-made artifacts such as dock posts, bridge supports, rip-rap and railroad tie dock cribs. Artificial fish structures such as the "Porcupine & Fish Attractor," submerged Christmas trees and PVC fish blocks can be used to create crappie hotspots within reach of the banks. In the spring, fish advance shoreward about the time the dogwoods are blooming, with male crappies building a bowl-shaped nest in water 1-6 feet deep and inviting females to deposit their eggs. After he fertilizes them, like other sunfish species, the male crappie fans silt off the eggs and guards them from predators until they hatch. Specific spots that tend to produce year after year are often kept secret and I even knew a fellow who wouldn't even share his best crappie holes with his sons and took the information to his grave.Many of the best places are inside privately owned marinas, where even those who ask for permission are as likely as not to be turned down due to past problems with inconsiderate anglers such as hookingmooring lines, littering, excessive noise, unauthorized campfires, camping in vehicles overnight, using fish cleaning facilities without permission and leaving fish carcasses behind.Techniques for catching crappies near shore most commonly include the use of live minnows presented on snelled hooks under a light bobber, small jigs tipped with rubber split-tail grubs, tubes, minnows ormaggots and the use of Roostertails, Roadrunners or other small spinners. It is best to move around trying different locations and depths until a suitable school is located, then staying with it until the action slows before exploring new spots. Eventually, new fish are likely to returnto favored locations that produced earlier and provide additional flurries of activity. Some produce best at dawn and dusk, especially if the water is clear. At some locations, night fishing under street lamps or in the vicinity of a lantern is popular. Lake Erie has fishable populations of many species, but only a few can boast of a combination of being within easy reach of the shore, nice-sized, widespread and abundant as springtime crappies.