The trout bite has been very good at the local lakes & the crappie bite is hit or miss. Some guys are finding out the hard way that it is C&R only for trout at this time.   sam

Awesome.  I am ready for that crappie bite to be more hit than miss!  
 
I tried my hand at the pre-northern pike spawn a week or so ago.  Got there during the spawn and wanted nothing to do with what I was throwing.  Pretty cool to watch though.  Good to get out.   

Yep, can't wait for the crappies to start biting.  My son (12) got a new baitcasting combo for Christmas and wants to try it out too...I tried to tell him it is quite a bit different compared to spinning rods.  We shall see.  I still haven't loaded it up with line yet so we could go up to the school football field for him to get some practice in.  I need to make sure I take one of my picks from my toolbox up with me.  I am sure I will need it....

Definitely a good idea to practice with those.  I remember using one of my grandfather's conventional reels, probably not too much older then 12.  After the second birds nest, my dad was done!  Definitely take a pick or it might be thrown in the crick...  

Go out in the back yard find a last year's bird nest, practice taking it apart piece by piece without breaking anything the battle is half over.

Good to hear. Crappie fishing is more of a miss than a hit for me lately. The last week or so has been trying! Not to brag but but catching good numbers of crappie the entire month of December until the ice arrived in mid-January. When the ice began to melt I was still catching them at good clip.....until recently. Granted the last few outings I have fished a cold Northwest wind, perhaps that has been the issue? Not sure? Better days are ahead 
 
PT2