Crappie 101 2024
TOXIC reply :
There was a good conversation last time I posted my crappie trip results and I promised that I would go into more detail on my next trip. Well, that trip was yesterday. Although they were not biting as well as the last time out (if you can consider 40 vs 80 fish a slow day) we were able to bring home some slabs for a friend who had never had crappie. That also meant I got to clean fish which was not what I wanted to do. 
This is my version of a crappie 101 and I'm sure others have setups they prefer.
Gear: I included pictures of my 2 main setups. Obviously, I only use spinning rods for crappie but you could throw the float setup on a baitcaster if you are so inclined. Both of my spinning rods/reels are Quantum Smoke. Rods are 6'8" MH. I have 6lb mono on the casting rig and 8lb mono on my float rig. I have one longer rod that is a JLM Elite that I use for dropping baits between boats and docks.
Presentation: There are 3 main ways I catch crappie. 1. Simple cast and retrieve on the rod with 6lb mono. Vary your retrieve depending where in the water column you want the bait to run. 2. Dropping and jigging the bait between boats and docks. Simply freespool the bait to the bottom (many times that's when you will get bit.) reel up about 2 turns of the reel and simply raise and drop your lure vertically. 3. Casting with a float. This is a great way to catch them and can be used from shore or a boat. I use the 8lb mono on this rig. Run your line through the float, tie on your jighead, put a small pinch weight about 3" up the line from the jighead (this helps the line feed through the float after you cast, acts as a stopper from reeling your jighead all the way to the float and gives better castability). Once you determine the depth you want your bait to be, I just tie a piece of fishing line above the float at that depth (you can use bobber stops). The line will reel up through the guides if I am fishing really deep but I like to keep my depth at around 6' if possible (that's why my rods are 6'8"). I cast the float setup out, let it settle, and then slowly lift my rod tip and pull the float, then let it drop. Pause for 30 seconds, then pull it again reeling up the slack and letting it sit. I do this all the way back to the boat. Most of the bites come as soon as the bait settles.
Terminal Tackle: Although you might see a small spoon or a roadrunner or a hair jig in my bait box picture, 99.9% of the time I am throwing the Gamakatsu jighead I pictured. I also have small pinch weights and of course floats. I like the line through floats since crappie are light biters and will spit a bait very quickly. The Jigheads I posted are a personal favorite and are super sharp but it's a challenge getting 8lb mono through double for a Palomar knot.
Scents: Most of the juices nibbles, etc., are a matter of personal preference. I us the 2 I pictured. I have found that the casting setup without the float normally doesn't need anything due to the moving action of the bait. I will say the Crappie Nibbles get stolen a lot and are sometimes frustrating trying to rig up. I use them to tip the jigs with either the tubes or curlytail jigs. I personally like the Smelly Jelly because it stays on the lure longer. I will admit, there are time either will increase bites.
So there you have it. My go to set ups for crappie fishing and we had a great day. Any questions, just ask. Best of all, everything I showed fits in a small tackle bag and is easy to carry and transport. 3 rods and I can fish for crappie most anywhere.
Sorry for the sideways pictures. This site flips and turns them and even if I go back in and edit them based on what shows on the site, they are never right.
TOXIC reply :
Forgot to put up the pic of the float setup.....
MrFrost reply :
Thank you! This is MUCH appreciated!!!
Log Catcher reply :
Thank you for the info. I had been thinking about getting back in to crappie fishing. The extent of my knowledge of it is hang a minnow on a hook under a cork. I am surprised you are using M/H rods. I had thought about getting some in a M/L or light action. I guess I can use use my bass rods for this. I was given a pan fish kit years ago I never have used. I just need to figure out which colors are the best.
TOXIC reply :
On 11/13/2018 at 11:16 PM, Log Catcher said:Thank you for the info. I had been thinking about getting back in to crappie fishing. The extent of my knowledge of it is hang a minnow on a hook under a cork. I am surprised you are using M/H rods. I had thought about getting some in a M/L or light action. I guess I can use use my bass rods for this. I was given a pan fish kit years ago I never have used. I just need to figure out which colors are the best.
