spring crappies

[wny angler]

How many of you fish crappie in the spring?

what are some of your favorite crappie lakes?

crappies are usualy the first fish i target when the ice is off.

i fish honeoye-conesus and chautauqua lakes depending on which is ice free first.

 

[SuperX2]

I also fish Honeoye for crappies, but have found the biggest on the Barge Canal.

[rgfixit]

Superx2,
Widewaters?
RG

[wny angler]

iv'e got a spot on conesus that gives up some huge crappie in the spring but your lucky if you get a dozen in a days fishing. it's tough to fish because those darn pesky blue gill kill your minnows just about as soon as you cast in.

[SuperX2]

rgfixit, yeah on widewaters. They are tough to find but when you do they are huge. I have boated several 18".

[wny angler]

are there any good spots to catch crappies from shore in the western newyork area

i know you can fish the canals at ashville bay on chautauqua lake--they charge 2 or 3 dollars for fishing there-thats the only spot i know for shore fishing
chautauqua lake is about 1.25 hours west of  buffalo

[can_of_worms]

I fish Honeoye and South  end of Canandaigua for crappie. Mostly Honeoye we have a place on it so it is easy, lots of good fish too. I would be interrested in Conesus, but don't know where to look for them.  I have always heard the same thing  big fish, but hard to find.

[BuckShotJon]

SuperX,

Ya fish in my backyard at Widewaters. 

Yes they are large and yes they are 18 inches out of there sometimes like you said. Thats where I head for them, also a spot west in the canal same town and differant town.

Last year they were all caught however and there is no point in anyone coming to the canal this year. 

Jon

[SuperX2]

There was a big Crappie die off there last year so no need coming this year. I heard the middle of Seneca lake has a great hump that is great for Crappies. 

[BuckShotJon]

Yup a big die off  for sure no need to fish the canal 

Jon

[rgfixit]

Stream walker,
The 104 bridge in Sodus gives up plenty of Crappies at ice out...There's a crowd, but it can be very productive.
RG

[fingerlakesfisher]

Do not forget Cayuga!  IT can be an excellent crappie lake as well.   Where is widewaters?  Is that the part of the canal that can be seen from rt 31 that gets really wide between lyons and palmyra???  or is it Lyons and clyde??

[BuckShotJon]

fingerlakesfisher,

The widewaters we are talking about is between Palmyra and Newark. The wide section just north of Rt.31 in the hamlet of Port Gibson.

Boat you can launch just accross Concord Ford in the widewaters park. Or you can shore fish from Port-Gibson Rd and get some there.

There is a few better spots that you will have to search around a little for. Shoot me a e-mail if you would like the lowdown a little closer.

Jon

[reelcharacter]

Glad someone jumped on board with this one right away! Can't say I've had much experience with Crappies, but hope to change that this spring.

Any one fishing Central New York (Syracuse and vicinity)?

-Reelcharacter

[roverowner]

Reelcharacter-

I've heard that Lake Moraine's got some good crappie action on the south side just after ice out, just south of the big island.  I'll be hitting it as soon as the ice is gone.  Never fished there open water, so I'm really looking foreward to it.