Crappie Fishing...School Me

[Hitit9999]

Just what the title says. Only crappie fishing I've really ever done is in ponds with a green twister or roadrunner. But my 11 year old is all over me to go to the lake and try and catch some. Minnows and brush piles the best way to try?

 

[RUGER]

I'm not a very good crappie fisherman, but I catch most of mine on structure with a 1" berkley gulp minnow on a 1/64th ounce jig head.
Also I chase schools around with my livescope.

 

[Spurhunter]

Spider rigging with minnows would be my first choice for taking a kid, but there would be an initial investment, and you really need a boat that will fish 2 in the front. The good news is you can find everything you need used and cheap since most crappie fishermen are ditching their trolling gear and going to livescope. If that interests you I could be more specific. If not, minnows over brushpiles is probably your best bet.

 

[redblood]

i started crappie fishing in july when i hooked up forward facing sonar on the new lake boat. i was always a stream fisherman but was highly intrigued by crappie. took me awhile to figure them out. but in july and august we really did well on big crappie on deep structure. even though i had always heard they were lethargic in the summer heat, we were filling the cooler very trip with very good sized fish. cool weather set in and i was so excited to finally fish for some hungry fat fall fish. Last week went back and nothing. The fish werent there. they had left the deep brush we caught them on and only bluegill were put in the cooler. im hoping it will be good this weekend, but i can tell you a sunny windy day after a cold front has blown through was not good for me. looks like monday may be the day- warmer temps 3 days after a front

 

[agelessssone]

Just what the title says. Only crappie fishing I've really ever done is in ponds with a green twister or roadrunner. But my 11 year old is all over me to go to the lake and try and catch some. Minnows and brush piles the best way to try?

Yes, that's a good way.
Or, contact Daniel Brown of the Reel Deal Guide Service.
He knows where the spots are.
(615) 806-0814

 

[WTM]

that all depends on what type of lake you are fishing and what species of crappie you are targeting.

but as general advise, brushpiles and minnows or jigs with plastics would be the place to start.

 

[redblood]

that all depends on what type of lake you are fishing and what species of crappie you are targeting.

but as general advise, brushpiles and minnows or jigs with plastics would be the place to start.

i am convinced crappie will always bite (sometimes not aggressively) but active target 2 /livescope/ whatever- has proven to me that sometimes they just leave and are not there to bite

 

[WTM]

i am convinced crappie will always bite (sometimes not aggressively) but active target 2 /livescope/ whatever- has proven to me that sometimes they just leave and are not there to bite

something some of us learned 20 years ago when Paul Rister and Ryan Oster discovered how much they actually move from spot to spot and the differences in behavior and water temp preference between blacks and whites. some have just learned with FFS that casting to crappie is one of the best ways to catch them.

 

[bluball]

i am convinced crappie will always bite (sometimes not aggressively) but active target 2 /livescope/ whatever- has proven to me that sometimes they just leave and are not there to bite

I fished for crappie only,no other species since 2008.Crappie won't always bite,livescope shows that clearly.I probably fished 6-8 times a month from 2014 to 2022,every month of the yr also.I would catch a limit or double limit if someone was with me,usually 1/2 trips in a yr I wouldn't have my limit.Now the smaller fish bite better than the bigger ones usually or in my experience.Lots of guys will chase one down and catch it when it runs/leaves.In my experience when you chase one down and ends up heading back to the structure where you first saw it its probably not gonna bite time to move on.

 

[bluball]

Yep in some situations,clear water/black crappie it really does.Here on kylake a good long power will put a whooping on a guy that's casting.But another of them my be using a 16ft pole and they make the bait pendulum down to the fish.The pendulum down motion of the bait comes to the fish just like you are casting but way easier to be accurate and get the fish to bite.

 

[Popcorn]

Sheesh!
What ever happened to dumb luck!!

 

[TITANSFAN2104]

brush piles, with a slip bobber and minnow will be the simplest way to get right above them and stay out of the pile!!

 

[TITANSFAN2104]

Yes, that's a good way.
Or, contact Daniel Brown of the Reel Deal Guide Service.
He knows where the spots are.
(615) 806-0814

Hes been on them. I went with him a couple weeks ago and he was telling me the hybrid were slow. I told him we can go find some crappie and I told him I had marked a nice pile in the first cove we went and it was loaded with keeper black crappie. We sit there for and hour and caught 15 or so with a couple shorts.
My 15 yo daughter was the only one fishing. I was watching and taking pictures!!
He decided to stay on this hot crappie bite and he is doing well!!