The Quantum Smoke MH are not as stiff as you would imagine. I could go lighter with the casting rod because I am not normally making very long casts. I have found that the lb test line I use is more important because the 8lb on the casting rod really reduces distance and doesn't let the light jighead get deep enough on an average retrieve speed. That's why I drop to 4 or 6lb test on the casting rod and stay at 8 on the float rod and also on the longer rod for vertical fishing docks.
Fishingmickey reply :
I was fishing Lake Fork a couple of weeks ago. Caught three slab crappie on a Jenko CD25 crankbait in 25' fow.
FM
Todd2 reply :
On 11/13/2018 at 10:08 PM, TOXIC said:2. Dropping and jigging the bait between boats and docks. Simply freespool the bait to the bottom (many times that's when you will get bit.) reel up about 2 turns of the reel and simply raise and drop your lure vertically
Good stuff, when jigging just off the bottom, are you targeting brushpiles or marked fish?
TOXIC reply :
On 11/14/2018 at 12:10 AM, Todd2 said:Good stuff, when jigging just off the bottom, are you targeting brushpiles or marked fish?
Generally just the dock slips both empty and with boats in them. With the longer rod, we can go into an empty slip and fish across the dock between a boat and the dock itself. If you are an accurate caster, you can cast in from the front of the slip. Where we fish it's all structure. No brushpiles. We do target schools of crappie on the electronics.
Bankbeater reply :
This is a great write up. Thanks!
Catt reply :
Y'all ever heard of "Dock Shooting for Crappie"? ????
Mr. Aquarium reply :
ive been wanting to try that slip bobber rig.
TOXIC reply :
On 11/15/2018 at 9:31 PM, Catt said:Y'all ever heard of "Dock Shooting for Crappie"? ????
Having guided for Woo Daves annual get together a number of years, I am well versed on the technique he utilized a lot when he was fishing the Elites albeit for bass not crappie with his trademarked push button reels
I never thought about it for crappie though. Seems it would be harder with the lighter weights of the lures but I'm sure it would work.
fishwizzard reply :
On 11/15/2018 at 9:31 PM, Catt said:Y'all ever heard of "Dock Shooting for Crappie"? ????
I tried that once but to get a little spinner up under a dock for some white perch. It worked well until I came too close for comfort to shooting the hook into my hand.
Mobasser reply :
My wife and I fish for crappie each spring. I'll fish for them after that, then we'll go together again in fall. 3 yrs ago we each bought Falcon original graphite spinning rods in 6ft length. We run Shimano 1000 size spin reels. I also use a couple of older 5ft spin rods, which work well for jigging directly over the boat.We usually use 4lb mono. Our rods are light , fast action with a slight tip flex, which works good for casting and more vertical jigging. If I'm casting in more shallow areas, we use a quarter size weighted float, made by Comal tackle. We use a mix of tube jigs, puddle jumpers, and Bobby Garland minnow shaped plastic baits. I also have begun using a sickle hook jig-made by Arkie, usually 1/32 up to 1/8 oz. We fish for them to stock the freezer with fillets. Lots of folks say that walleye is the best tasting fish, but I'm not so sure.Crappie fillets fried to a golden brown, with a small shot of hot sauce are very hard to beat. Good thread Toxic.
KLoell reply :
Do you happen to know the water temp that day? I’ve been trying to figure out the fall bite and have only been able to pull out a few here and there. Nothing like the spring time when I’m able to catch big numbers. I’ve heard that the fall bite can be just as good. Just haven’t been able to figure that out yet.
