Speckled Perch (Crappie), It's Time
Common Names - speckled perch, specks, papermouth, bachelor perch, calico bass, strawberry bass, or white perch.
Description - The black crappie is a silvery-green to yellowish fish with large dorsal and anal fins of almost identical shape and size. The sides are marked with black blotches which become more intense towards the back. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins also are marked with rows of dark spots. Crappies have compressed bodies, small heads and arched backs. It has a large mouth with an upper jaw extending under the eye.
Subspecies - There are no recognized subspecies. They are closely related to the white crappie that is found in Alabama and Georgia. However, the white crappie is not found in Florida.
Range - Found statewide except in the Florida Keys.
Habitat - Black crappies thrive in clear, natural lakes and reservoirs with moderate vegetation. They are also found in large slow-moving less turbid rivers, provided the water is not too murky. Crappies prefer water from 70 to 75 degrees but will tolerate water over 80 degrees. It is gregarious and often travels in schools.
Spawning Habits - Spawning occurs from February to April when water temperatures reach 62 to 65 degrees. They nest in colonies. Circular nest are fanned by males over gravel or soft-muddy bottoms and frequently around submerged vegetation in waters from three to eight feet deep. After spawning, males guard the eggs and fry. Females may produce between 11,000 and 188,000 eggs.
Feeding Habits - Primary food items are crustaceans, aquatic insects and small fishes. Adults mainly eat small fish, particularly open-water forage fish, like threadfin shad.
Now that you have a little background on this fish, lets see if we can catch a few.
Speckled Perch is a fish that is very much sought after by most freshwater fisher persons with many good reasons. They are fabulous on the table. They fight pretty good and are very elusive. Usually once found, you can load the cooler or at least catch enough to have several meals.
These fish range in a good number of our freshwater lakes and the lower end of the St. Johns River. You can even catch a few in trout river and some of the other creeks that run off of the St. Johns near Jacksonville.
When I get my Carolina Skiff loaded up for a day of Speckled Perch fishing, I usually have several types of fishing gear and a few types of bait.
Rods and Reels:
Keep in mind that specks can be caught by several means and this takes several types of tackle.
I like to bring a few Shakespeare Wonderpoles (fiberglass telescopic cane poles) in sizes from 10 to 20 feet in length. These are great for dipping in the lily pads or easing a bait under a low hanging tree and when you get even a small speck on one of these limber poles, you think you have mobby dick on the other end. I have fished these poles two different ways.
1. These are generally rigged with 6 to 10 pound test line, the length of the pole. From the tip of the line, I tie on a small Daiichi Round Bend/Aberdeen, Long Shank hook in size #6. From there I usually pinch on the line a split shot or two and the rig a small cigar cork slip rig. With this rig, I can fish from just a few inches deep to almost as deep as the pole is long. The usual depth for this rig is from 1 to 6 feet deep. On the hook usually goes a Missouri minnow (mud minnows also work and generally produce larger fish) hooked through the lips.
2. Use the same line and float but instead of a plain hook, tie on a small lead head jig, 1/32 or 1/64th of an ounce. to this jig slip on a small soft plastic like a 2 inch Mr. Wiffle, a 2 inch Exude curly tail, Exude hair or feather crappie jigs or a piece of Fishbites the you have cut to look like a soft plastic curly tail. I like white or chartreuse. Or you can get really fancy and ad some sort of spinner blade to the jig.
Both of these set ups can be fished very similar. You can stick a bunch of them in rod holders and use your Motorguide trolling motor to move the boat at a slow enough speed to almost fish like a controlled drift. This pattern works great when you are looking for the fish. If you set the baits at different depths and even use 4 or 5 different colors of jig heads or soft plastics, you might be able to establish a pattern. If you do catch more than 2 or 3 fish on the same color or same depth, I would put most of the other poles with the same set up. Remember, the faster the boat goes the farther up from the bottom the baits are. The water pushing against the line will cause the baits to be forced closer to the surface than if they were still and hanging directly down. You might also try running more than one jig on a few poles. Tie one on then another about one foot down and another one foot below that.
