I have heard all kinds myths on timing for fish, mushrooms, etc. and relating them to blooms and such. Some may be somewhat consistent. However, I don't put much faith in them as they pertain to the fish because the fish are very dependent on water temps for spawning and bloom on plants is mostly controlled by light exposure. Bodies of water vary in the warm-up and thus a smaller body of water will be starting well before a larger one. I just try to go by knowing the temperature ranges of that particular species spawn.

 

For gills, I've always gone by the full moon in June...went out Sunday, & while fishing was decent, gills were not close to bedding (in this pond at least), so I figure it will be the next full moon.
Mike

 

Gills are HOT now on the beds shallow at Nimisila. GOOD SIZE too.

Pix in the NE section.

 

Carl,

Is there any water temp that you go by to know when the good crappie bite is over? I have my father-in-law coming in this coming weekend (June 4th) and I am hoping to get him on some good crappie. I went this past weekend on our local lake and they were still hammering. We were not finding any big slabs but plenty in the 9-11" range all males in the dozen that I kept. The surface lake temps ranged from 62-66° on last Saturday. I am just curious what to expect. We are giving it a shot regardless but I was wondering. I think the bigger ones were perhaps deeper but I did not find them. The boys don't like searching for bigger fish when there were so many to be had in shallower water.

 

I'm curious too, I'd like to get out to berlin and west branch still for some shallow water crappie fishing....

 

From what I've read, the crappies hit shallow when the water hits 56-58 degrees. With all the temp fluctuations, I'm not sure how it has affected them. When they stop, I have no idea, usually 2-3 weeks afterward. Then, they move deeper and suspend. Just have to find them.

The gills are hot now and very agressive. I'll be at Nimisila Saturday seeing just HOW aggressive!!!

 

Bluegills are one that I usually do not fish for all that much but if we could find some nice ones that would be great! What is your approach to them? Do you go with waxworm? If artificial I assume a small jig? Tipped with maggot or no?

 

These gills were hitting everything. Usually, if I target them, I'll use 1/32 or 1/64 ball head jigs w/1" twistertails tipped with maggots. They stay on better.

The ones last weekend were hitting 1/16 oz PowerBait tubes tipped with maggots or waxworms.

They'll hit about anything.

 

For gill and redears we use a small fly with black and red or black and yellow colors about 3' under an Adjust-a-Bubble bobber. You can add water to the bubble bobber to add weight to the fly for long casts.

We tip the fly with a waxworm and slowly reel the fly in.

 

For crappie,the spring Cold Water Period begins at ice out and water tempertures approaching 40 deg.Crappie begin spawning when water temperatures have progessed slowly to about 65 deg.Thats the spawn period. Good Fishin Fishguy