# Centennial Lake Crappie



## drmikedds (Feb 22, 2009)

When, where, and how do I catch crappie in Centennial Lake? I know they are there and I have seen people with coolers full but how do they do it?

thanks 
mike


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## ZackUSAF82 (Jan 19, 2008)

There's crappie in Centennial?!?! 

J/k... Seriously though, it's a good little lake and has a good crappie population. The water is still really cold right now so if you don't have a boat it's gonna be tough sledding from the bank but it's still worth a shot. I'd focus on the dam near the spillway with pink/white tail or black/chartreuse trout magnets or tube jigs tipped with meal worms/wax worms or a minnow. They're gonna be holding in the deeper water right now so you're going to have to heave it out there to get to them so either go with no float and a slow retrieve or a heavy slip float right that you can really fling. Give it a couple weeks and you'll be able to catch them closer to the dam and off of the points near the dam... Right now the water is still frigid, once it warms up to about 50-55 degrees the activity will pick up and the pre-spawn feed will be on.

Good luck!


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## Tommy Robinson (Feb 3, 2005)

Zack,
Excellent advice .


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## ZackUSAF82 (Jan 19, 2008)

I took the rest of the week off so I'm gonna put my boat in and give it a go at least a couple times. I figure the water will be a bit milky with all the rain we had over the weekend but I've got fishin' fever and I gotta give it a try. It's going to be really nice through Saturday so I'm gonna go pick up a couple dozen minnows and give it a go. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Edit: And I'll be fishing solo tomorrow and Friday so if any of you diehards want to hop on board look for a small 12 foot poly-fiber jon boat and give me a holler or shoot me a PM and let me know.


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## ZackUSAF82 (Jan 19, 2008)

Well I just got back and the lake was muddy as I expected. The water temp when I got there was around 49 degrees but was up to about 53 degrees when I left around 1330...it could reach 60 by Saturday afternoon and the water should clear up a great deal by then so I think the fishing will be better.

As far as how the fishing went, I found some good cover on the creek channel and marked a big group of crappie and got a few finicky bumps but no hook ups. They are definitely in the deep water holding on cover right now. I didn't mark anything other than some bass by the spillway and along the dam. Looks like their in the deep water in the creek channel right now...but as soon as the water hits 60 and holds they'll be moving into their staging areas along the dam and other rocky points on the lake and then the action will be non stop.

I'm gonna give it a try again tomorrow and try and get out as soon as the park opens to take advantage of the calm water to fish some structure I marked on my way out.


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## fishingadam95 (Oct 6, 2008)

The lake was stocked today with some trout so I'm probaly gonna go out tonight to see if I can get on of them on the fly


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## ZackUSAF82 (Jan 19, 2008)

fishingadam95 said:


> The lake was stocked today with some trout so I'm probaly gonna go out tonight to see if I can get on of them on the fly


Man I was hoping they were going to wait until next week before they fed the tiger muskies. 

Seriously though, good luck to you, it's very milky right now but you should have good luck, I saw several dark colored nymphs and other insects flying around today so that may be a good choice for your fly arsenal....and I hope you catch them all...that way they'll leave my minnows and jigs alone so I can continue my quest to catch my first Centennial crappie of the year. :beer:


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## Andre (Mar 15, 2003)

I was on the lake sunday [on the lower end ]near the spillway.Others were hitting bluegill w/ small crappies mixed in [minnows were the ticket]...I was chasing bass I did stick a dink and saw another guy stick one too.This was just before the water went from murky to muddy

Good luck
Dre'


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## ZackUSAF82 (Jan 19, 2008)

How's the bite going right now? They should be pretty close to full spawn by now and really hitting...I've just been out of town and swamped the last two weekends and haven't been able to make it out.


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## fresh bunker (Jul 9, 2006)

was there on sunday to exercise with the wife and saw people catching trout and crappie. One guy who was fising the dock caught around a dozen bluegill/crappie. Asked a guy on a boat and he hooked up with 2 largemouths. good :fishing:


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## ZackUSAF82 (Jan 19, 2008)

Great news, thanks for the report. Looks like I will be able to go out tomorrow now so I'm gonna give it a shot. If I catch any I'll be sure to post some pics. Take care and tight lines fellas.


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## Lee.MD (Apr 10, 2010)

I will be going out tomorrow as well. Where are some good fishing spots for bass? I have just moved to Howard county.


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## Andre (Mar 15, 2003)

Another angler ...3/31/10


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## c-villefisherr (Nov 23, 2009)

damn andre way to catch em! what were they caught on? gonna go sunday w zach.


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## ZackUSAF82 (Jan 19, 2008)

Nice catch Andre. I fished that very spot this morning but I couldn't catch a crappie to save my life due to the bass being in there heavy right now. It sucked but it was fun on ultra light tackle at least. The bass should be moving out of there soon and going into their post spawn pattern then the crappie will be in there spawning, probably by the middle of next week.

Good luck guys and gals.


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## Tommy Robinson (Feb 3, 2005)

Sure looks like somebody knows how to catch em  .


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## earl of DC (Jul 7, 2007)

Andre said:


> Another angler ...3/31/10


what were you using grub lures or live bait???
also what size rod were you using???


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## Andre (Mar 15, 2003)

```
Another angler ...3/31/10
```
Thanks guys..but I can't take credit for another angler's catch 

Earl..he was using a small crappie jig on a 5 1/2 ft spinning rod ...He was throwing a jig 4ft under the bobber


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## Lee.MD (Apr 10, 2010)

I like bass, where is this spot at?


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