Cooking trout with the Outdoors Guy
Catching early Ontario slabs – spring is crappie season
ED HAND
Spring has awakened from the cold slumber of winter . As those snowy months fade out , anglers with cabin fever want to hit the water as soon as the ice is gone . But popular species such as walleye and bass won ’ t open until later on .
What to do while you wait ? Well , a welcome solution came to me when a good friend turned me on to the “ slabs .”
Andrew Murdoch is a former Renegade Bass Team of the Year champ , winner of countless cheques on the circuit and a rep for MinnKota / Humminbird . His best asset is his ability to turn people on to fishing and then make them better anglers .
“ It ’ s all about getting out the rust ,” he told me during one of our chats in the garage ( isn ’ t that where all the fishing stories start ?). After a winter of not casting , you need to get your arm back in shape – it helps get your timing back , and while you ’ re at it a chance to ensure everything is working on your boat .
My first trip out with Andrew was an April day on the Rideau River . The sun was drawing out buds on the trees , insects were buzzing around the ramp as we launched , and it just seemed like the world was waking up . And that goes double for crappie , or slabs as some call them .
Crappies are not large relatively speaking , but when it comes to the fight they punch above their weight . “ Go ultralight on your rods and reels ,” Andrew said as I tied on a Reef Runner spinner bait with an orange trailer . I love orange on the Rideau . I prefer the 1 / 16 size with the blade on the bottom to clear away weeds and debris . It makes for a better target . “ Crappies feed up ,” Andrew said . “ You want to keep your lure off the bottom and find the perfect depth for them to attack .”
When you spooling up the reel for crappie fishing , try an old bass anglers trick which can save you a few bucks . Fill the reel with older or cheaper line to fill up the space . Then tie on about 60 to 80 yards of twoto six-pound monofilament . “ The reel has to be full ,
as light line doesn ’ t cast well off half-filled spools ,” Andrew explained .
Finding the fish is half the battle , but with crappies , when you do it ’ s worth it . They ’ re found in back bays and at creek mouths , waiting for the water to warm up . After it rises above 20C , they start heading back out to deep ledges .
“ Crappies love wood ,” Andrew chuckled as he dropped his hair jig in a clump of submerged branches that had come down in the winter . It didn ’ t take long before the snap of the wrist and he yanked up a spunky crappie . His go-to weapon is the hair jig . “ Whether 1 / 32 or 1 / 64 , the hair on the jig just slows the drop and entices crappies to smash it .” Another of his favourites is the suspending micro crankbait “ They ’ re terrific for covering water and locating fish .”
He said the key to crappies – a schooling fish – is slow and sure . Catch one and STOP . “ Drop your anchor so you can cast toward where you caught the fish . There is no need to plow right through and send them scurrying .” Depending on your boat , it can be a traditional anchor like the MinnKota Talon which takes a lot of work out of dropping and retrieving it . Some go for the Power Pole on the back of the boat , lowered to the bottom to hold you in place .
The key to catching consistently is to change it up : “ If you find that the bite slows down , change your colour . Give them something different to look at .”
By the end of our crappie expedition , we had caught about 40 of the feisty fish , in the eight- to 13-inch range – a delicious snack or meal . “ They can be lightly seasoned or … dip the fillets in Pogo batter . It ’ s perfect for kids who may be finicky eaters ,” Andrew said .
With sunshine , a spring breeze and crappie action fast and furious , I ’ ve found a new cure for cabin fever that you won ’ t get from a doctor .
Cooking trout with the Outdoors Guy
LUNCH ON THE SHORE TAKES PLANNING
By Jeff Morrison
If you want to eat fresh fish stream-side this spring , you need to think ahead and bring everything you need .
If you ’ ll be cooking in the outdoors , read through recipes in advance and make a list of the required ingredients and kitchen tools – usually basic implements such as knives , forks , spoons , flippers , ladles , and pots and pans .
Then double-check your recipe to make sure nothing extra is needed . There are a few small items and cooking utensils anglers or campers should always have when travelling into the backwoods : aluminum foil , non-stick cooking spray , skewers ( metal and wood ), oven mitts or pot holders , fire starter , extra cooking oil , paper towels , a paring knife , a fillet knife , meat saw , scissors , axe , shovel and a camping cooler .
And store food in a safe place like a vehicle , or suspended by ropes in a tree . Discard fish leftovers properly – maybe bury them – and leave no food lying around .
OTTAWA PRO BASS TOUR GEARING UP
Renegade Bass is where best anglers go
The spirit of competition is waking up from winter for eastern Ontario and west Québec anglers . As soon as the ice slipped away from the shore , bass anglers were tuning up , checking rod guides , lubricating reels and sifting through tackle boxes to separate the wheat from the chaff .
One of the several tournament circuits is Renegade Bass which sees prominent anglers making the pilgrimage from southern Ontario to take on the best in our part of the province . Bob Izumi and son Darren have fished Renegade for years . Doug Brownridge and David Chong are former Renegade Bass “ team of the year ” winners .
Entering its 21st season in 2016 , Renegade Bass is a purely volunteer driven non-profit tournament association . Mike Vandenberg , on its executive and an angler in the series , said “ We try to leverage our volunteers to maximize the payouts to the anglers .”
A $ 5,000 first prize and possibly another
$ 1,000 for biggest bass of the day shows there is plenty to play for . “ It ’ s not all about cashing a cheque ,” Vandenberg said . “ It ’ s about becoming a better angler .” As we spoke , he reminisced about that very first tournament . “ Didn ’ t catch a fish all day on the Ottawa River , but it kept me interested enough to keep trying to figure it out .”
If you think you ’ re pretty good and want to test your skills against some of the best anglers in Ontario , if not Canada , then Renegade Bass may give you the competition you ’ re looking for . The tournament circuit gets underway offially in June .
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