Crappie Fishing
Crappie are, in my opinion, one of the
most fun fish to catch and certainly one
of the best tasting fish. They swim in
large schools and are found throughout
most of the U.S. and into Canada.
Crappie prefer fairly warm water and are
normally found in nearly all types of
cover. They average 7-12" fully grown,
however with enough food and cover they
can reach lengths up to 18". A large
crappie is referred to as a "Slab". In
most waters, crappie with a weight of
1/2 to 1 pound are considered good fish.
In other waters, crappie are not
considered large until they hit the 1
1/2 or 2 pound mark. They can, under
ideal circumstances, reach weights of up
to 6 pounds.
Black Crappie vs. White
Crappie
There are two sub-species to the common
crappie. The black crappie, which gets
its name from its slightly darker
appearance, and the white crappie. The
black crappie is usually white or gray
with dark gray or black spots covering
most of its sides. It has 7-8 dorsal
spines on the top of its back. The white
crappie tends to be lighter in color and
often has distinct vertical bars of gray
extending down its
sides. It has 5-6 dorsal spines. Both of
the sub-species have nearly the same
feeding patterns and spawning time. I
have heard the black crappie prefers
clearer water, where the white crappie
tolerates muddier water better. They are
both terrific in the pan, I might add.
I have recently been informed of a
"hybrid" breed of crappie know as the
Arkansas Blacknose crappie. They are
supposedly very tough fighting, grow
quickly, and resemble a black crappie
that someone has marked up with a black
magic marker. It is being stocked in
some Southern waters, but hasn't made it
to VA yet. When and if they do, I will
be sure to add more info on them.
Crappie Baits
Crappie are versatile
feeders, eating most types of insects,
worms, and small crayfish and minnows.
This variety of forage makes choosing
baits for crappie fairly simple. Just
about every angler has one bait that he
or she swears will outfish any other.
This is because that person probably
uses that particular bait much more than
any other. This is not necessarily a bad
thing, however, because having
confidence in your bait is almost as
important as having a bait at all. As a
rule of thumb, if the fish are eating
it, keep using it. When the fish seem to
stop eating it, don't keep using it. If
the fish aren't biting, you can try
three things:
Try a different presentation. That
is slow down, speed up, twitch, or
change your retrieve in some way.
Try a different color lure. Crappie
are especially famous for being color
picky. Simply switching from a green jig
to a yellow one can make the difference
between a few bites and a stringer of
slabs.
Change baits completely. If you have
been using minnows all day and have
caught no fish, try switching to a small
spinner or jig. The fish could want
something with more or less action than
your bait produces, so you must
experiment until you find what they
want. Most baits will catch plenty of
fish provided they are presented to the
fish in the right way at the right time.
That means choosing a lure is about 50%
trial-and-error and 50% your preference.
Though minnows and worms are often very
effective for catching crappie, I rarely
use them because of their cost and/or
effort to catch them. The three types of
lures that I use most and I recommend to
all crappie anglers are:
1. Maribou
Jigs- These are the small jigs that have
little furry bodies and puffy, feathery
tails. They come in many sizes and tons
of colors,are very durable, and are
fairly cheap to buy (I catch them on
sale at Wal-Mart for $.25 for a
four-pack). They can also be easily made
at home with some yarn and pipe
cleaners. These jigs are perfect for
finesse fishing picky crappie, vertical
jigging over structure, or suspending
under a bobber. I prefer a 1/16 or 1/32
oz. jig. When choosing a color, I follow
the guidelines below.
2. Curly-tail
Grubs- These are the soft plastic baits
that have curly tails on the back that
produce lots of action when jigged or
retrieved steadily. They come in many
sizes, but I like a 1 1/2"- 2 1/2" grub
for crappie. Rig them with a 1/8- 1/64
oz. jig head, depending on conditions
and preference. Follow guidelines below
to choose a color.
3. Small
Spinners- These are my personal favorite
lures to use when crappie fishing. This
is because they are very versatile,
effective, and fairly weedless. When I
say versatile, I mean you never know
just what you are going to catch on
them. I have caught 16" bass, 9"
bluegill, 21" catfish, and 13" pike
while crappie fishing with a spinner.
The spinners I use and have the best
results with are the smallest sized ones
I can find. The 1/16 oz. Beetle Spin is
the perfect size. Wal-Mart caries
several sizes of the individual
spinners, but the absolute smallest ones
are the best. I have also found that
gold blades seem to produce slightly
more strikes than the normal silver. I
strongly recommend trying the tiny gold
blades the next time you are on the
water. Here is a breakdown of the types
of spinners I use:
a. Small Willow
Leaf Blade- This is a very effective
type of blade and seems to work well on
most species. Try rigging it with a 2"
tube bait or curly tail.
b. Small Silver
Colorado (circular) Blade- This blade
type produces a lot of vibrations and
can be fished very slowly. Rig with 2"
tube bait or, for even more action, add
a curly tail to it. This combo is great
for very stained, dark water.
c. Small Gold
Blade- My Favorite! A tiny, gold,
Colorado (or willow leaf) blade with a
1/32 oz. jig head and a hot-colored, 2"
tube bait is a dynamite lure for nearly
any freshwater species. I suggest going
to Wal-Mart and picking up a 2-pack of
these tiny gold spinners. You will be
glad you did!
d. Beetle Spin-
These come in tons of colors, sizes, and
brands, but they have never let me down.
