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C. Douglas Nielsen | IN THE OUTDOORS
By any name, crappie are fish for all anglers
Whether or not we are ready for them, warmer days are on the horizon. That means anglers who have spent the winter fishing for trout in Southern Nevada's urban ponds soon will have to look for other options. One of those options is the crappie, a scrappy little panfish that will hammer your bait and put up a fight much bigger than its size. It also will provide you with a tasty fillet at the dinner table.
Crappie are members of the sunfish family but often are referred to as panfish. Though I never directly have heard them called anything else but crappie, in other geographical locations you might hear them referred to by a number of names, including paper mouth, goggle-eye or speckled perch. The term paper mouth refers to the species' soft mouth that tears easily if a fisherman tries to "horse" a fish in. This fish requires somewhat of a gentle hand on the rod so the hook doesn't pull through the lips before it's reeled all the way in.
One of the great things about crappie is they are fish for all anglers. The methods and equipment needed to catch these fish are simple and inexpensive. I caught my first crappie with a rod my grandmother made from a willow switch. You can buy expensive crappie rigs, some reaching as long as 20 feet, but why? The same rod you have been using for trout will do the trick. Something with a soft action is best.
Crappie are schooling fish, which means if you catch one you won't have to go far to catch another. They will hold to cover such as weed beds, cattails, brush or submerged logs and stumps. Common techniques are still-fishing with bait, throwing small lures or spinners and jigging. Fly-fishing and trolling also can be effective.
Spring is the best time to catch crappie because their movements are tied to spawning and they aggressively will defend their nest. These scrappers often will strike at your bait thinking it is an unwanted interloper.
First thing in the morning you might find crappie close to the surface, but as the sun climbs higher in the sky, they will retreat to deeper water.
Historically, the Overton Arm of Lake Mead was a good place to look for spring crappie action in Southern Nevada, but in recent years the crappie fishing hasn't given me or anyone else much to write about. As a result, some anglers have given up crappie fishing altogether, but their decision to do so is premature. Other options are available for those who long to battle these scrappy little fish.
Two of those options can be found in Lincoln County. They are Echo Canyon Reservoir east of Pioche and Nesbitt Lake north of Alamo. Both reservoirs boast good crappie populations but also offer good fishing for largemouth bass. Nesbitt holds a booming bluegill population as well.
Though I haven't spent much time fishing Echo, I have had good days at Nesbitt Lake. Productive baits for me include an olive Woolly Bugger, a damsel fly imitation and a small crank bait. The crank bait seems to work best just before dark, while flies catch fish all day.
Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His "In the Outdoors" column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at dougnielsen@att.net.
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