Being successful for early-season panfish such as crappie doesn’t have to be a mystery. So many times we hear “should have been here yesterday”. And no doubt some days are better than others, but by staying mobile, you can easily reconnect with the fish any day. Tiny swimbaits and tubes such as the Mimic Minnow Fry and Mimic Minnow Tuff Tubes work fantastic for panfish. By using two rods you can really attack the shallows and give them what they want. By casting and very slowly reeling in the Mimic Minnow presentation, you can find them by covering water. Reel as slow as you possibly can without getting hung up. Once you find the school, then cast your other setup into the same area. This should consist of a Lite-Bite float set up to the correct depth you are fishing. This one-two punch is deadly for the early season no matter where you are. If the bite slows or stalls, then pick up the swimming rod and go find more early-season panfish.
Crappies and Bluegills are some of the first fish to move shallow in the spring and it’ important to be able to follow them as they make this transition. Spring bug hatches and green vegetation play important roles in where fish set up so make sure you’re looking for these keys when picking an area to fish.
For more information on fishing bobbers for early-season panfish and crappies, check out this video from Brian ‘Bro’ Brosdahl.