New York is home to both black crappie and white crappie, although black crappie are the predominant species throughout the state. Calico bass, papermouths, or strawberry bass are some of the nicknames anglers use to refer to crappie.
Mid-spring, in between the opening days for the trout harvest season (April 1) and the walleye/pike/pickerel season (May 1), is a great time to start fishing for them. Shortly after ice out, crappie congregate in shallower (warmer) water near structure (usually woody) and vegetation to feed and prepare for spawning. This provides good opportunities to catch them from shore. So if you’re looking to add something new to your fishing routine, give crappie fishing a try!
For an effective rig that provides fun action use an ultralight spinning rod with a small crappie tube jig tipped with a piece of nightcrawler.