The 1/8 and 1/16 oz. sizes are perfect
for crappie as well as other fish. They
are also a good choice.
4. Small
Crankbaits- If you can find a small,
minnow-shaped Crankbait (a 1/8 or 1/16
oz. Rat-L-Trap is excellent), you may be
able to catch a few bigger, more active
crappie. I have to recommend Yo
Zuri Snap Beans. They are very tiny
Crankbaits that come in a pack with a
1/16 and 1/32 oz. size. They are
expensive, but are the best micro-cranks
I have ever used. These baits can be
effectively fished by trolling or
casting and retrieving. They are great
for locating the depth at which larger
crappie are feeding or suspending. Try
one the next time you are faced with one
of these situations.
Choosing Colors
Now that you know which type of lure
to choose, what color should you use?
Well the answer to this is simple, yet
difficult. Often you must try many
different colors before you find the one
that will catch the most fish. However,
here is something to go by:
Clear Water: In clear and lightly
stained waters, the most important thing
to remember is to match the natural food
items. When fishing with a minnow type
lure, such as a tube bait or a shad
shaped lure, try to use natural looking
colors such as silver, smoke, gray, etc.
When jigging near or on the bottom, try
using browns or dark greens.
Dark/ Stained Water: In stained or
muddy waters, the keys to attracting
strikes are vibration and brightness.
Because dark water filters out much of
the sunlight, often the best fishing is
during mid-day or bright sunlight times.
The fish can see better with more light
penetrating. Vibrations also thoroughly
help crappie to find forage in dark
water, so a lure that produces these is
usually a plus. Spinners, grubs, and
jigs that are kept moving are usually
good choices. Choose bright colors! Try
using chartreuse, hot pink, white,
yellow, hot green, etc. Sparkles are
also good.
Cloudy Days: Cloudy, overcast days
limit the amount of sunlight that
reaches the fish. Try using colors that
are slightly darker than you would
normally use. Browns, greens, and even
black are good colors to try on cloudy
days. One of my personal favorites is a
2" black curly-tail grub with a yellow
or chartreuses tail. The fish seen to
pick up the combination of light and
dark very well. I also use a small gold
spinner with this grub.
Bright Sunlight: Sunny days are
usually fairly simple days to choose a
lure color. Try the brightest color you
have first. Chartreusse, white, yellow,
and hot pinks and greens are favorites
of mine. Try small silver or gold
spinners to produce extra flash as well.
Night Fishing: Crappie fishing at
night is said to be quite productive,
though I have never tried. Because of
the lack of light at night, try jet
black lures, or combinations of black
and other colors.
Try following these basic guidelines
the next time you are choosing a lure
and color and I think you will be
pleased. However, remember this is just
a guideline. If these techniques do not
produce fish, try something totally
different.
Crappie Tactics
Crappie are fairly
active year round, but fall and spring
offer the hottest fishing. The warming
spring water temperatures triggers a
feed-a-thon amongst fish. Crappie spawn
when the water temperature reaches about
52-60 degrees. Just before spawning
(when the water hits about 48-51
degrees), they move into shallower water
and feed aggressively. This is known as
the pre-spawn period. Most crappie move
into shoreline cover such as fallen
trees and shallow coves during this
time. The females will then lay their
eggs and move to slightly deeper water
while the males stay in the shallows and
guard the nest. If you catch several
smaller fish in shallow water, try
moving to the nearest dropoff and you
may find the larger females feeding.
These pre-spawn and spawn periods of
spring often offer the best fishing of
the year. The cooling water of the fall
also offers good crappie fishing. When
the warm summer waters begin to cool
down, the fish begin feeding
aggressively in order to fatten up for
the winter. Schools of big slabs can be
caught easily during this "fall
feed-up". Crappie are fish that love
structure, so key in on ares with
prominent cover. Rock piles, shallow
coves, stumps, points, fallen trees, and
submerged brush are all favorites. Many
anglers sink Christmas trees, old
bushes, tires, and even wooden pallettes
to create homes for big fish. Vertical
jigging is a good method to fish
submerged cover. A 1/32 or 1/16 oz. jig
dropped into brush and twitched will
produce many fish if the conditions are
right. Try swimming a small spinner
through stump fields or along fallen
trees to locate the slabs. When you
identify the depth at which most of the
fish are holding, try suspending a jig
or minnow at that depth under a small
bobber. This is an effective way to keep
your bait in the desired depth for a
much longer period of time.
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crappie
Fishing 