Another rig that will be very productive is the micro lite rigs like the Shakespeare line of rods and reels. They have several outfits from 4' 6" to 5' 6" and micro lite reels that work great with the new 8 pound test 1 pound diameter Power Pro line. These little outfits are great for casting these light jigs. I like to have several on board, all with something different tied on, so I can keep changing my offerings until I find something the fish want. With these little rigs, you can cast plenty far enough and with a reel you can fight the fish against the drag. I like it when my reel makes that funny sound as the fish pulls line from the spool. I usually cast these jigs from the boat toward the shoreline, looking for the right water depth that they might be holding. These little rigs are also great for tossing your offering under lay downs and around timber. Be sure that you are ready for a nice one as you might end up with a variety of other species while tossing your lure or bait in search of specks. The other species that will also eat all that I have discussed are bass, catfish, bream and watch out for stripers. They can get most of the line that is on the spool, so be ready to chase a big fish down. The pattern that by far works best for me, is to toss the jig near shore or timber, let it fall until it is on or very near the bottom, then slowly wind the jig back towards the boat. If you are able to go slow enough that your jig makes contact with the bottom every now and then you probably will have more success.
Where to fish around here:
Without a doubt if you want constant action of very nice fish, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. Go to Bienville Plantation. They are located about 1 1/2 hours west of Jacksonville and can be contacted by calling Rosemary Townsend or Donna Beauchamp at 1-386-397-1989 or email them at bienville2@aol.com.
Here are a few specials that they have going on right now.
Package A:
Unguided fishing with out meals or lodging. Price is for one to three guest in a boat. Lake Bienville Only. $100.00 per boat
Package B:
Unguided fishing with three meals and lodging with maid service. Price is based on two guests per boat and per room. Single guest rates will apply. Lake Bienville only. $300.00 per boat.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />Package C:
Guided fishing with 3 meals and lodging with maid service. Price is based on two guest per boat and per room. Single guest rates will apply. $300.00 per person.
Public bodies of water:
Crescent and Dead Lake. South of Palatka about 10 minutes. Lots of fish camps to stay the night and lots of places to get bait and launch your boat. Crescent is a big lake and VERY susceptible to big winds. Dead lake and the connecting Haw Creek are fishable in big winds.
LAKE CRESCENT (Flagler & Putnam Counties): This 15,960-acre lake is a tributary of the St. Johns River. Public access to Crescent Lake can be obtained on the west shore off of Highway 17 in Crescent City. Private access can be obtained from Lake Crescent Resort (386-698-2485). For additional listings of fish camps or more information, please call our fisheries office in DeLeon Springs at 386-985-7880.
LAKE GEORGE (Putnam & Volusia counties): This lake is a 46,000-acre natural impoundment of the St. Johns River with extensive vegetation that provides an excellent habitat for fish. There are jetties located on the south end of the lake where the St. Johns River enters the lake. Most of the lake is less than 10 feet deep but a natural channel provides navigation for boats as large as oil barges.
Public access can be obtained from Blue Creek Road to Lake George Road off of Highway 40. Private access to Lake George can be obtained from Pine Island fish camp (904-749-2818), Trophy Bass Lodge (904-467-2002), or Camp Henry Resort and marina (904-467-2282). For additional listings of fish camps or further information, please contact our fisheries office in DeLeon Springs at 386-985-7880.
LAKE HARRIS (Lake County): Lake Harris is an 13,788 acre lake located south and east of the City of Leesburg. Access to the lake is from Singletary Park on the outskirts of Leesburg on U.S. Hwy 27, at a City of Leesburg boat ramp in Venetian Gardens off of SR 44 (Dixie Avenue), at the Hickory Point recreational area ($2.00 fee per vehicle) on SR 19 south of Tavares, and in Astatula at a ramp on Florida Avenue west of C.R. 561. Lake Harris Lodge (352-343-4111) is a fish camp located on Lake Harris off of US Hwy 19 south of Tavares, and Palm Gardens (352-343-2024) is located on US Hwy 441 near Tavares.
