For Cameron Manuel, a sophomore from Wichita, it’s all about simplicity.

“The cool thing about fishing for crappie in the early spring is you don’t need much,” Manuel said. “You only need a rod, reel and a simple assortment of jigs, or even just minnows. Just walk up and down the dam until you find out where they’re at.”

Cheap, simple pleasures are key elements of student life, and fishing at Clinton Lake fits that bill. It would not be a stretch for a couple of friends in the residence halls to come up with a rod, a reel, a couple of crappie jigs and the $20 Kansas State Fishing License — good for one year.

Before heading out, be aware of some new regulations at Clinton Lake as well as where to go to find the largest crappie populations. Crappie are small sunfish that outnumber other fish in Clinton Lake nearly 10 to one.

Recently, two new regulations have been passed related to crappie fishing at Clinton Lake. Effective Jan. 1, the number of crappie one could catch per day was reduced from 50 to 20. Also, a 10-inch minimum length was implemented.

District Fisheries Biologist Richard Sanders oversees four counties in Kansas, including Douglas. He explained the added regulations and how they affect the biology of the lake.

Sanders said, to some extent, the regulations were the result of declining numbers and crappie growth in Clinton Lake.

Because crappie do heavily outnumber other sport fish in Clinton Lake, population isn’t a huge problem, Sanders said.

Sanders doesn’t expect the new limit to affect most anglers.

“Its impact will only be felt when the crappie are extremely concentrated in the winter and then in the spring spawn.” Sanders said. “On the whole, though, we’ve done studies and the average fisherman is harvesting no where close to 20 per day, let alone 50.”

Manuel agreed.

For me, I don’t see why anyone would want to harvest 50 and then have to clean them on top of that,” he said. “They are good to eat, but there’s no need to keep 50.”

Fish that are too small or are over the daily limit should be thrown back.

During the spring spawn — April to May — there are several areas of Clinton lake that are hotspots for crappie. Sanders advised that during the spawn crappie swim in shallow waters, making boats unnecessary.

First of all, along the east side of the lake is the dam. Sanders said it is among the best places during the spawn. Crappie are usually visible, if the water is clear, so walking along the dam should reveal a good spot.

Bloomington Park, which is along the south edge of Clinton Lake, is another area with two spots that are among the best accessible by land.

The first hole is along a tree line in the east part of the park. To find the second hole, look for a fireplace in the western portion of the park. It’s on a foundation of a house. Straight west, there’s a curve in the park that indicates a popular crappie spot.

The final hole accessible by land can be reached from the north. Around the northwest corner of Clinton Lake is Woodridge Park. The hole is just west, where Dry Creek runs into Clinton Lake.

Also, Sanders said the most successful crappie anglers at Clinton Lake seem to use chartreuse colored crappie jigs. Minnows will also work well during the spawn.