Archive for July, 2008

Crappie Fishing Tips for the Toledo Bend Lake Area

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When it comes to crappie fishing, Toledo Bend Lake, Crappie fishing requires only a little knowledge and a few tips to maximize your catch! This reservoir is well known for its great crappie fishing.

It is located on the Sabine River, which falls in Sabine, Newton, and Shelby counties, and falls on the Louisiana-Texas line. It does not matter if you are a resident of Texas or Louisiana, as long as you hold a valid fishing license from either state or are exempt because of age, you are allowed to fish legally on either side of the lake.

There are a few state specific regulations for crappie fishing in Lake Toledo Bend, though. In the Texas side of the lake, the daily fishing limit is fifty black or white crappie, or any combination of both. You can have no more than fifty crappie in your possession. There is a minimum length of ten inches each for crappie if you are fishing anywhere from March to November, but the months of December through February, there is no minimum length for crappie and all of them caught must be kept.

If, however, you are fishing for crappie on the lake with a Louisiana license, the regulations will differ. It is important to remember that if you are in possession of fish on the Texas side of the lake, no matter which state license you hold, your catch much conform to Texas regulations no matter on which side the fish were caught.

When fishing for crappie on Lake Toledo Bend, you will find the fishing good year round, but for peak times, are always during the spawn, which occurs during the spring. During this time of year, pay special attention to the shallows where there are plenty of brushy vegetated areas. Jigs and minnows will be great choices for bait during this time.

At other times of the year, before or after spawning, pay close attention to deeper water areas that offer lots of brushy areas in which the crappie can shelter and feed. Look also near creek channels.

As always, the time of year in which you are fishing will determine so much about how and where you fish. The following break down of seasonal differences in where you will be able to locate the prime crappie rich areas on Toledo Bend Lake will help you maximize your catch potential.

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Lets Go Crappie Fishing!

 Click Here To Get The Best Fishing Course For Crappie

Crappie fishing is popular for many reasons. Crappie fishing can be done by people of all ages and sizes. Fish like carp and bass can put up too much of a fight for children or smaller adults. Also, the equipment required to fish bass and carp costs more than that needed to catch crappie. Crappie fishing can be done with a simple, light pole. Nothing large, fancy, or expensive is needed. Crappie can also be found all over the United States in rivers, streams, and lakes. Crappie can also be caught in any season over most of the country, though in some parts they can only be found in certain seasons.

Crappie can be found in large schools around waters that offer a lot of cover during the summer and winter. During the summer and winter months you should look for places with a lot of shade and cover and fish in those areas. In the spring the crappie go to their spawning grounds which tend to be places with not much wind and decent amounts of cover. In the fall crappie tend to be very unpredictable and can be found in waters ranging from a few feet to over thirty feet, with or without cover. No matter which season it is, an inexpensive fish finder will help you locate crappie whether they are hiding or not.

There are black crappie and white crappie and you might want to alter your crappie fishing efforts depending on which type you want to catch. While they taste the same, there are some differences between them that might help you catch them easier. Black crappies are different than white crappies because they have seven or eight dorsal fins with random spotting patterns. White crappies always have six dorsal fins and their spotting patterns are arranged in vertical flows. The black crappie are found more often in cooler, slower moving waters such as large lakes and wide, slow rivers. The white crappies tend to prefer warmer water and do not care as much if the water is clear or moving.

A popular place to fish for crappie is under wooden docks. Some metal docks make too much noise when people walk on them, and this scares the crappie away. Bait that imitates minnows tends to work very well. The minnows also hang out near the docks and are the favorite food source of crappie.

Fishing for crappie can be fun for anyone and is a great way for a father to bond with a son. Since crappie fishing is fairly easy it is not hard to have fun during a day of crappie fishing since you will not go home frustrated. Crappie fish is a great way to get started fishing because it is not expensive at all. You can move to fishing for other species if you want more of a challenge.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins

Crappie Fishing Tips

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A surefire ways to catch crappie

When you go crappie fishing it is not enough to be in the right place at the right time. You need to have your best fishing tips at your disposal. Instead of coming home with a empty stringer , lets take a look at some crappie fishing tips that will fill your cooler on your next fishing trip.

#1 Tip always catch your bait from the same water you are going to fish. Chances are crappie will spit out anything that is not natural to their habitat.

#2 Tip If you fish from a boat and have a fish finder you need to be able to identify large schools of crappie when they show up on your fish finder. When you spot what looks like a upside Christmas tree on the screen this a large school of crappie.

#3 Tip When you locate a large school of crappie never fish in the middle of the school. Work the edges of the school so you do not spook the fish.

#4 Tip When you locate a school of fish, start by line to the bottom. Slowly crank in your reel counting every turn until you get a hit. Now mark your line with a permanent magic marker , preferably a bright color. The reason you mark your line is so you can go right back to the same depth the next time you drop your line. Repeat this step until the crappie school moves.

#5 Tip Crappie rise to the bait their eyes are located on the top of their heads so the do not see anything below them. You must make sure your bait presentation is always above them.

#6 Tip use an ultra-light rig that weighs only a few ounces. Crappie are not heavy hitters. Many time they just suck on the bait and if you do not have light tackle you will never feel the hit.

#7 Tip use 2-4 pound test line , always make sure your is located on a loop, not held tight on the hook ring. The hook needs to move freely to give the bait some play. Remember the more natural the bait looks the more fish you will catch.

Now you are ready for your next crappie fishing trip . If you use all or just a few of the tips above you will improve your crappie catch count. So good luck and good fishing!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Fleagle