TOXIC reply :
Right now our water is 48-53 on the River.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
@TOXICI have a question for you. I've been fishing this spot from super long dock(almost 100') for weeks. I caught a few crappies almost every time but all of them small 4-6". Most of the fish caught around 5 FOW close to shoreline. If I move out further let say 15 FOW (40' out and cast parallel to shoreline) the concentration of fish is less but fish get a little bigger. Will I be able to find bigger crappies in this area? Doesn't seem like they are schooling but more like roaming around. This area is well know to have a lot of shad in the morning and evening. I see a lot of activities on surface. I tried bobber a few time with no success even changing the depth so I use what I know best dropshot double rig(1/16oz Ned Rig as weight and #4-6 hook Nose hook baby shad/crappies Magnet about 12-18" on top)
TOXIC reply :
Chances are they are schooled up around the dock but the question is where and how deep. I would give the setup I use a try and how I determine depth (other than my sonar) is to not put a bobber stop on the small tube jig and let it go to the bottom. Then I reel up from 6 inches to a foot and set the bobber stop there (the bobber stop for me is just a piece of fishing line tied on. When you move and the depth changes, you have to re-set the rig. If the depth is pretty consistent along the dock, you can just cast parallel to the dock and retrieve it with slow pulls and then pause, or you can literally walk along the dock letting out line and then pulling your rig back to you. I would also cast out from the dock every so often just to see if they are hanging off a little bit. Like I said, they school by size but usually there are multiple schools in an area. You just have to find them. I fished for many years off a long fishing dock on a public lake here in VA and usually did pretty well.
Vilas15 reply :
On 11/13/2018 at 11:16 PM, Log Catcher said:I am surprised you are using M/H rods. I had thought about getting some in a M/L or light action.
I was also surprised by this. I use a 6' St Croix Light action rod that works pretty well.
I only fish crappies one way with a bobber set-up, but one thing I've found is that tungsten ice-fishing jigs work very well. They are heavier than the same size lead so you can stay small but the additional weight helps greatly with casting distance. We just throw some tiny crappie minnows on the jigs.
Team9nine reply :
When you dig into it, you'll see crappie fishing is just like bass fishing - a wide range of presentation options and technical levels of expertise, from fun fishing right up to National tourney circuits.
I take it pretty seriously, but have several friends that fish either the state or national level events. You'll see planer boards, spider-rigging, crankbait trolling and pushing, dock shooting, jig casting and trolling, and both live bait as well as artificials.
Boat rigging is very technical and specific for crappie fishing, too. It's become its own niche market in the fishing industry. Personally, I stick with single pole jig fishing on structure, breaks and breaklines. Spent 5 days over the Thanksgiving holiday chasing crappie in 42-45 degree water, and we caught a few hundred. Will be going again this weekend if we haven't froze over yet.
TOXIC reply :
I'll be going out this weekend again myself. The pure joy of catching numbers is what keeps crappie fishing so much fun for me. The fact that they are fantastic table fare is a bonus......as long as you want to clean fish. With multiple spawns during the year, they are plentiful and no one gripes or is offended by taking a limit home for release into Lake Crisco.
Catt reply :
@TOXIC How about showing a slip bobber setup?
The Crappie bit is on ????
Mobasser reply :
On 12/1/2018 at 10:21 PM, Catt said:@TOXIC How about showing a slip bobber setup?
The Crappie bit is on ????
Nice!!! Good catch! Best tasting fish of all
On 11/29/2018 at 7:31 PM, TOXIC said:I'll be going out this weekend again myself. The pure joy of catching numbers is what keeps crappie fishing so much fun for me. The fact that they are fantastic table fare is a bonus......as long as you want to clean fish. With multiple spawns during the year, they are plentiful and no one gripes or is offended by taking a limit home for release into Lake Crisco.
I love em! My wife doesn't bass fish, but goes crappie fishing with me. She's pretty good! We fillet them, and stock the freezer. July 4rth fish fry is a tradition for us
Mobasser reply :
On 11/29/2018 at 2:40 AM, Team9nine said:When you dig into it, you'll see crappie fishing is just like bass fishing - a wide range of presentation options and technical levels of expertise, from fun fishing right up to National tourney circuits.
I take it pretty seriously, but have several friends that fish either the state or national level events. You'll see planer boards, spider-rigging, crankbait trolling and pushing, dock shooting, jig casting and trolling, and both live bait as well as artificials.
