CRAPPIE FISHING HOT STATEWIDE

NEWS RELEASE

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

DATE: February 4, 2002
CONTACT: Marty Hale (352) 742-6438

From Lake Talquin in north Florida to Lake Trafford in south Florida, the 2001/2002 fishing season could be called the season of the crappie. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists are reporting excellent crappie fishing in lakes Trafford, Dexter, Woodruff and Monroe. Catch rates have slowed a little in some lakes, but anglers who can adapt to changing fishing patterns have been consistently successful this season.

If numbers of fish are more important than fish size, lakes Trafford and Marian are the best bets. Trafford is a shallow 1,500-acre lake about 30 miles southeast of Fort Myers where record numbers of crappie were caught in annual FWC hoop net samples in 2001. Marian is a 5,700-acre lake in southern Osceola County near Kenansville. While neither lake produces many crappie larger than 10 inches long, both lakes consistently produce a lot of fish. Try drifting minnows early or late in the day. If you can’t find the fish schooled in the middle, try jigging along the vegetated shoreline.

Most of the lakes fit into the category of good fish numbers/good fish size. This season FWC block nets caught record numbers of crappie of all sizes in Lake Kissimmee, said FWC biologist Marty Mann. Anglers also are having a great season on Lake Kissimmee, as well as other lakes in the Kissimmee chain like Toho, Cypress and Hatchineha. Mann reported that anglers have been most successful drifting minnows or using small jigs near the grass and bulrush.

FWC biologist Don Fox reports that crappie have been large and plentiful this season in Lake Okeechobee. Low water levels the previous two years reduced fishing pressure and created a stockpile of crappie that anglers have been taking advantage of this year. Most of the fishing effort has been in the Kissimmee River/Fish Eating Bay/Taylor Creek areas on the north end of the lake. Fox recommends jigging along the grass lines and dropping minnows in holes in the vegetation.

If you’re looking for big, quality-size crappie, three lakes come to mind. While producing fewer fish, East Lake Toho has consistently produced the larger fish in the Kissimmee chain. Anglers looking for that big fish in a tournament or big fish contest invariably wind up in East Lake. The other two lakes, Monroe and Woodruff, are part of the St. Johns River. Located near DeLeon Springs, Woodruff is a 2,200-acre lake that first feeds into Lake Dexter, then into the St. Johns River south of Astor. FWC biologists have historically sampled quality-size crappie in Lake Woodruff spring electrofishing samples, and anglers this year are reporting fish in the 2-2 ½-pound range are fairly common. Dan Boone of Riverbend Bait and Tackle recommends using a sunfly jig in mid-lake and minnows near the pads.

Lake Monroe is a 9,400-acre widening of the St. Johns River in Seminole and Volusia counties with the city of Sanford on the southern shore. FWC biologists are experimenting with a 12-inch minimum length limit for crappie in Lake Monroe in an effort to offer anglers the opportunity to catch quality-size fish consistently. Crappie in Lake Monroe typically reached 12 inches in length in four years or less, which made Lake Monroe a good candidate for this study. Crappie catches were improved greatly in the early part of the season, and compliance with the regulation has been excellent with more than 95 percent of the harvest exceeding the 12-inch minimum. Very good catch rates of all sizes of crappie (3.1 per hour) and legal-size crappie (0.9 per hour) were reported last fall. FWC biologist Jay Holder recommends drifting minnows in mid-lake and hal flies near the vegetation. Jay reports that one of the most successful anglers is from out-of-state and exclusively uses jigs.

When considering crappie fishing in north Florida, Lake Talquin should be your first choice. Located about 20 miles west of Tallahassee, Lake Talquin is an 8,850-acre impoundment of the Ochlockonee River. Unlike most of the natural lakes to the south, Talquin’s standing and submerged timber offers virtually unlimited structure fishing. Talquin also yielded the state record crappie, weighing in at 3.83 pounds. FWC biologist Rich Cailteux shared that anglers have been successful trolling white and yellow jigs in the past. Remember that since Talquin is in the northern part of the state, its crappie fishery is just picking up as others farther south may be winding down. Also, remember that there is a 10-inch minimum length limit for crappie on Lake Talquin.

Wherever you decide to fish for crappie this season, it looks like your chances for a successful trip are excellent. To help you remember your success, the FWC and eAngler.com provide a full-color certificate, suitable for framing, and window sticker, as part of the “Big Catch” angler recognition program for landing a crappie longer than 14 inches or more than two pounds. Visit our Web site (www.floridafisheries.com) or look in the Freshwater Fishing Regulations Summary for an application.

Take Me Fishing.org is a great general information site for recreational anglers and boaters.

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