John's Journal...

Catch Crappie Now in February, But Watch the Weather with John E. Phillips

Day 4: Follow the Sewage to Find Big Crappie in Early Spring

Editor’s Note: You can fill your freezer with crappie during February in many areas of the country, if you watch the weather and look for warm-water intrusions in the major waterways.

Click for Larger ViewNo one likes to think about catching crappie below a sewage-treatment plant. However, when you consider that the water coming out of a sewage-treatment plant is often cleaner and safer than the water in the lake or river that the sewage treatment dumps into, you may want to re-evaluate fishing these types of areas. On Lake Weiss in north Alabama, a sewage-treatment plant discharges water into a bay just off the main lake. During February and March, this discharge region is often where you’ll find the most and biggest crappie and also the most crappie fishermen for several reasons. Click for Larger viewFirst, this water usually will be warmer than the water in the main lake, and the water coming-from the sewage-treatment plant will be extremely nutrient-rich. Right now you’ll find the most crappie fishermen fishing and the most crappie being caught in this area of Lake Weiss. Often the crappie are caught on jigs and minnows in 2 to 4 feet of water. Once again these will be really-big crappie (early spawners that will weigh from 1-to1-1/2-pounds).

Click for Larger ViewThe good news is that some crappie fishermen have mental blocks about fishing water that is being discharged from a sewage-treatment plant. However, for the crappie fishermen who know how pure this water can be and go out in cold weather to catch crappie, these waters hold plenty of slab crappie that can fill up an ice chest in a very-short time. Most municipalities throughout the country have some type of sewage-treatment plant that’s generally located close to a major river system. Once you learn where the water is being discharged at the sewage-treatment plant, you usually will find the crappie.

Click for Larger ViewOne of the advantages that anglers at Lake Weiss have is that the sewage-treatment plant runs a large pipe from the plant out into the middle of a big bay. Instead of concentrating the fishermen into a small area, there’s a large bay where the pipe empties, so that hundreds of fishermen can fish there. This bay also has rock jetties where bank fishermen can catch early-season crappie. To catch crappie before the other crappie fishermen start looking for them and perhaps some of the biggest crappie of the season, head for these sewage-treatment discharges close to your home. The real secret to this kind of fishing is when you identify these places, don’t tell anyone where you’re fishing. If you do, you will have more people fishing there than you may want.

A new product coming to the market is the Mister Twister EZ-ScaleR. If you prefer to scale your crappie rather than fillet them, check-out this video: www.ez-scaler.com

Tomorrow: Look For Warm-Water Runoffs in Springs for Early-Season Crappie


Check back each day this week for more about "Catch Crappie Now in February, But Watch the Weather with John E. Phillips "

Day 1: Little Waters Mean Big February Crappie
Day 2: Shallow Water Warms-Up First for February Crappie
Day 3: February’s Crappie Glory Holes – De-Watering Areas
Day 4: Follow the Sewage to Find Big Crappie in Early Spring
Day 5: Look For Warm-Water Runoffs in Springs for Early-Season Crappie

 

Entry 600, Day 4