By Rory K. Aikens
Arizona Game & Fish

In earlier decades before sophisticated electronics, Crappies were considered a springtime-only delicacy by most anglers. No more. These speckled beauties are a wintertime treat, but you need a boat that has a decent fish finder to be truly effective (although shore anglers at Bartlett sometimes do well).

Crappies in winter congregate in large schools, often being suspended 15, 20 or even 30 feet deep in very deep water. I have caught crappies at 25 feet deep when the water depth was 100 or more feet. A school of crappie will appear in an inverted pyramid formation on your finder. I call it an upside down Christmas tree.

Fishing the right depth is critical. Crappies feed upward – if you have your jig or bait below them, you won’t catch a fish. Use your finder to locate the top of the crappie formation, then set your bait to fish just above that depth. If you don’t get a bite at that depth (please be patient first), then lower the bait a foot or so.

Crappies, affectionately called "papermouths" by many, are typically subtle biters, even in springtime. In winter, they go from subtle to negligible. Many winter crappie anglers get surprised when reeling in to find a crappie on the end of their line.

Using an ultra-light pole with an extremely sensitive tip is a must for consistent success. Also use very light line. I personally use six-pound test Berkley Fireline that is the equivalent of two-pound diameter monofilament. I have a friend who uses a three-foot-long, half-pound fly-fishing leader for his 1/32-ounce homemade Marabou jigs. I will probably be shot for revealing the secret, but he likes to use pink jig heads with gossamer fine white feathers just barely tipped with chartreuse – they can be devastating at times.

As you may have already guessed, lighter is better – unless there is wind or current. Light line, light jig heads, and small baits (I like one or two-inch grubs) are the way to go. If you can use a 1/32-ounce jig head (even for live minnows), and still get down to where the crappies are, then that is probably best. Anything above a 1/16-ounce jig head is getting into marginal territory – typically. However, I have caught some large crappies using a heavier jig head while fishing for smallmouth bass at Apache Lake. Once I caught a 3.5-pound crappie at Pleasant on a heavy flipping jig while trying for largemouth bass in the thick brush.

Although I like straight-lining to feel that infinitesimal bite (sometimes it feels like they only kiss the grub or live minnow), many die-hard winter crappie anglers like using a slip bobber, even with jigs. The beauty of a slip bobber is you can set it to any depth you want, yet not have a lot of line to fuss with while casting.

Speed is also important, or better yet, the lack thereof. Work your jigs, live minnows or whatever V-E-R-Y slowly. If you can barely tell the jig is moving, you probably have the right speed. That is one reason why backtrolling is so effective.

What I like to do is determine my optimum depth based on what I see on the fish finder, then cast the appropriate distance from the boat to match that depth, and let the jig slowly fall. Crappie will often hit during the fall (if you have a very light jig head). Once the jig is perpendicular to the surface (straight-lined), I will just let it set for a while and see if a crappie comes for a visit. If nothing happens, then I will just tap my trolling motor pedal in reverse for a slow, subtle backtroll. What I find best is a slow, lethargic stop-and-go technique.

Now -- for places to fish. Crappie can often be found in small ponds throughout Arizona, but the top winter spots are typically Bartlett and Roosevelt lakes. Apache Lake is a dark horse, but one that can come across the finish with surprising results at times.

At Martinez Lake (a large backwater north of Yuma) along the Colorado River, there were early winter reports of some three-pound crappies being caught in the stickups. Alamo is now full of crappies, but not many people have been fishing for them in winter (or maybe they are keeping the secret to themselves). It might be worth a visit -- it’s a great place for winter camping.

Alamo also attracts lots of over-wintering waterfowl (for hunting or watching) and shorebirds. I have seen winter flocks of snowy egrets mixing it up in the skies over Alamo with snow geese and white pelicans blown in from the coast. So take your binoculars and camera along (maybe your shotgun as well).

A tip for shoreline crappie anglers is to try the "Anglers Trail" at Bartlett Lake from Rattlesnake to S.B. Cove and use slip bobbers. Be sure to get a map of where the artificial structures are located (stop at the Cave Creek Ranger Station to get one). The woody structures are best (like submerged juniper bundles). Crappies love to hide in wood.