The Holy Grail of Crappie Fishing

Posted on April 06, 2017, 9:15 pm
4 mins

Back in the winter we did weekly reports on what was happening up and down the Mississippi and Central flyways. The feedback was absolutely great and in the middle of it all I wrote an article appropriately titled “The Holy Grail,” referring to the flooded timber hunting in Arkansas. Well, now that spring has sprung and everyone has a little different mindset compared to duck season, I want everyone to realize that the south holds another “Holy Grail” and it comes in the shape of 35,000 acres of intensely managed water and habitat that creates the greatest crappie fishery in the nation.

I honestly don’t think there is a single person who owns a fishing pole that has not heard about the legendary Grenada Lake right here in Mississippi. Now look, I know there have been hundreds of articles written about the lake and what tactics usually work best. I want to be clear that this is not that type article either. I actually want to take a moment to commend our state for taking care of such a fishery and sticking to the management plans that have proven themselves.

IMG_2915When Grenada Lake underwent strict restrictions on the size and number of crappie you could catch many people blew it off. Actually it made a lot of people mad. Pair that with the fact that the water level is rarely in the same place two days in a row and you begin to have people thinking that the whole process is a conspiracy to never allow people to catch fish. Sounds crazy, but you would be amazed at the things I hear as an outdoor writer. Anyway, as the old timers say, patience will pay off. And in the case of Grenada Lake it has paid off in astronomical success. The 12 inch size limit restriction for crappie on Grenada Lake allows the fish to reach a much older age and in return the fish grow much, much larger. Now this could not be done without adequate habitat and food, but those are also components that Grenada has like no other. Shad can be found in massive numbers across the lake and cover for fish to hide in is well, everywhere. The cypress and willow trees, broken down road beds and buckbrush flats all have find themselves covered in crappie as they spawn each year.  Many people including myself compare the success of the fish management on Grenada Lake to a hunting club that is adamant about managing their deer herd. Simply put, if you provide animals with adequate food and cover while keeping pressure to a minimum, well success is imminent, with a little patience of course.

Ok so I admit that maybe I rambled on like many other articles about Grenada Lake but the truth is that we have the best crappie fishery in the nation right in our backyard and we should be proud of that. Who cares if it has to be over 12 inches, that just means when you do catch a limit you will certainly have something to text home about. Sorry I had to do it. Seriously though, take a day and fish Grenada. Find those monster crappie that call Mississippi home and be proud that our state is very active in the keeping one of the nation’s greatest fisheries at the top of the list.