Boat rigging is very technical and specific for crappie fishing, too. It's become its own niche market in the fishing industry. Personally, I stick with single pole jig fishing on structure, breaks and breaklines. Spent 5 days over the Thanksgiving holiday chasing crappie in 42-45 degree water, and we caught a few hundred. Will be going again this weekend if we haven't froze over yet.
Yes, I won't say it's replaced bass fishing, but I do enjoy it too. There is just as much involved with all the teqniques out there. In our area the first big spring spawn brings out crappie hunters from all over. After they move to deeper water, locating them can be a science, and we sometimes fish 20ft and deeper. In the hottest months, we use floating lights, and jig over the side of the boat. Recently I picked up 2 10ft jig poles made by B&M. They telescope down to around 5ft. Lots of folks using this type of rod now, with and without a reel. I can see a benefit in shallow water for these, but not so much deep water. They feel awkward- long whippy poles compared to our other crappie tackle. I've found crappie are sensitive to colors also. Some days they'll tear up one color, the next day you need to use something else. White, chartreuse, and yellow or combos of these have been the best, but my wife tries off the wall colors, and many work well. For casting into and through wood, Brewers crappie slider is good too. Last year, I got hung up on the sickle hook jigs. I sharpen the hooks to a needle sharpness, and I feel my hook up rate improved on light biting crappie.Ive caught them on rattletraps, spoons and bass crankbaits, accidently but the jig is the crappie getter day in and day out. Years ago we took minnows, but now never do. Like you guys, I've seen crappie fishing grow a lot over 30 yrs. Lots of specific tackle, methods etc.Now it's become hugely popular.
Catt reply :
What plastics y'all like?
What bobbers y'all like?
Y'all ever throw Minnows?
TOXIC reply :
On 11/13/2018 at 10:28 PM, TOXIC said:Forgot to put up the pic of the float setup.....
@Catt Here is my float setup although I don't think you need any help..... Line through float to a pinch weight to a Crappie jig. I adjust the float to the depth I want with a piece of fishing line tied on above the float. My buddy uses a clip on float and just sets it to the depth he wants. I like to cast so my setup puts the float right down at the bait for casting. As for my trip this last weekend, we had a tough go. Raining, cold barometric pressure and tide was wild and although we marked HUGE schools of them, we couldn't get them to bite well. We tried everything. We caught a few nice ones but not the 40-50 fish days we are used to. Got reports from friends who were also out and they had it tough as well. I'll be back out there again soon. You can bet on that. I've been holding off filling the freezer until the water gets colder. It was in the high 40's which is perfect. We just had a bad day conditions wise.
Dorado reply :
May someone post sonar pics of crappie schools?
I kept graphing feeding fish the other day but I couldn’t tell if they were smaller Largemouths or Crappies. How do you distinguish?
I found a couple schools of fish vertically stacked..... those were probably crappie this time of year right?
Team9nine reply :
On 12/4/2018 at 12:54 AM, Dorado said:May someone post sonar pics of crappie schools?
I kept graphing feeding fish the other day but I couldn’t tell if they were smaller Largemouths or Crappies. How do you distinguish?
I found a couple schools of fish vertically stacked..... those were probably crappie this time of year right?
TnRiver46 reply :
On 12/3/2018 at 10:50 AM, Catt said:What plastics y'all like?
What bobbers y'all like?
Y'all ever throw Minnows?
Plastics : bobby Garland baby shad
Bobbers: I despise every bobber I have ever tried. I've caught more crappie with Texas rigged creature baits than I have with a stupid bobber
Minnows: they work great but I don't use them. I live close to the lake so driving to go get minnows would slow me down. Sometime I catch crappie with shad I have netted
Catt reply :
On 12/3/2018 at 8:58 PM, TOXIC said:I don't think you need any help....
Actually I haven't fished White Perch (what we call em) in 35 yrs.
