Clear Lake crappie

[Quinnphoto]

I’m thinking about going to Clear Lake this week for crappie. I do have access to a boat. I’ve done some research but I know the experience of this board is priceless. You fly fishers have any words of wisdom for this Clear Lake newbie?

[lee s.]

Careful of rattlesnakes! And you will have plenty of company. Sometimes "lockjaw" can be a real challenge.
.....lee s.

[Rossflyguy]

Live minnows or balanced leeches

[mike borba]

There is a group on Facebook called Clear Lake Crappie Guide Service. My understanding is that the crappie are biting but are 20' to 30' deep.

[Idadon]

Back in the late 50’s, when Clear Lake was still clear and I was just a kid, our family visited a place called “Swedbergs” on the lake over by Konocti Bay. I remember my older brother catching a huge crappie off the dock with a dead minnow floating on the surface. My dad drove over to a baitshop in the highlands to weigh it and the owner wanted to keep it to have it mounted. Understand this was 60 years ago but I think it was over 5lbs. I remember rowing a boat up & down the Tully line so my dad could hit the pockets with a popper. After he caught a couple he’d row & I got to catch a couple. Great memories!!

[Quinnphoto]

Careful of rattlesnakes! And you will have plenty of company. Sometimes "lockjaw" can be a real challenge.
.....lee s.

I understand you find the fleet of boats and join in. I will be hoping for some fish willing to join me in my boat

[Quinnphoto]

Live minnows or balanced leeches

Thanks-balanced leech it is.

[Quinnphoto]

There is a group on Facebook called Clear Lake Crappie Guide Service. My understanding is that the crappie are biting but are 20' to 30' deep.

Thanks Mike. I’ll check them out. I am on a few sites like that and they are always helpful and sharing about how to get comfortable fishing a new area.

[Quinnphoto]

Back in the late 50’s, when Clear Lake was still clear and I was just a kid, our family visited a place called “Swedbergs” on the lake over by Konocti Bay. I remember my older brother catching a huge crappie off the dock with a dead minnow floating on the surface. My dad drove over to a baitshop in the highlands to weigh it and the owner wanted to keep it to have it mounted. Understand this was 60 years ago but I think it was over 5lbs. I remember rowing a boat up & down the Tully line so my dad could hit the pockets with a popper. After he caught a couple he’d row & I got to catch a couple. Great memories!!

I think we all look for those moments from our trips. 60 years ago but still like yesterday. What a wonderful way to enjoy our past. 5 lbs is a whopper!!! Thanks for sharing. Pretty sure all who read this will be reminiscing back to a great fishing memory.

[lee s.]

msg sent......

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I have never seen a time or place where Crappie were caught in abundance on flies.

I would say that Clear Lake is the most famous Crappie fishery that I know about in California.

40 years ago I worked in a bait shop and in the spring. We sold 20 dozen very small "Crappie (size) Minnows" to two guys who came in with a big ice chest and aerator headed for Clear Lake.

I always want to know more about Crappie fishing with a fly rod.

There are tons of YouTube videos about Crappie fishing now with light conventional tackle.


In my life time I have caught a 'ba-gillion' bass and panfish on a cast fly but only a few Crappie.



Here is a link to a bunch of YouTube videos about fly fishing for Crappie:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=crappie+on+a+fly+rod


I guess I should be watching them all?

.

[Bigfoot County]

Here’s a video from the great Ryan Williams that might be interesting to see:


https://youtu.be/rx1NgLp6kIs

[Idadon]

In my experience a live minnow is as good as it gets. I think a crappie won’t move to far from his structure to take a bait, what ever that bait might be. What I remember at Clear Lake was they held right next to the tulles and we would put a popper up really close and work it slow. I’ve also heard that White and Black Crappies behave a little different from each other.

[lee s.]

Well Bill,
If'n ya wanna catch'em on a fly....ya gotta use a fly!
Sometimes Ryan's bobber and bug is the BEST presentation....as in Pyramid too.
When fish are around, we seem to get our share, and sometimes, too slow or too small for gear, gives a distinct advantage.
Of course there can be distinct disadvantages to overcome too.
Rising to the challenge can alone, be quite satisfying.
It is even more common to be "the odd one" targeting crappie with a fly rod than most other common fly rod targets.
There IS a learning curve, which one is ALWAYS climbing. But isn't that the great fun in fly fishing anyway?
....lee s.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks guys......Ryan is the man.

