When the temperatures drop and the cold wind blows in the northern part of the U.S. and Canada, many crappie anglers’ thoughts drift south to warmer climes. Some do more than think about it, they head south. To Floridians the anglers and the many others who travel with them are known as snowbirds, the name affectionately given to travelers from the north that make their home in Florida from November through March. That time frame overlaps with the crappie spawn in Florida that generally runs December through April.
These people are often retirees with a second home in Florida. Some of them bring their home with them as RV’s, campers, or boats travelling the Intracoastal Waterway to their winter home. Some locals see them as part-time residents that drive like maniacs and wear Speedos on the beaches, but bait shop owners and fish camp operators know some of these winter visitors as serious crappie anglers.
The crappie fishing during this period can be outstanding, the visitors from the north waste no time in joining the locals on area lake and rivers during months related to the crappie spawn. Unlike in northern regions of the U.S. where the spawn is limited to a few weeks in the spring, the Florida black crappie spawning cycle covers several months according to Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) scientists. Continue reading complete article at CrappieNOW….
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