We catch down here in shallow water marshes with a small bobber & a jig like yours. The bobber is set at or above 24", we would cast the rig out, let it sit, then pop it, let sit, & repeat.
Then there's Toledo Bend
Most of our White Perch fishing was done at night. When I started back in the 70s we would tie a Coleman lantern to a tree & straight line minnows. @TnRiver46 on Toledo they sell shiners by the pound...ya wanna guess how many shiners it takes to weigh a pound!
Now days on Toledo it's pontoon boats, some enclosed with heat & air, with a door built in the floor.
Anyway I gearing up ????
Mobasser reply :
On 12/4/2018 at 3:08 AM, Catt said:
Actually I haven't fished White Perch (what we call em) in 35 yrs.
We catch down here in shallow water marshes with a small bobber & a jig like yours. The bobber is set at or above 24", we would cast the rig out, let it sit, then pop it, let sit, & repeat.
Then there's Toledo Bend
Most of our White Perch fishing was done at night. When I started back in the 70s we would tie a Coleman lantern to a tree & straight line minnows. @TnRiver46 on Toledo they sell shiners by the pound...ya wanna guess how many shiners it takes to weigh a pound!
Now days on Toledo it's pontoon boats, some enclosed with heat & air, with a door built in the floor.
Anyway I gearing up ????
Catt, the jigs we use most are Bobby Garlnd shad and tube jigs by different companies. BPS, Southern Pro, and Arkie all make good tubes. I get most of my crappie tackle at Academy. They have a good selection of tackle for crappie. Big Bite Baits makes some good plastics too. Floats- we use the quarter size weighted floats by Comal tackle and simple slip floats much like Toxic uses. We rarely if ever take minnows. Sometimes I think they may be better, but when the bite is hot you can catch 3 to 1 with jigs, not having to bait up each time. One thing that's fun about all this is you really don't need fancy tackle for crappie. Everything from cane poles to nice graphite rods can work depending on the season.
Dorado reply :
@Team9nine Last outing, I could see my split shot rig appear as a solid line in my sonar (typically 15ft down). After strolling over schools of fish.. I would often see solid streaking arch-like lines immediately appearing to hone in extremely close to that line without getting bite. I only use artificials, so should I change colors first? Then size? Change from baby shad profiles to Grubs first then color?
Todd2 reply :
@Team9nine 's screen captures are text book Crappie 101 in my limited experience. I've been getting over that stuff with a Slider Jig on the bottom, with a minnow about a foot or so up the line. Like a drop shot. Most of the time, they hit the minnow, but my bigger ones last Sunday were on the jig. Blue/Chartreuse. Didn't catch any black bass but did land a nice hybrid striper. Those brush piles hold all kinds of stuff.
Team9nine reply :
On 12/5/2018 at 1:57 PM, Dorado said:@Team9nine Last outing, I could see my split shot rig appear as a solid line in my sonar (typically 15ft down). After strolling over schools of fish.. I would often see solid streaking arch-like lines immediately appearing to hone in extremely close to that line without getting bite. I only use artificials, so should I change colors first? Then size? Change from baby shad profiles to Grubs first then color?
Always a guessing game, which is part of the fun to me (figuring out what will make them bite). My first option would be to play with action. Much like ice fishing, it becomes a game of cat and mouse, and can you do something to trigger a bite. Try light shaking, slow lifts, lift and drops, etc. Only if those didn't work would I switch baits or colors.
Many guys will tell you how color selective crappie can be, but if I'm already using a known productive color, I'd probably try shape/bait change first. I usually start with both tubes and curlytails tied on. I'll try both and see how the fish react before switching through colors. No real right or wrong way. Having a second person in the boat can speed up the process of elimination, as can multiple rods or multiple baits.
Dorado reply :
On 12/5/2018 at 11:13 PM, Team9nine said:Always a guessing game, which is part of the fun to me (figuring out what will make them bite). My first option would be to play with action. Much like ice fishing, it becomes a game of cat and mouse, and can you do something to trigger a bite. Try light shaking, slow lifts, lift and drops, etc. Only if those didn't work would I switch baits or colors.
