Crappie season in Kansas hits hard in spring and runs strong into early summer. Here’s how to put slabs in the bucket — what jig to throw, what color to tie on, and where to drop your line around Wichita.

When Crappie Bite Best Around Wichita

The spring spawn is the big show. Once water temps hit 55°F to 65°F, crappie push shallow into brush, riprap, and standing timber. That’s mid-April through mid-May in most Kansas water.

After the spawn, they slide back out into 8–15 feet of water. Brush piles, bridge pilings, and submerged trees hold fish all summer.

Jig Size — Match the Water and the Fish

Crappie are picky about how a jig falls. Get the weight right or they’ll watch it sink and never touch it.

• 1/32 oz — clear water, slow fall, finicky fish. Spring spawn go-to.
• 1/16 oz — most common. Works in stained water and around brush.
• 1/8 oz — deeper water, windy days, or when you need to punch through current.

We stock all three sizes with hook colors that show up in muddy Kansas water — pick them up in our Bait & Tackle aisle.

Lure Colors That Work in Kansas Water

Most Kansas lakes run stained. Bright wins.

• Chartreuse / pink — number one in stained water. Always have it on.
• White / pearl — clearer water, sunny days.
• Black / blue — overcast, dirty water. Cuts a strong silhouette.
• Orange / red — pre-spawn, when the fish are aggressive.

We carry the Crappie Terminator lineup — Patrick Star, Charmander, Gryffindor, Jack Frost, Raining Ash, Peppered Gravy, Upside Down — colors built specifically for Kansas crappie water. They go on local jigheads we sharpen before they ever hit the rack.

Pair Jigs With Live Minnows

Best crappie trick we know: tip a jig with a small live minnow. The plastic gives the profile and color. The minnow gives the scent and movement. We sell live minnows by the pound — pick up bait on your way out of town.

Local Spots Worth Your Time

• El Dorado Lake — brush piles in the bays. Spring slabs.
• Cheney Reservoir — riprap dam, marina docks.
• Wilson State Fishing Lake — small water, easy access, decent numbers.
• Marion Reservoir — drive a bit, but the slabs are worth it.
• Wichita-area farm ponds — if you’ve got access, ponds turn on first in spring.

Walk In, Walk Out, Get Bit

Stop by Mr. Mc’s, grab a pack of Crappie Terminators, a few jigheads, a scoop of minnows, and a sandwich for the bank. Whole trip in one stop.

Stop by Mr. Mc’s Market — Wichita’s Neighborhood Spot

📍 1901 E 21st St N, Wichita, KS 67214
📞 (316) 265-9930
📧 admin@mrmcsmarket.com
🕐 Open 9 AM – 9 PM, 7 days a week

👉 Crappie season is on. Stop in for jigs, lures, and live minnows — or call (316) 265-9930.

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Catfish are the bread and butter of Kansas fishing. Channel cats, blues, flatheads — Wichita’s got water full of all three. Here’s the no-fluff guide to putting fish in the cooler.

Best Time of Year for Catfish in Kansas

Catfish bite year-round in Kansas, but the best stretch runs late April through September. Water warms up, the pre-spawn fires off in May, and they feed hard all summer.

• Spring (April–May): Pre-spawn channels move shallow. Hit cut bait near the bank.
• Summer (June–August): Night fishing in 70°+ water — biggest catfish of the year come out after dark.
• Fall (September–October): Big channels feed heavy before winter. Stink bait season.
• Winter: Slow but not dead. Tailwater holes below dams stay productive.

Best Bait for Kansas Catfish

Different cats want different bait. Match the fish to the bait or you’re wasting a trip.

Channel Catfish — Stink Bait Wins

For channel cats, nothing beats a real stink bait. Mr. Mc’s Magical Catfish Stink Bait is built from real minnows and real fish oils — more scent, stronger hold, longer in the water. Use a treble hook or a dip worm and let the scent trail do the work.

Blue Catfish — Cut Shad or Live Shad

Blues want flesh. Cut shad, cut skipjack, or live shad on a Carolina rig. Bigger bait, bigger blues.

Flathead Catfish — Live Only

Flatheads eat live bait. Period. Live bluegill, live perch, live bullheads. If it’s dead, a flathead’s not interested.

Best Local Spots Around Wichita

• Arkansas River — runs right through town. Below the dams downtown produces channel cats year-round.
• El Dorado Lake — good blue cat water, especially in the river arm.
• Cheney Reservoir — solid channels and the occasional big blue.
• Wilson State Fishing Lake — small water, hungry channels.
• Local farm ponds — best bites are right after a rain stirs the water up.

Tackle That Holds Up

You don’t need fancy. You need strong.

• 7′ medium-heavy rod
• 4000-series reel with 20–30 lb braid or 15 lb mono
• Circle hooks (4/0 to 8/0 depending on bait size)
• Slip sinkers, 1–3 oz
• A landing net big enough for what you’re going to catch

We carry the whole rig in our Bait & Tackle section — pick up bait, terminal tackle, and our stink bait on the same trip.

One More Thing — Run Cleared Lines

Kansas catfish don’t care how expensive your gear is. They care about scent, presentation, and patience. Set the rod, run a clean line, give it time. The bite comes.

Stop by Mr. Mc’s Market — Wichita’s Neighborhood Spot

📍 1901 E 21st St N, Wichita, KS 67214
📞 (316) 265-9930
📧 admin@mrmcsmarket.com
🕐 Open 9 AM – 9 PM, 7 days a week

👉 Heading out for catfish? Stop in for live bait, stink bait, and tackle — or call (316) 265-9930 to confirm what’s in stock today.

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Need live minnows in Wichita? You’re in the right place. Mr. Mc’s Market keeps a tank of live minnows ready to scoop, sold by the pound. Drive up, grab your bait, get on the water.

Live Minnows, Sold by the Pound

We sell live minnows by the pound — not by the dozen, not in some sealed bag from a gas station cooler. Real minnows, kept alive in an aerated tank, scooped the day you buy them.

That matters. Tired minnows don’t move. Minnows that don’t move don’t draw bites. Fresh, lively bait outfishes dead bait every time.

Why Anglers Around Wichita Pick Us Up

• Open hours that match fishing hours. Stop in before you head to the lake.
• Sold by weight, not guesswork. You leave with what you paid for.
• Stocked all season. Spring crappie run, summer catfish, fall walleye — we keep minnows in the tank.
• Right next to the tackle. Hooks, jigs, sinkers, and our crappie lures are in the same aisle.

What Are You Fishing For?

Live minnows put in work on almost everything that swims in Kansas water:

• Crappie — small minnows on a 1/16 or 1/32 jighead hold strong and bring in the bites.
• White Bass & Wipers — bigger minnows on a slip rig drift well in current.
• Catfish — pair a chunk of cut minnow with a dip of stink bait from our Bait & Tackle aisle and let the scent do the rest.
• Walleye — minnow under a slip bobber, just off the bottom.

Pick Up Live Minnows + Everything Else You Need

Grab your minnows, then walk one aisle over for hooks, line, jig heads, terminal tackle, and stink bait. One stop. Back on the road. On the water.

Head straight to Live Minnows by the Pound and we’ll have your bait ready.

Stop by Mr. Mc’s Market — Wichita’s Neighborhood Spot

📍 1901 E 21st St N, Wichita, KS 67214
📞 (316) 265-9930
📧 admin@mrmcsmarket.com
🕐 Open 9 AM – 9 PM, 7 days a week

👉 Stop in for live minnows by the pound — call (316) 265-9930 to check stock before you drive out.

Get directions on Google Maps · Contact us