CRAPPIES ON THE WEEDLINE
By Bob Jensen

In many lakes throughout the Midwest, from the Dakotas to Wisconsin and from northern Minnesota to southern Iowa, the weedline is where a lot of fish hang out this time of year. Many of those fish that are near the weedline are hungry. You have a lot of fish and many of them are hungry near the weedline right now. If it sounds to you like the weedline would be a good place to fish, you would be right.

A lot of different types of fish inhabit the weedline this time of year. Crappies are one of those fish. Crappies are fun to catch, and they're good to eat. Here are some ideas for catching crappies on the weedline.

First of all, let's get clear on what the weedline is. It's not that heavy weed growth found in the shallows. We're looking for a deeper weedline, and most of the weeds will be below the surface of the water, with some just poking through the surface. Cabbage weeds are the most prominent weeds on the weedline.

In some lakes, especially the ones with clear water, the weedline might start where the water is about seven feet deep and end in fifteen to eighteen feet of water.

If the water is stained, the weedline will start shallower and end shallower.

The best way to find the weedline is with sonar. The Legend 3000 sonar that is gaining favor with many anglers does a great job of showing exactly where the weedline is. With this unit it is very apparent where the edge of the weeds are so you're not fishing in unproductive water.

Crappies will be over the tops of the weeds sometimes, right on the deep edge at other times, and out from the weed edge a short distance sometimes. From now and through the rest of the summer, expect to find the majority of the crappies on the deep edge and out a ways.

Jigs will be the best way to catch weedline crappies. A sixteenth ounce Thumper Jig with a two inch Power Tube or Power Grub will be a winning combination. Experiment with colors until the best one is found.

A swimming retrieve will be most productive. Crappies will usually suspend. They might be three feet below the surface and they might be thirteen feet below the surface. Let the jig sink to different depths, then just slowly reel it in.

Sometimes a slip-bobber/jig will be more productive. I just got back from a trip where we caught lots of big crappies on Gypsi Jigs tipped with minnows below slip-bobbers. Again, vary the depth of the slip-bobber knot until the productive level is found.

Don't overdo your crappie harvest. If you're catching big ones, one per person for the table is plenty. Put the rest back, as crappie populations can be fished down just as any other fish population can. Besides, once you get onto this weedline pattern for crappies, you will be able to catch them just about any time you want, so a fresh fish supper is never far away.