Many guys will tell you how color selective crappie can be, but if I'm already using a known productive color, I'd probably try shape/bait change first. I usually start with both tubes and curlytails tied on. I'll try both and see how the fish react before switching through colors. No real right or wrong way. Having a second person in the boat can speed up the process of elimination, as can multiple rods or multiple baits.
As always, solid response. Can’t wait to get back out there again. This is going to get addicting
Catt reply :
On 12/5/2018 at 11:13 PM, Team9nine said:Always a guessing game, which is part of the fun to me (figuring out what will make them bite). My first option would be to play with action. Much like ice fishing, it becomes a game of cat and mouse, and can you do something to trigger a bite
To me the "hunt" is just as satisfying as the catch ????
greentrout reply :
my favorite sac-a-lait float with a minnow...spinning...
tander reply :
Around these part most people use a jig pole of anywhere from 11-8 foot with a hair or tube jig. Slater Jigs is a MS company that has been in business a long time making hair jigs. Nothing better than fried crappie,
Catt reply :
From a friend of mine in New Jersey
11 yr old female angler caught this 19 1/2" 4 lb SLAB from a private pond in NJ !
Congrats that's a BEAUTY!
Heartland reply :
What an amazing catch, beautiful fish, did they say if she got to go back in and enjoy her pond?
Mobasser reply :
On 12/15/2018 at 2:26 AM, Catt said:From a friend of mine in New Jersey
11 yr old female angler caught this 19 1/2" 4 lb SLAB from a private pond in NJ !
Congrats that's a BEAUTY!
This is a very nice fish! 191/2 inch is a huge crappie anywhere in the country!
greentrout reply :
On 12/15/2018 at 2:26 AM, Catt said:From a friend of mine in New Jersey
11 yr old female angler caught this 19 1/2" 4 lb SLAB from a private pond in NJ !
Congrats that's a BEAUTY!
how close to the state record...that is one big slab paper mouth ... congrats to the young lady ...
Todd2 reply :
On 12/15/2018 at 11:46 AM, greentrout said:how close to the state record...that is one big slab paper mouth ... congrats to the young lady ...
If my Googling is correct, the Black Crappie state record in NJ is 4lbs 8oz....
Catt reply :
On 12/15/2018 at 12:20 PM, Todd2 said:If my Googling is correct, the Black Crappie state record in NJ is 4lbs 8oz....
I think that's right!
I'll text Diane (Reelwoman) Johnson & find out details.
slonezp reply :
On 12/3/2018 at 10:50 AM, Catt said:What plastics y'all like?
What bobbers y'all like?
Y'all ever throw Minnows?
Kalins crappie scrubs, and 1-1/2" Gulp minnows are my goto plastics. Can't beat a Rocket Bobber for shallow water. I use minnows probably 50% of the time. Tend to catch less bluegill that way. Don't get me wrong, I love a good fight from a bluegill but crappies taste better.
Crestliner2008 reply :
Some very excellent information on crappie fishing here. Most of it appears to be related to single pole fishing along with targeting docks or brush. There are lot of crappie out deep, away from visible structures, that can be very vulnerable to several presentations.
Drift fishing is one of them. With multiple poles one can economically drift with the wind in relatively open water. We've done this for many years now, quite successfully too. A very relaxing & productive way to present various styles & colors of jigs. In a 15 mph wind, it would appear that our jigs are water skiing - yet, we've killed them doing this. And we usually net a mixed bag of crappie, white & yellow perch and even bluegills. Largemouth bass and rainbow trout love this fast, windy presentation too.
With the wind being less than predictable as of late, we've rigged two boats up for side pulling in similar fashion to drifting. This technique has been around a long time and is a proven technique. We've mounted our TM midships (a bit more aft actually) and mount our rod holders off the opposite side. Pulling in this fashion at speeds between .5 - 2.0 mph (gps) we've been able to move between open water schools of bait & crappie quite efficiently. Up here in MA, we are only allowed 2 rods per fisherman, so side pulling allows us a wider path of drift, as well as change of baits.
