{Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Crappie flyfishing?

Agree with Lane - I've caught some big ones, 12-15", on clousers at night around structure such as bridges on the Potomac/lagoons off the main channel such as the Pentagon Lagoon. April, May, and late October seem to be best. The spot I like to fish for them usually produces one or two on the fly every time. A small clouser around 2-2.5" long works best for me.

Interestingly, the best crappie fishing nights I've had on the fly rod have also produced large yellow perch.

On Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at 9:48:33 AM UTC-4, Lane Thurgood wrote:

Stokes, at many times of the year, they are deeper and orienting to structure BUT in the springtime they can be found shallower.  When targeting them, I throw minnow imitations, generally clousers.  Most crappies I catch over the course of a year are bycatch--and some very nice bycatch--the biggest crappie I caught last year was mixed in with hickory shad at Fletchers and was probably 15".

But I have been able to target them (somewhat).  The timing may be right right now for inlets at lakes such as Burke Lake.  The biggest crappie I have ever caught (or seen) was a few years ago in late March or April at Burke Lake.  The gizzard shad were spawning where a small inlet dumped into Burke and crappie were feeding like crazy, presumably on the eggs.  I wasn't matching the egg hatch, so to speak, but threw minnow imitations and managed a few, including a bucketmouth of a papermouth.  I have also worked bridges in Potomac tribs (including Four Mile Run) and even the Potomac itself.  In the summer, I have found them in shaded portions of the Patuxent in Maryland.

As you may know, finding the schools are key.  Where you find one, you will generally find company.  But you may have to move from bridge to bridge, cover to cover to find them.  I use clousers, sparkle grubs, and in general weighted minnow imitations.  I like white.  You generally need to let the fly sink out of sight and then bump it back in erratic strips.

Good luck!

On Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at 8:03:47 AM UTC-4, Stokes MacIntire wrote:

I've never seen anyone flyfishing for crappie. Does people target these fish on the fly? What flies/presentations work the best?

Thanks,
An inexperienced fly angler

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