One of the best times to fish for crappie is during the spawning season, which typically the beginning of spring. However, springtime can bring rainfalls, which can disrupt the typical pattern of crappie. This may also affect the way you fish, but not to worry, as fishing after heavy rain is still possible!
Read on as I discuss how heavy rainfall affects crappie behavior and how you can still go crappie fishing after heavy rain.
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Crappie Fishing after Heavy Rain
Did you just experience heavy rainfall and planned to go crappie fishing that day? Don’t worry, there’s still a possibility you’ll get a catch, depending on how the fish were affected.
Unfortunately, chances are slim when catching crappie at this time. Why? Here are the changes that happen after the heavy rains:
The water temperature will drop significantly, remaining low until you see some sunshine
Rain strips up stronger currents, which have the water turn murky, making crappie less visible
Covers like fallen trees and brush piles may be destroyed from heavier rains and strong currents
With that said, there is some good news to crappie fishing after rainfall. When thunderstorms occur, rains would wash small insects to the water, which can attract crappie back to shallow waters. That’s why anglers also like to search for post-storm crappies, attracting schools of them!
This mostly sounds like bad news, doesn’t it? It doesn’t have to completely be! There are still ways to get around the issues mentioned above. Since crappie is sensitive to changes in the water, you’ll simply need to adjust your fishing methods.
Here are ways you can fish for crappie after heavy rainfall:
Set Up Lines
Because the chances of finding crappies have decreased, you’ll need to set up even more fishing rods. This can increase your chances of getting a bite!
If the water levels have increased because of the rain, try fishing for crappie near river banks. Crappies tend to move closer to banks as water levels rise. As a result, the more rigs and lines you use can help you get a good catch!
Use Different Lures
You can’t predict the exact type of lures for crappie fishing, especially during post-storms. You’ll have to try out various lures to see what works best.
Start off with the crowd favorites like minnows, as well as various live baits that crappies typically enjoy feeding on. Remember, crappie is a sight feeder, so use brightly-colored baits. This is crucial since the waters are murky after the rain, which will attract more crappie and have them more encouraged to bite.
Crappie Fish Finder
It’s difficult to look for crappie with just our eyes alone, especially when the waters are murky! That’s why there are devices we can use to detect schools of fish like crappie. Crappie finders can go underwater to detect where they are without fish taking notice.
When setting it up, set your bait and the finder at proper depths. That way, the device can detect more fish and crappie can see your bait even better, as they are typically in deeper water levels.
Before you use a crappie finder, be sure that it is legal to use in whatever state or area you’re in.
Read More: Do You Catch More Fish In The Rain? The Best Time to Go Fishing
Slow Trolling
After heavy rainfalls, the water levels would drop, which is why crappie are less active. They are more active in warmer water temperatures. This is why you need to use slow trolling fishing methods, attracting crappies better post-rain.
There are also other fishing techniques to try, such as lure fishing under floats. While it sounds weird for some, it’s a great technique.
All you need to do is to put your lure under a float, casting it out to the waters. The float can control the lure’s running depth and since crappie is suspended I water columns, you spend most of the retrieve outside the strike zone! You control how deep lures run, so it stays at ideal running depth and can be controlled by adjusting the float.
Look At Other Areas
Crappies are most present by creeks and river mouths. But since they have no cover, they will be way deeper. So it’s time for YOU to adjust and create the cover for them. To provide shelter for fish, you can use a raincoat or large umbrellas.
Another method to use if there are heavy and stronger currents during rain is to find the backwater of your rivers. Backwaters are hardly affected by heavier currents, which is where fish would usually be in.
Gear Up
Lastly, make sure that you have the appropriate fishing gear made for post-storms. Your typical gear for sunny weather may not be as effective!
For this situation, I recommend using a medium-weight spinning fishing rod that has a 2,500-size reel. Use an 8-lb pound test fluorocarbon line. While monofilament works, fluorocarbon would sink with a similar refractive rate as the water, so fish won’t be able to notice it. As for floats, go for slip bobbers and use any lure of your choice (as mentioned above).
Do take note that you shouldn’t expect a lot and there are chances you’ll go home with little success. It doesn’t mean that it will happen again next time, simply note what you did that day and try a different method and sunnier days. If you want to learn more about crappie fishing during or after rain, check out this informative video:
Wrapping It Up
When crappie fishing, your main goal is to get them hooked and caught successfully. During and after heavy rainfall, the chances of a bite are bit low, but not impossible! With proper technique and knowledge of the water temperature, you can still go crappie fishing at these times.
I hope that this article on crappie fishing after heavy rain helped you out. So if you just experienced heavy rainfall, gear up and see if you can catch some crappie!
Great article …