A Guide To Catching Crappie In Rhode Island

All the lakes and rivers in Rhode Island may make you think that there would be crappie allover, but the largest and most popular crappie population is in Watchaug Pond. The record black crappie was caught in this pond and holds the state record. You can find many areas on the pond to fish. You can fish at different times of the year. You will want to have a boat so that you can reach the depths of the pond when the fish move deeper. Shoreline fishing is not done, but it may not have been something anyone thought about for fishing crappie.

You can catch the crappies by drifting, trolling, casting or still fishing. Spring still holds as the best time to fish for crappie. You can find them around underwater brush, rock structures and any manmade formations. If you go out early in the morning, you will find the fish near the water top. Once the sun comes up, the fish will move to the bottom of the water about ten feet down.

During spawning, the fish will eat minnows on a jig. When the sun rises higher and get s brighter in the afternoon, you will want to move to about twenty-five feet of water and use a nice shiny minnow.

Summer months, you should fish the shallows during the morning hours and during the evening hours, but once the sun comes up, they move into deeper waters. You can use minnows, crappie jigs or spoons. During the fall months, you can fish the same way, but offer a larger bait. The fish are preparing for the cold and eat more than they do during the summer. During the winter, you will fish the deep-water areas, as this is where the fish school and wait for the baitfish.

If you are using minnows or another baitfish, try to catch it from the same water. Sometimes a crappie will release something that has a different taste that is not known to its habitat. Yes, even fish can be fussy, but it is not seen that often. If you have artificial bait, you should wash it off in the same water you will fish if you have used it in other waters. Night crawlers can be used and they will have no affect on the crappie. These maybe unusual tips, but some anglers do use these tips to fish in the Rhode Island area.

Drop your line down on the outside of a school. Never drop into the middle of a school of fish. This is going to spook them and they will disperse. Drop just on the outside of the school, bring the bait up slowly, and let it drop and repeat until you have a bite.

Remember that crappies cannot see underneath themselves because there eyes are on top of their heads. Keep the bait above them so they can see it whenever you present it. This will work out well when you are fishing for crappie.