Crappie Fishing Techniques?

[Ringorock]

So, I've been out to the Toona for the past couple of weekends to fish for bass and channel cats only catching a few here and there. I keep seeing these guys go out and land crappie after crappie.

So, how do I do this? I have a few crappie lures. Jig heads with spinny tails, fly looking things, grubs. What size hook should I be using? Should I be slow reeling? Should I just bump the rod from time to time. What's the technique?

 

[MrJim]

I really can’t help but this brought back memories. Starting when I was about 5 every summer vacation was to Birchwood Wisconsin to fish for a week. We would rent a cabin and jon boat with a 7 hp motor. I always had to use a cane pole with night crawlers or minnows. We were after bluegill and crappie and loaded the boat everyday. Cleaned them after dark in the cleaning house. A lot of the people where he worked did the same. Later in summer everyone met at a city park with tons of fish and wash tubs of iced down beer. I haven’t fished for crappie since 1973.

 

[Ringorock]

I really can’t help but this brought back memories. Starting when I was about 5 every summer vacation was to Birchwood Wisconsin to fish for a week. We would rent a cabin and jon boat with a 7 hp motor. I always had to use a cane pole with night crawlers or minnows. We were after bluegill and crappie and loaded the boat everyday. Cleaned them after dark in the cleaning house. A lot of the people where he worked did the same. Later in summer everyone met at a city park with tons of fish and wash tubs of iced down beer. I haven’t fished for crappie since 1973.

Sounds like you left some good times behind you. Hope you replaced it with something else.

 

[jeep78]

My experience with them is they stay tight near cover . It seemed hundreds would be just off the bottom in an area the size of a washtub. Find that washtub and you could fill your boat, but drift off 8 feet or so and nothing.

That Christmas tree thing sounds excellent.

 

[41mag]

Small hook, small minnow, use a bobber and sinker.....sinker about a foot up from minnow, bobber about a foot up from that.

Lake Weiss has an awesome crappie fest every year....spring and fall. Crappie the size of a dinner plate easy ! They have to be 12” to keep over there ! Huge crappie

 

[Retired Army]

I grew up fishing for crappie all over Georgia with my dad and his buddies. He was one of the best crappie fishermen around and very rarely got skunked. The best time of the year for us consistently was Feb-May depending on water temps. A good fish finder definitely helps. We trolled 8 rods, 4 in front, 4 in back with a different crappie jig color combo. We would take note of which colors/sizes caught the most fish and switch all lines to that combo. There were days we caught hundreds, culled what we kept, filleted them at night. Anything less than 10” went back. Good fishing at Allatoona, West Point, Lanier, Jackson, Hartwell but the best for us size and numbers was Clark’s Hill. Find the standing timber, especially at a creek mouth and give it a go. Or the may be suspended in 15’ of water on a 25’ bottom. My dad refused to fish with minnows as he wasn’t very patient. These hotter months take more searching in my experience but you can find them. I’ve had luck in warmer months setting up construction lights on the dock at Oconee at night and fishing minnows. Vary the depth you set the bobber to see what they may prefer. Most bait stores sell “crappie minnows”. I’m just setting up now to get back in to it again. Will report in the coming months. The important thing is you can’t catch them from the couch lol. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Ringorock]

If I fish with live bait on jigs and bobber, do I just cast and wait, or do I reel?

 

[Retired Army]

If I fish with live bait on jigs and bobber, do I just cast and wait, or do I reel?

cast and wait. Use several rods if possible at different depths If they’re there, they’ll let you know what depth they like. Sometimes it will be slow and then they’ll move through and it’ll be all you can do to keep up

 

[THREEJAYS]

Hot weather we always fished at night , usually tied to bridge somewhere with 2 or 3 lites fished with minnows. Some times with bobber other times just tight lined

 

[Gadriller]

Hot weather we always fished at night , usually tied to bridge somewhere with 2 or 3 lites fished with minnows. Some times with bobber other times just tight lined

I back up this Statement!! If funds are available a good Fish finder helps a lot for finding structure and holding fish. Good Luck!