All Ohio crappie anglers dream about the spring crappie spawn. At no other time of the year are the fish as accessible or aggressive as they are right now throughout the Buckeye State. Now is the time to dust off your rods and jigs and head for public waters that consistently produce big crappies year after year.

"In many waters, crappie numbers fluctuate year to year -- it's part of their normal reproductive cycle," said Ray Peterling, administrator for the Ohio Division of Wildlife's inland fisheries division. "Serious crappie anglers should concentrate their efforts on waters that are consistent producers."

With that philosophy in mind, here are among the most consistent crappie waters throughout the state.

SANDUSKY BAY
If big crappies in big schools sound good to you, Sandusky Bay is the place to be this spring.

"I believe it is the best place for crappies in Ohio," said Peterling. "On the Sandusky Bay, you may catch more big crappies in one day than you will all year anywhere else. I have fished in a lot of places throughout the country, including famous crappie haunts like Dale Hallow and other lakes in the South. And the only spot that can compare is Lake Okeechobee in Florida."

An avid fisherman, Peterling fishes the Sandusky each spring.

"You can sometimes catch 150 fish a day there and never see one under 10 inches," he said. "Crappies in the 15- to 17-inch range are not unusual."

Jeff Tyson, supervisor for the Sandusky Fisheries Research Unit of the Ohio DNR, said that Sandusky Bay has changed because of re-vegetation brought on by lower water levels and better water clarity conditions."

He noted that many species of fish have made a remarkable comeback in the bay with crappies being one of the strongest.

"The shallow conditions of the bay allow it to warm faster than Lake Erie," Peterling noted. "The spring spawn on the bay happens a little later than in most of the rest of Ohio's inland waterways or lakes."

One advantage the bay offers over the rest of Lake Erie is that calm conditions usually prevail, he noted.

"Smaller boats can handle the water when the rest of the lake is just too rough. Even so, for the best action anglers should fish the areas of the bay that are most protected from wind and waves," Peterling added.

Sandusky Bay has a relatively shallow bottom with some beaches and an often rocky shoreline. Boating channels and old creek beds help break the otherwise flat bottom structure, and later in the spring, aquatic vegetation can add cover for spawning crappies. It's perhaps some of the best crappie habitat to be found anywhere. The entire bay acts as a huge natural hatchery.

Bank fishermen have some access near and around the Bay Bridge, and there is some public park access in the city of Sandusky, but fishing from a boat offers the greatest success.

A public launch is available in Sandusky at 101 Shelby Street. The launch fee is $5 daily. More information on the launch may be obtained by calling (419) 621-1059.

Erie, Sandusky, and Ottawa counties border Sandusky Bay, with the city of Sandusky being the closest and largest town nearby. Anglers can reach Sandusky by driving Route 2 east 60 miles from Toledo or west 62 miles from Cleveland, and then taking Route 4 north.

From the Columbus area, anglers can reach Sandusky by traveling about 70 miles north on Interstate 71 and picking up state Route 250 west near Ashland. Continue approximately 60 miles into Sandusky.