---

If the thought of a steaming plate of golden fish fillets and a side of baked beans and slaw is just too much to take, I would strongly recommend you do something about it. The shallow bays on area lakes have warmed considerably over the past couple of weeks, making your odds of finding and catching limits of crappies very good indeed.

The guys at Frankie’s Live Bait and Marine recommend the water around Pancake Island on South Center Lake, the extreme north end of North Center Lake, Slimmer’s Bay on Chisago Lake and the bay nearest Highway 8 on South Lindstrom Lake.

As was the case last April regarding pre-spawn crappies, I feel foolish to even mention the ridiculously simple tactics for catching them this time of year. It really couldn’t be an easier or more enjoyable process, but I’ll recap anyway:

1.) Steer your vessel into a shallow, dark-bottomed bay.

2.) Pitch the anchor overboard. Be sure the rope isn’t coiled around your foot. That would be a bad thing.

3.) Hook a minnow or wax worm onto a small flu-flu jig under a slip-bobber.

4.) Cast that baby into the water.

5.) When the bobber disappears, set the hook and reel in your supper.

So there you have it. That’s the best I can do on short notice.

Beyond that, it’s up to you to use your imagination and creativity. You can do lots of fun and relaxing stuff while you catch oodles of crappies. Slap on some sunscreen, stretch out and bag the warm April rays. Bring along a radio and keep track of how many times John Gordon says “Uuuh” as he broadcasts the Twins game. Or, paste a big cheesy grin on your face and wave to folks in their cars as they drive by. You’d be surprised how often people will actually scowl back at you––or worse. Evidently, it must be a tough thing to smile back at a guy slacking off in a boat as you plod along in your car.

So get out there and fish. The first 70-degree days of the season feel awfully good, and I guarantee they feel even better when you’re sitting in a boat catching fish.

Dan Brown’s weekly outdoor column is brought to you by Frankie’s Bait and Marine, in Chisago City, and St. Croix Outdoors, in St. Croix Falls, Wis.

---