# Crappie Fishing



## Fisherman330

I was just curious to see what you reccomend for crappie fishing. I have had some luck on mini foo's to crank baits (all pretty minimal luck). I have never strictly crappie fished, any that i have caught has pretty much been "luck". Any advise would help, what do you reccomend for shore fishing? and for in a boat? appreciate all the ideas/help!!


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## glasseyes

Best advice I can give in short amount of time is to go to the nearest bait store where you are going to fish and ask some questions there. That will get you started.


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## Bucket Mouth

right now crappie should be staging near their spawning areas. Regardless of if you are in a boat or shore fishing, you should be looking at similar areas. Find areas with lots of wood in the water. Go to marinas.

There's a bunch of ways to catch them. Try slip bobber w/ minnows or soft plastics. Fish can be caught anywhere in the water column so be prepared to fish shallow as well as deep.


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## Fisherman330

i appreciate the feedback, i usually look for down trees or brush in the water to fish. just wasnt sure if there was any lure/bait better than the next to target them. Thanks again!


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## I_WALL_I

I use twisters almost always, worked on 4# Trilene XL..


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## Love2kayak

I haven't used minnows forever. I stick to tubes and grubs on 1/16 or 1/32 oz. jig heads with some crappie nibbles if bite is tough. 


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## BassariskY

My buddy got me hooked onto using 1/64-1/32 jigs with Gulp minnows under a bobber or jigged. Never leave home without a jar of Gulp!


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## Fisherman330

Yea i do need to try some Gulp i keep hearing good things about it. I see a lot of people on here seem to use it too. thanks for the feedback!


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## jonnythfisherteen2

when I shed this stomach ache, those fish are DOOMED!


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## Fisherman330

i hope to get a few this evening, im headin out to moggy after work and try my luck


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## Wow

Love2kayak said:


> I haven't used minnows forever. I stick to tubes and grubs on 1/16 or 1/32 oz. jig heads with some crappie nibbles if bite is tough.
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


What he said....+.....Minnows! (if available)--Tim


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## Fisherman330

went out last night with minnows and wax worms and not even a bite. i was just fishing from the shore in areas where i usually have good luck, water is still probably a little to cold :S


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## Tony B.

I like to use the KISS method. Keep It Simple Stupid! Just a minnow hooked through the lips or tail under a bobber, using a light wire aberdeen hook. The hook is important so when you get snagged, (and you will if you are a serious crappie fisherman) you can easily straighten the hook and keep on fishing. In the next few weeks fishing near and around down trees will be a good strategy. If you have no minnows try the crappie magnet or a jig and a twister tail.


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## crappiedude

Love2kayak said:


> I haven't used minnows forever. I stick to tubes and grubs on 1/16 or 1/32 oz. jig heads with some crappie nibbles if bite is tough.
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


This works year round. I still buy minnows on occasion but not often.


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## Mtwillard79

Road runner with a red body white tail tube


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## Livebait

I've been out 3 times this week with no luck. I've been using meal worms, nightcrawlers, minnows, and a few different different greenish jigs under a slip bobber. Still to early? Or is the water to muddy? I'm just getting a tad bit impatient I think, should I be keeping my rig still or moving it around and recasting every couple of minutes? I'm really starting to think its a matter of my technique.


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## glasseyes

I fish for crappie all year round except dead of summer. I fish from the bank also. If a person targets the crappie and puts in time to explore different methods and places they can be caught all winter with success. I don't ice fish just in open water. When there is a little ice but not thick enough to fish from then I hit the spillways for saugeye. I use jigs only, no live bait and I caught fish every weekend this winter. Sometimes not very many and might not have any size to them on a bad day but it was fun anyway. I hear guys saying water to cold and I just don't understand it.


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## Tony B.

Just went out Saturday from 4-7pm. I caught 12 keepers (9-12 inches) and had another 8 that were released (under 9inches). I used the method I previously listed. Wind was blowing right into a downed tree in about 10 to 12 feet of water. I was fishing about 5 feet deep with a slip bobber rig. Water was a bit muddy and you had to be patient (crappies are sight feeders). If I did not have a hit in about 5-8 mins I would move my presentation around until I got one. I really think if the water was clearer it would have been game on!


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## jonnythfisherteen2

Livebait said:


> I've been out 3 times this week with no luck. I've been using meal worms, nightcrawlers, minnows, and a few different different greenish jigs under a slip bobber. Still to early? Or is the water to muddy? I'm just getting a tad bit impatient I think, should I be keeping my rig still or moving it around and recasting every couple of minutes? I'm really starting to think its a matter of my technique.


trying different retrieves works too. different weights, and different colors. i like to use 1/32 with a long light action rod, say, 6'"6. but if thats not working out, and the crappie are shallow, then use a fairly light jighead and cast it out as far as you can. about 1/64 or even 1/80. i used that to catch my PB crappie the other day. or you can go lighter. if using a float rig, i like to use small floats, and a split shot or 2 and reel it in slowly, pausing occasionally. you can get some crappies this way. if you use the round red and white type floats, if you get a strike while retriving, then pull the rod down and reel in, i find that set the hook better than any other movement. its quite effective.


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## FlyGLI

I caught 3 in an hour with a 1" blue and silver casting spoon. Two keepers:Banane04:


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