 

[TNReb]

I fished for crappie only,no other species since 2008.Crappie won't always bite,livescope shows that clearly.I probably fished 6-8 times a month from 2014 to 2022,every month of the yr also.I would catch a limit or double limit if someone was with me,usually 1/2 trips in a yr I wouldn't have my limit.Now the smaller fish bite better than the bigger ones usually or in my experience.Lots of guys will chase one down and catch it when it runs/leaves.In my experience when you chase one down and ends up heading back to the structure where you first saw it its probably not gonna bite time to move on.

Just curious.. do you spider rig? troll? or mainly just livescope with a single rod?

 

[redblood]

Yep in some situations,clear water/black crappie it really does.Here on kylake a good long power will put a whooping on a guy that's casting.But another of them my be using a 16ft pole and they make the bait pendulum down to the fish.The pendulum down motion of the bait comes to the fish just like you are casting but way easier to be accurate and get the fish to bite.

More power to them. And i have recently watched some guy - last named Jones- rough looking long haired fellow- tourney fishing. He has what looks like an inverted baitcaster and a 15 ft long poles and just drops a bait, scoops em up and has a dude behind him that takes them off the hook for him. They stare at the screen the entire time. And he was wearing out the white crappie in timber. Im sure they can put a ton of fish in the cup like that - buti personally enjoy casting to them 30 to 40 ft away on ultralight tackle. Different strokes for different folks. I love foreard facing sonar, but i cant just sit on a seat and stare at it nonstop

 

[bluball]

Just curious.. do you spider rig? troll? or mainly just livescope with a single rod?

I single pole,cast and spider right 2 poles when I'm lazy and just want to relax and catch fish.I also still have my equipment to pull cranks,but only do it once,twice a yr when it's really hot outside though.

 

[bluball]

More power to them. And i have recently watched some guy - last named Jones- rough looking long haired fellow- tourney fishing. He has what looks like an inverted baitcaster and a 15 ft long poles and just drops a bait, scoops em up and has a dude behind him that takes them off the hook for him. They stare at the screen the entire time. And he was wearing out the white crappie in timber. Im sure they can put a ton of fish in the cup like that - buti personally enjoy casting to them 30 to 40 ft away on ultralight tackle. Different strokes for different folks. I love foreard facing sonar, but i cant just sit on a seat and stare at it nonstop

Yep,do what you like forsure thats what I do forsure.It also depends what lake you fish and time of yr, fishing presure,etc.Some with the long pole do just drop straight down though,but the pendulum long pole method is deadly.If you ever see it in person with accurate fishermen presentation it's awsome.

 

[Mcboom]

Sheesh!
What ever happened to dumb luck!!

If you ain't scoping your hoping!

 

[killingtime 41]

Watch Richard gene the fishing machine. No live scope a very inexpensive fish finder. But I've learned by watching him to find the shad and fish above them or sometimes below them depending on where they're suspended at as they feed up.

 

[TITANSFAN2104]

More power to them. And i have recently watched some guy - last named Jones- rough looking long haired fellow- tourney fishing. He has what looks like an inverted baitcaster and a 15 ft long poles and just drops a bait, scoops em up and has a dude behind him that takes them off the hook for him. They stare at the screen the entire time. And he was wearing out the white crappie in timber. Im sure they can put a ton of fish in the cup like that - buti personally enjoy casting to them 30 to 40 ft away on ultralight tackle. Different strokes for different folks. I love foreard facing sonar, but i cant just sit on a seat and stare at it nonstop

LOL JOSH JONES. He is a good fisherman but ... Well i will just leave it at that

 

[Apostolic Outdoors]

https://m.youtube.com/@RichardGeneTheFishingMachine
Enjoy!!

 

[Apostolic Outdoors]

Watch Richard gene the fishing machine. No live scope a very inexpensive fish finder. But I've learned by watching him to find the shad and fish above them or sometimes below them depending on where they're suspended at as they feed up.

Didn't see this until after I posted the link to his channel. WOOO!!

 

[redblood]

Watch Richard gene the fishing machine. No live scope a very inexpensive fish finder. But I've learned by watching him to find the shad and fish above them or sometimes below them depending on where they're suspended at as they feed up.

Most amazing thing i have ever seen. Dude just knows where they are