| Crappie fishing can be frustrating and fruitless | | | | more freely when casting. |
| unless you know how to fish with the right lures. | | | | In muddy or stained water, use jigs that have |
| Using live bait is usually the best way to fish for | | | | dark and light patterns on them. Sometimes you |
| Crappies but jigs can also be very successful. | | | | may need to try numerous colors to entice |
| When fishing for spring crappie, they will normally | | | | finicky Crappie to bite. If you are not successful in |
| bite very light. You need to be able to feel the | | | | the murky water areas, look for bays that may |
| bite to catch fish. Use lighter line, like mono in 2lb | | | | be quiet and not a lot of water movement. The |
| to 6lb test. The reel can be an ultra light spinning | | | | water may be a little clearer but shallow so look |
| reel or an open face baitcast reel. A simple | | | | for the deeper areas to fish. If you are working |
| spincast reel can also work, as well as a cane pole. | | | | with a fish finder it may be easier to spot them in |
| A graphite rod with a cork handle can be very | | | | areas that are tough to see. Try to spot schools |
| sensitive to feel the Crappie's light bite or nibble. | | | | of Crappie. Then start the rod rotation technique |
| Keep in mind that Crappie have a very sensitive | | | | and throw a crappie jig or the spinner bait. Plus |
| lip that can tear easily if you set the hook to | | | | the jig and float to see what they may bite on. |
| aggressively. | | | | Using a jig with a minnow on it may work better |
| Jigs with minnows can be very effective fishing | | | | in these circumstances. When Crappies seem to |
| for Crappies because I believe that is their | | | | disappear from an area you have been fishing, |
| favorite food. Begin by dropping jigs around | | | | move out to deeper water. Sometimes crappie |
| cover, structure, and along edges of weed lines. | | | | will suspend above structures or around drop offs. |
| Plus, you can slow down the boat and let lip | | | | Usually this is more of a summer mode for |
| hooked minnows dance around a fishing spot to | | | | crappies. |
| entice reluctant crappie into biting. Using multiple | | | | I particularly like to troll for Crappie in order to |
| rod presentations will help you cover a lot of | | | | locate them. I have 3 rods set up with 3 different |
| water. One rod could have a small spinner bait, | | | | baits all ready to use on a moment's notice. When |
| one could have a pinkie jig, with a minnow or | | | | I troll I use two rods: one with a bobber or float |
| without, and another pole could have a jig and | | | | and live bait such as minnows. The other rod will |
| float combination. Other Crappie fishing jigs you | | | | be rigged with a jig like a pinkie jig with a minnow |
| can use can be marabou and hair jigs in baitfish | | | | or just by itself. The 3rd rod is fit with a small |
| type patterns. When you are crappie fishing with | | | | spinner that I may cast into areas of structure |
| jigs, use a loop knot to tie it on. The jig will move | | | | like around stumps or fallen trees, weed beds etc. |