Specs on specks
- Life span: Often live to 15 years.
- Record weight in U.S.: 5 lbs.
- Average weight in Florida: Less than 2 lbs.
- Breeding: March to July in northern waters; earlier in warmer waters.
They're known as specks, crappie (pronounced craw-pee), perch and moonfish. Whatever you call them, the black (or white) crappie, a small North American sunfish, has become the largest fishing sensation, perhaps overtaking the popularity of the prized largemouth bass.
Hardy fishermen begin gathering in November for the annual speckled perch craze. Speck fishing in winter months has long been a southern tradition as large females swarm and spawn, laying up to 40,000 tiny eggs. This breeding process brings about a larger than normal congress of the fish in many parts of the U.S.
The white crappie is a common but lesser abundant co-species.
The promoxis nigromacalculatus (named by biologist Lafleur in 1829) now has expanded its range from just east of the Mississippi to habitat throughout the west and north of the continent into Canada, mostly due to stocking.
After laying her eggs in the male-built nest, the larger female will leave the nest guarding up to the smaller male. In breeding season, the less colorated now more blackish crappie head to sand, gravel, mud or even shoreline bottoms to spawn. Once the larvae have hatched, they immediately become victim to insect predators and later as minnows risk being consumed by larger fish, reptiles and mammals.
Crowds begin to gather by January on open lakes and canals for the day feeders. However, an old secret method for speck fishing -- known to few, but easily available to all -- can enable one to catch the crappie or specks year-round in any type of weather.
Former bass guide Larry Townsend is a local proponent of this proven effort. Townsend -- whose picture resides on the Texaco NASCAR wall next to the likes of Davey Allison --is a champion bass pro-turned speck nut.
His love of the "slabs," as he calls them, has bamboozled many by its sheer simplicity. Townsend and his fishing mate, Ed Mason, have caught more than 6,700 specs in just three years. Proven results. And even dirty chocolate water can't stop him.
After burning out of the political-PR stress of the Gator/Bass masters pro trail series (He caught the bass bug from his uncle and later fished with bassman Shaw Grigsby.) Larry turned his bass tracker boat onto crappie fishing.
His secret: a clam or garden variety potato rake. One rides the boat right up into the lily pads, bonnets, hyacinths, and hydrilla, and rakes a hole while pulling up onto the seaweed-like fauna. Raking a 6-inch hole in the surface debris makes a prime honey hole for access next to the boat.
The disturbance of the water plants releases tiny fresh water shrimp and other food source creatures, which creates a small feeding frenzy.
Most crappie hang out in deep water, but this hole will work in shallow water, as well. Even from shore, a boatless fisherman can rake a small hole in the surface debris and drop in his jig.
Townsend proved his point on a recent outing. In the first 10 minutes, we each pulled about a pound and a half of prime fish out of the raked opening. Many more followed. Cheap boat, cheap rod and reel, guaranteed results. What guide can say that?
Townsend favors Shakespeare reels on a 6-foot rod with fluorescent yellow/green 6-pound test line. A former fireman, fire crew chief and fire inspector in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S., Townsend got his fire degree at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where his fishing roots began.
"I love to fish, and sharing this makes people happy," he said.
Our short trip to Garcia Pond in the Stick Marsh area produced almost 30 fish before lunch, not including a few bass and bream and a few small specks we released. We caught half the fish from our raked holes and the balance from natural small openings.
Currently, the limit is 25 black crappie per angler per day. Make your little jig jump, with a slight and steady twitch of the wrist. Out of instinct, even non-feeding fish will react and strike. These dainty lipped fish have the great distinction of being the most palatable, or least fishy tasting, of all the U.S. fresh water fish.
Larry proved his point later as he drove us out to the open water, where a few unhappy boaters were trolling for specks with minners (minnows). We had no success there, though we had a mess of specs on ice already, caught in the secret speck fishing method which Townsend always shares -- using a $14.88 potato rake.
Whether you call them calico bass, BC, white or black crappie, specks, perch or oswego bass, they make for great fishing and eating.
For more information on guided trips or specks, call Townsend at 837-0420.
Any man who has made the centerfold of the internationally known CRAPPIE! magazine will talk speck fishing, 24/7, just ask him. Happy fishing.
Contact Marion at 727-3000or bruce@marionmusic.com
