Crappie Fishing on St. Johns River

Also called specks — cool-month panfish that school up thick around brush, grass, and river bends, filling coolers on drift-and-troll trips.

The St. Johns River is Florida's longest river and one of its most diverse fisheries. Largemouth bass relate to grass edges, hyacinth mats, and spring-fed creek mouths up and down the system, while the river's legendary crappie (speck) runs draw anglers from across the Southeast every winter.

From November through March, drift-and-troll speck trips fill coolers; come spring, the bass fishing peaks as fish push shallow to spawn along the grass. Guides working out of DeLand, Astor, and Welaka read the river's flow and the moon to put you on the right bite.