State Parks Provide Less Stressed Water for Crappie Anglers
Keith Lusher 03.14.24
It’s no secret that crappie anglers are very protective over their spots. That certain stump that always holds fish, is just one of many types of structure that are kept secret by crappie anglers. And with the crappie spawn right around the corner, anglers will be battling over these spots. It’s estimated that the number of people on the water doubles as crappie move into the shallows and become easier to catch.
Instead of battling the crowds on the river, Mike Long of Franklinton, LA, has figured out a way to fish in solitude during the crappie spawn. “A few years back I discovered that fishing State Parks is the way to go,” he said. Long fishes from a kayak and said it’s worth the few extra bucks at the gate to escape the crowds on the river.
On his latest trip, Long made a trip to the Bogue Chitto State Park in Washington Parish. The park has numerous ponds located inside. As he pulled up to one of the ponds, Long was surprised to see a few kayaks already fishing, however, none of the anglers were targeting crappie. “They were all fishing for bass so I had the whole pond to myself as far as crappie goes,” he said.
Long put his kayak in the water and started fishing some structure located near the bank. He was using a Matrix Mini Glo on a 1/32oz jig head under a weighted slip cork. “On my second cast that cork shot under and I began to battle a big sac-a-lait (crappie),” Long said. As he tried to reach for the net he battled the fish to the boat. As the fish got close it was clear that Long wasn’t going to be able to net the fish so he flipped it into his kayak. “I have a method I use called the Flip of Faith,” Long joked. He managed to flip a 15-inch slab into his kayak without a net. “That’s what you call skills,” he added. Long fished for a few hours and ended up with 15 keeper crappie each measuring over 10 inches.
Long said the crappie have started moving up into the shallows in the State Park Ponds. “The sac-a-lait in the ponds will move up before the river fish do. I usually see some sac-a-lait push up and spawn on the full moon as early as February. With the large majority following in March and April and a few stragglers sometimes in May,” Long said.
From now until the end of the spawn in April, Long said these fish will be moving up to spawn and back to deep water in waves. “The spawn is a tricky time to fish in my opinion. They travel with suitcases and change water column day to day,” Long said.
Long said if you’re looking for less crowded water to fish, State Parks are the way to go!
