Crappie anglers who slow their fishing or even stop when the spawn ends are missing out on one of the very best and most predictable times of the year for catching crappie. By four to six weeks after the majority of spawning is done, crappie have recovered from the rigorous period and they’ve settled again into comfortable confines that they’ll occupy for a while. Their places of preference are much more patternable than during spring’s rollercoaster of temps, wind and water levels. Plus, the fish are hungrily feeding again.
One angler who passionately fishes for crappie year-round says that when the calendar page turns to June, he knows “right where they are and how to catch ’em.” Fortunately for us, that angler, Gary Rowe, is also great about sharing his knowledge and tactics for success. Below are his five proven summer tactics that consistently drive his catching success on nearby Oklahoma lakes Fort Gibson, Tenkiller and Lake Eufaula. We’re confident these will work for you, too.
“You don’t have to give much thought about what’s the most available food source to crappie this time of year – fry and fingerlings, and insect hatches,” Rowe noted. “I mean, just about all the warmwater species have been busy in recent weeks spawning – crappie, bass, perch, shad – along with mayflies and lots of other bugs. Food is everywhere and the common factor among all is size … ‘little.’ That’s why the Bobby Garland 1.25-inch Itty Bit baits have become my go-to lures. They perfectly ‘match the hatch.’”
Rowe, a longtime student of crappie fishing, has tried it all – jigging, casting, spider rigging, dock shooting, trolling, etc. He’s not a guide, nor is he active on the professional crappie tournament trails – although he’d be good at either. Without these pressures, he gets to fish exactly the way he wants on every outing. For him, it’s using a single spinning rod in his hands with “a jig or two” tied on.
“I like to feel my jig and I love to feel the bite, so I’m always going with a technique that lets me do those two things.” In no particular order, here are Rowe’s favorite rigs for summertime fishing with an Itty Bit.
Drop-Shot
