# Teaching an Older Gentleman Crappie Fishing



## Ruminator (Apr 6, 2004)

One of the men in our adult small group Bible study lost his wife in the last year.
To help himself fight his loneliness, he's bought a little boat/12v. trolling motor and is trying to learn how to fish. He's been trying electric trolling and has yet to catch a fish.
Hopefully we can get out a couple times this week to get started.
He's a soft-spoken, pretty quiet, and subdued guy who I really want to help. I think he's around 68-69 years old.
He's in Hartville and would like to learn about Walborn and Moggy. I know a little about Walborn, and have been given some starting info about Moggy.

I want to keep it as simple as possible for him, maybe starting out with live bait? Next year I'll broaden things more.
Not sure yet if he's learned how to tie any knots.

He's got one spinning rod, to start with. Haven't seen it yet.
I think he's been trolling a minnow crank around till now, but not sure. Maybe going too fast or just simply in empty water.
I'm going to give him some gear to get started, minnow bucket, underwater light, and a landing net.
So I'm creating this thread to ask for your critique on some of what I'm going to teach him rather than create a thread for each topic.
I'll also include questions I don't know the answers to.
I sure don't want to teach him wrong.

Thinking I'll start with reading a lake map, and observing shoreline for understanding how the land proceeds under the water from the shore, and the different types of structure.
And how to read his little fishfinder.

When to use live bait?
Is live bait the best choice for fall fishing, now?
Seems like the best choice to start with to help him catch some crappie?

- best line wt. for "do it all"?
I've pretty much used 6# flouro for everything.

- setting his drag, I can help him do this.


not sure about choosing windswept shore, or protected; or when for each?
since crappie eyes face upward, they don't like bright sunlight?
when to look for crappie at what depth? right now?

I've just always gone by my fish finder, but that requires finding some. I heard that find some, and that's the depth to look for the rest in that lake , that day. And watch for them to move up/down from there?

-Do crappie school up again in the fall?

- is an underwater light a good approach in the Fall?
Work well anytime/ daytime at deeper depths- 14-16 ft. and deeper?

I know about underwater springs, south facing shores in the early spring, wood, docks, u/w stumps, u/w structures, drops and banks, points, etc.

I have to be careful not to overwhelm him with too much too fast.


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## Karl Wolf (Apr 26, 2020)

I like minnows


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## Bprice1031 (Mar 13, 2016)

If your going this time of year with someone your trying to teach, keep it simple. Show him how to find some structure set an anchor and cast toward the structure. This time of year you should bee able to find some hungry fish that will take a minnow under a bobber weather they are crappie, gills, or (some of my favorite) yellow perch. I've done well on the perch lately looking for the crappie.


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

take him to the causeway at deer creek and wal born , nice guys there and a place he can go alone, since july I broke a ankle fished them alot and met some great guys.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

I like to just drift fish most lakes for crappie with minnows a #4 gold Aberdeen hook and a 3/16 or 1/4 sinker. i start out with about 50' of line out and adjust with the wind speed. in the late spring and early summer minnows are always a good choice. but around docks and in coves in 10' to 15' a small pinky jig works great a pink head with a white tail or a yellow-tail, a yellow head with a white or yellow-tail is the best. other brands work but I've found pinky brand is by far the best. 1/8 oz pink and white is my favorite but at times the 1/16 or the 3/16 works. late afternoon is the best time. a bobber can be used 5' or 6' above the jig. but I just like it bare. I'll cast out and let it sink a few feet while watching for bites. then I'll start a very slow retrieve. when I'm fishing this way I'll put one rod out with a minnow about 6' to 9' while I cast around it with the jig. I use just enough weight to keep my minnow down about 6" above the hook.


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## Fish2Win (Jan 21, 2009)

Ruminator pm with his number and I’ll take him for the day on my boat and teach him.


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## Ruminator (Apr 6, 2004)

Thanks for your thoughts everyone, you've pretty much confirmed what I've been thinking. 

And Fish2Win, thanks for your helpful offer! 
I'll be happy to let him know. He's been very cautious about Covid-19, but maybe.
I'll PM you after I hear back from him.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

I'll toss out my 2 cents. During the fall, crappie can be anywhere, but typically "Not near Bottom" in Deep water(they may be "suspended" Over deep water but that's pretty much a hot summer day location". The cooler water temps brings the baitfish "somewhere" between deep water and shore-the crappie will not be too far away(wherever that location is)!
At Mogadore since the "majority" of the "deep" water in the ake will be around 12 ft, at least north of a line from the bay where the new ramp is enters the lake and straight across to the old road on the west side of the lake.(Yes,there is considerably deeper water near the middle of the lake on that imaginary line and south toward the dam!) So, my focus would be north of that line and somewhere between 12 ft and shore where ever shore occurs(including any "island" shoreline). They just might be in the overhanging brush, trees or limbs at the shorelines. The key, in my opinion, would be to "move", quietly cover some(a lot of!) water and look for schools of fish on the locator. If it shows 'bait balls', that is "magic"! The fish will be somewhere nearby! A great way to find fish while covering water is to troll a 1/8 oz grubtail jig about halfway down, which is hard to determine but by letting out line behind the boat at various depths on as many rods as legal per the number of people fishing, this should work well as a "search" technique, if you move slowly into and out of various depths til a fish hits. There Will be more where that one came from so mark the spot as best you can, reel in all rods, quietly anchor, and cast to that general area with the jigs, reeling slowly back to the boat. The curly tail will provide all the action the lure needs but you might have to "countdown" the lure before other fish are contacted. Again, in my opinion, this beats the heck out of randomly casting a minnow under a bobber all over the lake hoping to find some fish! If this doesn't work, try throwing small jigs or minnows under a bobber by the cover near shore. They just might be there on any particular Fall day. I use jigs with maribou and/or plastics( cast to a spot and reel back slowly to cover more water.(I haven't used minnows for crappie in 50 yrs, too slow for me!)


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