I have know about Clear lake crappie for probably 50 years and have driven right by it many times but never fished it.

Maybe we should have a weekend Forum Crappie outing?



What is the top month for fly fishing Crappie at Clear Lake, CA?

[McFish]

Rule #1 for catching crappie anytime; they are in schools. So you first have to find the schools. They are in deeper water until the spawn. Spawn is about 55 degrees. I follow a You Tube Blog "Fishing Addicts" who are extremely expert with light gear. Nov to early March they find schools in 20-30 feet. As the water warms, crappie move to favored locations. every year the fish are in the same places. Follow the crowds. When they spawn, fly rods work great. I've caught 15 fish in 45 minutes; avg weight about 1.5 lb. The Addicts are averaging 2 lb for 50-100 fish right now.

RW Williams films are in late March/April into maybe May in colder years. Crappie patterns have been described as " white trash street walker style patterns" lots of bright colors, very unnatural; but wooly buggers and small streamers also do well. My best fly is a buggy looking 1.5 inch streamer with lots of movement; it takes bass, crappie, and BG, depending on where it is fished. Fishing piers are good bets but weekend crowds scare schools away; a boat is very helpful.

[lee s.]

Bill,
I have been enamored watching a guy called 'Bluegabe' on YouTube. Okeechobee, near you, has abundant crappie, BG's, and shellcrackers. This Bluegabe wades and tosses beetle spins at them. What a grand hoot that would be to fish like so with him.
......lee.
P.S. I like any month. Some just take more searching than others. ;-)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Here in Florida I think March/April is 'big' for all warm water species.


Watched a video, way back, where they caught a Crappie then attached a bobber to it and released it back into the school, Illegal?




Here is "BlueGabe" on Okeechobee......this guy is an 'animal outdoorsman.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dPAZr6pkiM



**I have a smaller 14' x 48" Jon boat in FL and I think I will get a 'Mud Motor' on it.

[Quinnphoto]

Just got back from Clear Lake. I took pictures but I guess I pushed video so nothing to show. First thing, if you go you have to make sure to get a quagga mussel boat check. I got mine at Clearlake Bait & Tackle. Its a $20 charge. The gentleman who helped me with the inspector was full of good information about the lake. He fishes the lake weekly so his knowledge of the fish is quite extensive. Unfortunately they move so I wasted my morning going to his secret location. I did take the advice of the board in the afternoon, thanks Lee. I had such a late start on the area but I finally lucked out. These fish are cut out templates of each other. All five of my fish were around a pound and a half or more. Giant discs each of them. Oh I tried midges, nymphs, balanced leeches, attractor flies on floating lines, sinking intermediate lines, type three sinking lines. I moved around with my fish finder always on. I did see a scattering of fish but never a school of fish. I told my wife before I went I was going to get a skunk or catch 30. I was close to my first prediction.
I caught one a midge and four on the peacock balanced leech. My stripping didn't yield a hit

[lee s.]

WTG Quinn!
Yep....sometimes do nothing under a bobber is tops. And yep.....sometimes hard to have your own rock. ;-) ....specially if success is obvious. ;-) ;-)
....lee s.

[John Sv]

Did you eat them? Crappie are delicious!

[Jcolin]

I hooked 2 crappie fishing for bass at berryessa last spring, wondering if anyone targets them at that lake? Have heard they are delicious from many people. Sorry to derail post.

[John Sv]

Whoa to further derail I just read a snippet that Clear Lake has mercury issues and was or is a superfund site for mercury so probably best if you don't eat them!

[lee s.]

I believe one would be quite hard pressed to find ANY body of water in California that is unpolluted. And being over 70, and with covid so prevalent, and traffic so....... I believe I'll eat and bet something else will get me first. ;-)
....lee s.

[avidangler]

https://www.wired2fish.com/big-fish/angler-catches-california-state-record-crappie/#slide_2

[Darian]

WOW!!! 11 pounds 5 oz.!! That's a really great bass!!! :cool:

[gwris]

I believe one would be quite hard pressed to find ANY body of water in California that is unpolluted. And being over 70, and with covid so prevalent, and traffic so....... I believe I'll eat and bet something else will get me first. ;-)
....lee s.
Well that explains a lot Lee

[Scott V]

I hooked 2 crappie fishing for bass at berryessa last spring, wondering if anyone targets them at that lake? Have heard they are delicious from many people. Sorry to derail post.

Yes, i target crappie at Berryessa. One of my favorite places to chase after them.