Catching Early Summer Crappies | Jon Thelen’s Destination Fish TV

In this fish-filled and technique-driven episode of Destination Fish, Jon Thelen heads out during one of the most productive times of year—early summer—to target aggressive and shallow-holding crappies. As spring transitions into summer, crappies begin spreading out from their spawning grounds and enter a heavy feeding phase. Jon breaks down the patterns, presentations, and gear that help you locate and catch big numbers of early summer crappies in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across the northern U.S. and Canada.

Whether you fish for black crappies, white crappies, or both, this episode gives you an edge by focusing on water temperature, structure, and seasonal movement, all while demonstrating proven crappie-catching tactics that will fill your livewell in no time.

🎣 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How to locate post-spawn crappies in early summer
✅ Best techniques for catching suspended and shallow crappies
✅ Tips for fishing around weed beds, brush piles, and mid-depth structure
✅ How to use slip bobbers, jigs, and small plastics for crappie success
✅ Which conditions (wind, water temp, clarity) trigger the best bite
✅ Rod, reel, and line setups for ultralight crappie fishing

🌞 Why Early Summer is a Crappie Goldmine
During early summer, crappies move from their spawning beds to the first available cover nearby—usually submerged vegetation, brush piles, or wood structure in 5 to 12 feet of water. As water temps hit the mid-60s to low 70s, they begin to school up and feed aggressively on minnows, young-of-year panfish, and aquatic insects. Jon explains how to intercept these roaming schools using electronics, visual cues, and a simple but deadly presentation: a small jig or soft plastic beneath a slip bobber.

This is a numbers game and a finesse game," Jon says, as he pins down a pod of roaming crappies near a submerged tree line. He demonstrates how slowing down, downsizing your baits, and staying mobile can help you turn a few bites into a full day of nonstop action.

🧰 Gear Breakdown for Early Summer Crappie Fishing
Jon’s setups for early summer crappies focus on sensitivity, stealth, and accuracy:

Rods: 6' to 7' ultralight or light-action rods with fast tips

Reels: Spinning reels with smooth drags and light spools

Line: 2–6 lb monofilament or fluorocarbon for natural presentations

Jigs: 1/32 oz to 1/16 oz jigheads paired with soft plastics or tube jigs

Slip Bobbers: Ideal for suspending baits above brush or vegetation without spooking fish

He also shares how to pair the right bobber stop and bead combo to keep your bait at the perfect depth.

🧠 Tactics That Work on Any Water Body
These tips aren’t just for one lake—they work on natural lakes, manmade reservoirs, flowages, oxbows, and northern rivers across:

Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan

The Dakotas, Missouri, Ohio, and southern Canada (Ontario, Manitoba)

From small community lakes to massive systems like Lake of the Woods, Rainy Lake, Lake Winnebago, or the Mississippi River backwaters, Jon shows you how to adapt to any system and find early summer slabs fast.

🧃 Best Baits for Early Summer Crappies
Jon showcases a variety of crappie-catching baits that excel in early summer:

Mini tube jigs

Paddle tail plastics

Hair jigs tipped with waxworms

Live minnows under floats

Tiny marabou jigs for finesse strikes

He shares how to color match based on water clarity—using natural colors in clear water and brighter/chartreuse tones in stained or algae-covered lakes.

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🎥 Why This Episode Is a Must-Watch for Crappie Anglers

Early summer crappie fishing is one of the most enjoyable—and accessible—ways to put fish in the boat, especially for beginners and families. But when you're chasing larger fish or trying to stay consistent, understanding location, lure choice, and presentation becomes crucial. Jon Thelen lays it all out clearly in this episode of Destination Fish—making it the perfect watch for anyone looking to take their crappie game to the next level.

📣 Be Sure To:

👍 Like this video if you love crappie fishing
✅ Subscribe to Destination Fish for more multispecies fishing content
🗣️ Comment below: What’s your favorite early summer crappie lure?
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With Jon’s help, you’ll be ready to catch limits of big early summer crappies in no time—no matter where you fish. Tune in now and let Destination Fish guide you to your best panfish season yet!