Just a slightly different perspective on the excellent information presented here, as always on Bass Resources. 
greentrout reply :
i'll be throwing that float i posted above...can throw it a mile ... got some good spots i can reach from the bank...during the winter...love to speck fish...
good fishing...
Team9nine reply :
Crappie were biting yesterday - 125 or so to the boat in an afternoon. Enjoying this final open water fling. Planning on going again today.
m
Todd2 reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 11:03 PM, Team9nine said:Crappie were biting yesterday - 125 or so to the boat in an afternoon. Enjoying this final open water fling. Planning on going again today.
Wow, 125 is crazy. I've found some deep standing Timber that's hot right now but nothing like that. Go get em!
On a side note, with Winter drawdown, I'm finding a lot of deep diving crankbaits on this Timber that is normally hidden. Also a new Summer Bass spot. ????
Team9nine reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 11:14 PM, Todd2 said:Wow, 125 is crazy. I've found some deep standing Timber that's hot right now but nothing like that. Go get em!
On a side note, with Winter drawdown, I'm finding a lot of deep diving crankbaits on this Timber that is normally hidden. Also a new Summer Bass spot. ????
A couple of our reservoirs get pulled 20 ft or more for winter pool. Amazing what you can find walking the banks if you're one of the first through the area.
Been a good weekend so far, and planning on going one more time this week. Best trip this year was just over 400 crappie, but we've also had a couple 300 fish days, too. Can't complain at all. I still say it's the best way to get good at offshore fishing.
TOXIC reply :
We have had record rains and since most of my crappie fishing is done in the upper reaches of a big creek on a bigger river, I have not been out. It's killing me!! We've got a friend coming from Michigan for the week after Christmas and we want to get him out for some of our banner Crappie fishing but we are due for another big rain this weekend. Hopefully it will settle down when he is here. I do have access to a private lake that is the discharge for a nuke power plant but it is not known for its Crappie. We go there for Largemouth in the winter because it never freezes. I did take my daughter out over there last year just to see if we could catch some and we did. Good size but the numbers were down.
HeyCoach reply :
How is this stuff for crappie? I never really fished for crappie before, don’t even know if I have caught one before. Probably not.
I have some 1/16th and 1:8th jig heads, shad, scissor shad, sausage, joker, and looks like tubes. Black/chart, white/chart, bubblegum/chart, pearl, pearl/chart, pearl and blue/black
Also, I have a Zebco 33 combo, would that be ok for a rod?
Todd2 reply :
On 12/28/2018 at 10:39 AM, HeyCoach said:How is this stuff for crappie? I never really fished for crappie before, don’t even know if I have caught one before. Probably not.
I have some 1/16th and 1:8th jig heads, shad, scissor shad, sausage, joker, and looks like tubes. Black/chart, white/chart, bubblegum/chart, pearl, pearl/chart, pearl and blue/black
Also, I have a Zebco 33 combo, would that be ok for a rod?
Yeah, that'll catch em... Unlike my Bass gear, I'm trying to keep my Crappie fishing simple. I like Charlie Brewer Crappie Sliders in a couple colors (Blue / Charteuse is my #1) and I have a few Arkie Hinee Shinee's. With a little Crappie nibble on, I don't notice much of a difference between them and live minnows, without the hassle. This is my first real season mainly Crappie fishing though so subject to change.
I use two rods, both in the 9 foot range, one Crappie rod and one old Float N Fly rod I've had for years. Both work fine. Zebco 33 will be fine.
Festivus reply :
If you don't have a boat and want to target them from shore what are some of the best tactics and methods of doing that? What should I be targeting for structure or shore line? I bought some long light powered rods specifically for crappie and white bass, 2 10" fiberglass rods, and 2 12" graphite rods. I was hoping these will help me in casting out farther and deeper. thanks.