LAKE MONROE (Seminole & Volusia counties): The St. Johns River flows through this 9,406-acre lake. The city of Sanford borders on the southern shoreline. Public access can be utilized off the Seminole County side of the intersection of Highway 17/92 and I-4; north side of the lake off of Enterprise Road; and at Monroe Harbor Marina in downtown Sanford. Private access and more recent fishing information can be obtained form Lake Monroe Inn Bait & Tackle (904-321-1419), Highbanks Marina and Camp Resort (386/668-4491), or Best Western Marina (407/323-1910).
OKLAWAHA RIVER (Marion & Putnam counties): The Oklawaha River originates at the north end of Lake Griffin in Lake County. The upper reach is largely channelized but is in a natural condition for most of its length. Rodman Reservoir is a 16 mile impoundment lying between Highway 316 near Ft. McCoy to Highway 19 near Palatka. The river is again natural from the Rodman Dam to its confluence with the St. Johns River near Welaka. Public boat ramps are at Moss Bluff off Highway 464, Ray-Davidson Park at Highway 40, Gores Landing off CR 415, Eureka East and West on Highway 316, Orange Springs and Kenwood Landing on Rodman Reservoir, Rodman Dam off Highway 19 and Highway 19 south of the barge canal.
RODMAN RESERVOIR (Putnam County): A premier largemouth bass fishery located in north Northeast Florida, covers 9,500 acres and is about 15 miles long. It is located south of Palatka off of Hwy 19. The reservoir was created in 1968 when an earthen dam was built across the Ocklawaha River. A four-gate spillway (Kirkpatrick Dam) controls the water levels of the reservoir. The reservoir from its headwaters at Eureka Dam to Paynes Landing consists of flooded woodlands. The transition section from Paynes Landing to Orange Springs consists of flooded standing timber and areas of floating vegetation. The pool section from Orange Springs to Kirkpatrick Dam, including the river channel and the Cross Florida Barge Canal, consists of floating and submersed vegetation, dead standing timber and submersed and partially submersed trees and stumps. The Barge Canal and river channel have water depths up to 30 feet deep. Submersed vegetation (hydrilla, coontail and eel grass) is common in the pool section of the reservoir. Drawdowns are conducted every three to four years on the reservoir for aquatic plant control and fish and wildlife habitat enhancement. The last drawdown was conducted in winter/spring 1999.
These are just a few places that specks can be taken. Most of these areas provide good spec fishing during the colder months.
Houston Stephens and I went to Bienville Plantation last week and managed to catch almost 50 specs to right at 2 pounds. We also had several bass and a few bream. We employed the methods from above to find and catch these great eating fish. As a matter of fact, here is Houston standing next to my new 27 foot long Honda powered Carolina Skiff with a few specks that were right at 2 pounds each.
For charter information please call me at 904 757 7550 or email me at jim@hammondfishing.com. Don't forget to watch my TV show, every Tuesday at 7pm and Sundays at 8:30am on cable channel 7 in Jacksonville, Clay County and the Beaches and Thursdays at 7:30, Saturdays at 1:30 p.m., Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m pm on channel 22 and 2 in St. Augustine and St. Johns County.
Remember mom and dad, spend some time with your sons and daughters taking them fishing and you will not be looking for them come Friday and Saturday nights, as they will be home in bed waiting to go the next day.
Don't forget to check out my website for other information on fishing this area, the products that I use and charter info at www.hammondfishing.com/.
Christmas is just around the corner and a gift certificate for a day with Capt. Jim might make a good present for someone. They start at only $225. I accept Visa and Master Card or your check.
Good Fishing
Capt. Jim Hammond
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