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In this week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report, host Nick Williams checks in with Josh Gunter of Steele Creek Bait & Tackle and Dip McMillan of Dippy Outdoors. The focus is on the Delta’s early spring transition—warming trends, water temperature triggers, and why 2026 could set up for one of the best crappie spawns in recent memory if the river stays low. Dip also shares a youth hunting highlight (a standout Baldwin County buck) and a fresh crappie report featuring deep, suspended fish and the advantages of forward-facing sonar.
Conditions Recap
The Delta is sliding quickly from winter into spring. Nick and Josh both noted a noticeable warm-up over the last couple of days—more birds singing, plants blooming, and a general “spring has sprung” feel. Even with warm air temps, both guests emphasized that water temperature is still the key driver for crappie and catfish movement. Fish are showing classic late-winter behavior: holding deeper, staging in creek channels, and starting to transition as temperatures climb.
The big wildcard for the coming weeks is river height. Josh’s optimism hinges on one thing: if the water stays low and stable, anglers may finally get a true, fishable crappie spawn window instead of watching it get washed out by high water and heavy current.
Crappie Spawn Outlook with Josh Gunter
Josh believes 2026 could produce the best “fishable” crappie spawn the Delta has seen in years, mainly because many recent seasons have been impacted by high water events that make it hard for anglers to access the right areas at the right time. He explained that crappie are looking for the same basic ingredients every year—water temperature, sunlight, and suitable structure—but if current is ripping through the trees, the spawn may shift into backwaters that anglers can’t reach.
Here’s the practical spawn framework Josh shared:
- Trigger temps: Crappie begin moving and setting up as water temps reach roughly 58–62°F.
- Two crappie “styles” in the system: Josh described black crappie tending to move shallower first, often around vegetation and harder bottoms in the 2–3 foot range near cypress and other shallow structure. White crappie can spawn deeper if there’s enough sunlight to reach the eggs—sometimes on stumps or structure in 8–10 feet.
- Start areas: Josh recommended beginning around cypress trees and other places with a hard bottom. His logic: if the area can hold cypress, it’s often not that bottomless “muck” that can make fishing less consistent.
- Cover water: Spawn behavior can be fast and “here today, gone tomorrow.” He noted eggs can hatch quickly (often in a matter of days), and fish won’t stay locked on beds very long—so it’s important to keep moving until you intersect active fish.
- Quick decision-making: If you’re around the right structure and the right depth and they’re there, you typically won’t wait long for a response—especially from males guarding shallow areas.
- Don’t forget the “first break”: Josh reminded anglers that the bigger females are often not far away. After spawning, they may slide to the first drop or nearby deeper structure to feed—sometimes only a short distance off the nests.
Simple spawn tactics: Josh called out slip-cork fishing as a beginner-friendly way to capitalize on spawning crappie—especially for anglers who struggle with traditional vertical crappie tactics. He said it’s hard to beat live minnows, but during the spawn crappie may pick up a variety of baits if you put them in the right place at the right depth.
Where it warms first: Josh pointed out that slightly stained water can warm faster than clear water, and areas with wood/rock can warm faster than soft mud bottoms. He also noted some creeks can stay colder down deep due to spring-fed influence—so shallow shelves adjacent to deeper water can become early “temperature edges” to watch.
Steele Creek Bait & Tackle: Josh highlighted the importance of local bait shops for local knowledge and community support. He also shared that Steele Creek is hosting a grand reopening on March 21 and running a raffle to help rebuild their Mount Vernon store, with proceeds going directly to the rebuild effort. Find them on Facebook by searching Steele Creek Tackle.
Crappie Report, Sonar Strategy, and Youth Highlights with Dip McMillan
Dip McMillan’s report had two big themes: youth success and deep, suspended crappie. On the youth side, he described an outstanding season for Dippy Outdoors, including a Baldwin County buck that scored 136 inches—a huge deer for the area and a hunt that’s going to be hard to top.
On the water, Dip got back out immediately after deer season and found crappie behaving much like they were in late December and early January: fish holding in 20 feet of water, suspended around 10–13 feet, and roaming rather than sitting tightly on obvious structure. He described creek channels as “loaded,” with the key being finding fish first and then making quality casts once you’re on them.
Forward-facing sonar advantage: Dip emphasized how live sonar reduces wasted time—especially when fish are not on visible cover. Instead of guessing on every stump or log, he can scan, identify targets, and focus only on fish that are positioned to be caught. He also noted that wind and boat control matter more than people realize: once you find fish, you still have to stay on them and make a good cast to get consistent reaction bites.
Catch details: Dip cleaned around 25 crappie, mostly in the 10–12 inch range, plus a bonus blue catfish around 30 pounds. He mentioned that while he didn’t see many “giant” crappie on this trip, he did notice some fish coming out of the mud to bite and planned to try a different area soon to see if the bigger females are staging differently.
Jigs mentioned: Dip called out the durability of ATX “Old Smokie” style crappie jigs, noting he went through only a couple of jigs all day due to fishing suspended fish and avoiding hangups.
Dippy Outdoors youth event: Dip shared an upcoming youth rabbit hunt in Loxley, supported by a local hunting club that’s aiming to make it an annual event. He noted the registration/drawing deadline mentioned in the episode was tomorrow at 4:00 PM. (For current details, check Dippy Outdoors on Facebook, since deadlines can move quickly.)
Delta Talk: Stockton Solar Projects and Local Conservation
Nick and Josh also discussed growing community concern around proposed solar developments near Stockton and nearby waterways, with emphasis on wetland sensitivity and recreational impact.
Josh encouraged listeners to stay engaged, follow local town halls, and keep up with organizations like Mobile Baykeeper for updates—while also highlighting how much “local intel” still flows through small bait shops and the anglers who fish these waters year-round.