N Florida Mike reply :
On 12/16/2018 at 11:03 AM, Crestliner2008 said:Some very excellent information on crappie fishing here. Most of it appears to be related to single pole fishing along with targeting docks or brush. There are lot of crappie out deep, away from visible structures, that can be very vulnerable to several presentations.
Drift fishing is one of them. With multiple poles one can economically drift with the wind in relatively open water. We've done this for many years now, quite successfully too. A very relaxing & productive way to present various styles & colors of jigs. In a 15 mph wind, it would appear that our jigs are water skiing - yet, we've killed them doing this. And we usually net a mixed bag of crappie, white & yellow perch and even bluegills. Largemouth bass and rainbow trout love this fast, windy presentation too.
With the wind being less than predictable as of late, we've rigged two boats up for side pulling in similar fashion to drifting. This technique has been around a long time and is a proven technique. We've mounted our TM midships (a bit more aft actually) and mount our rod holders off the opposite side. Pulling in this fashion at speeds between .5 - 2.0 mph (gps) we've been able to move between open water schools of bait & crappie quite efficiently. Up here in MA, we are only allowed 2 rods per fisherman, so side pulling allows us a wider path of drift, as well as change of baits.
Just a slightly different perspective on the excellent information presented here, as always on Bass Resources.
When I used to fish for them more, we did some drift fishing with minnows . We used a split shot and no cork so it stayed on or near the bottom. Did well with numbers of smaller fish, would get nice catfish that way too.
slonezp reply :
On 1/14/2019 at 11:47 AM, Festivus said:If you don't have a boat and want to target them from shore what are some of the best tactics and methods of doing that? What should I be targeting for structure or shore line? I bought some long light powered rods specifically for crappie and white bass, 2 10" fiberglass rods, and 2 12" graphite rods. I was hoping these will help me in casting out farther and deeper. thanks.
Crappies like cover. Trees, docks, boat lifts, weeds. A lot will depend on the lake itself. If you've caught crappie from the lake before, ask yourself why. What was there that attracted the crappie? They can be finicky. They could be tight to cover and if you cast 3ft away you may not get a bite. If you do catch one, repeat what you are doing. If you don't catch more, try the same spot a little deeper or a little shallower. Crappies are a schooling fish. There is always more than one.
greentrout reply :
TOXIC reply :
I am so bummed. The weather hit my area like a sledgehammer and with the wind and ice, I didn't get to fill my freezer like I wanted. That's the risk of waiting until they have been in colder water for an extended period of time to firm up the meat. There's still an outside chance we will get out to the crappie spots again but with this crazy Polar Vortex that keeps splitting and dropping into Virginia, I doubt it. 
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
Do you guys harvest crappies before spawned? Sorry never plan to keep any fish but all the talk about good tasting fish and beside it is not a bass. I was thinking about keeping some after the spawn circle is done.
TOXIC reply :
Due to their mass numbers, it would be very difficult to "overfish" a crappie population in most bodies of water. Since I like my freezer fish to come out of cold water, I am usually not fishing for spawning fish.
Crappies will begin spawning when the water temperature reaches 56-60 degrees Fahrenheit.
The crappie spawn will peak when water temperatures reach 61-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
Although that may vary by location, it is a general guide to show the stage they are in when you fish. But I will say, even in the fall and late fall when I fish for them the females are in egg production.
DogBone_384 reply :
On 11/15/2018 at 10:04 PM, Mr. Aquarium said:ive been wanting to try that slip bobber rig.
Let’s try it @ Hedges while the water’s cold....
Mr. Aquarium reply :
On 2/6/2019 at 9:51 AM, DogBone_384 said:Let’s try it @ Hedges while the water’s cold....
Good idea!! I'll be in NH this weekend
DogBone_384 reply :
On 2/6/2019 at 9:35 PM, Mr. Aquarium said:
Good idea!! I'll be in NH this weekend
You can cast from NH to Plymouth !?!?!?!?!?!?!?
scaleface reply :
I dont fish crappies much anymore but use to do it almost as much as bass fishing . Around April you will find me casting little Beetle Spins in flooded grass .
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