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- Bullheads - "As soon as the ice is off the spring bullheads will also become active this can also be some fantastic fishing as they feed ravenously during the early spring months."
- Perch and Crappies - They start to move into shallower water and feed before spawning. This is the best time to perch fish on the Finger Lakes. Pickerel, also.
- The ice had just recently left the lake. Several days of sunny weather and temperatures in the 60 degree range quickly warmed up the shallower water. The big Crappies moved in to stake a claim to some of the prime spawning grounds. The bait of choice was a white 1/64 ounce jig tipped with wax worms. Smaller and slower moving baits are the the best approach for these early spring fish.
- "After a few unseasonably warm and sunny days during this early spring period, the crappie might be found right up near the bank. During this period, you might find crappie up near the banks in shallow water one day and then go back and find that the fish are 15 feet deep off of points over cover the next day."
- ""The fish might be as shallow as seven feet or somewhere near the bottom," Bennett said. "A good starting point to begin searching for crappie during February and early March is 13 feet.""
- "A passing cold front with overcast, blustery days will probably drive the fish to deeper water, but a few days of a good warming trend will bring the fish right back to shallower waters. The crappie can act like a yo-yo during this period. Bennett recommends beginning your search for crappie in 13 feet of water near the mouths of creek channels or farther out off points near main river and creek channels during the early pre-spawn period. "I think a map and a fish locator are two very important tools for crappie anglers. A topo map in particular, will show fishermen where the dropoffs, humps and creek channels are," Bennett added."
- "During the early pre-spawn period Bennett prefers to vertically tight-line for crappie with small jigs. "I like to use 1/16-ounce hair or tube jigs above cover," Bennett said. "If it is really cold out, I'll tip the jig with a minnow to provoke a strike from sluggish fish.""
- The colder the water, the slower you fish. "Remember, when you are crappie fishing, you are still-fishing," advised Bennett. "You don't want to jig your rod up and down like you're driving nails. The natural movement of the water will often cause your jig to move more naturally. You might want to slowly lift your rod tip up and gently lower it down every once in awhile so as to attract attention to your presentation."
- Crappie do love hanging and spawning near structure. This could be anything from a hump in a creek channel to a manmade crappie bed in front of a dock six feet deep or more.
- All year: crappie, perch, sunfish, eel
- Striped bass season starts on the Hudson river on March 16
- (NOTE: Walleye, Pickerel, Tiger Muskie, and Walleye seasons CLOSE on March 15 to reopen in May.)
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