Crappie

[dsmith]

We never crappie fish. I have never tried it, but everyone sys it's fun. Any tips on how to do this for a beginner? I just always preferred to catfish for the chance of catching bigger fish. Might try crappie fishing if I knew how.

[dt16]

put on small hooks use minnows and use the BWAB and you are good to go.

[dsmith]

A lot of people here crappie fish mainly in the spring. Do they bite better than. Do they hang out in the open water mainly or mainly in the brush. We watched a fishing show ontime . He was crappie fishing and not catching much. So he took a big stick and beat the water for awhile. Then they started biting. What's up with that? That would scare the cats away.

[dt16]

crappie are mainly in the brush

[mastercatter]

they perfer brush and tree tops mostly. They LIKE cooler water. In the summer they will be deep and up off the bottom. If you would like to catch big crappie much of the year try doing this.......After Christmas collect the real trees and take 3 to 5 and tie the bases together with rope or wire. Take a regular size cinder block and tie to the base also. Go to your favorite fishing lake that has crappie (not the same spot that you will catfish at) Place the trees over the side into water 12 to 15 feet deep, 20 to 30 feet from the bank. There should be at least 4 to 6 feet of water above the trees.Come about the end of Feburary the first of March you will have a "honey hole" for crappie for about two years. Keep the place secret as there will be others there when you want to use it. Bass will also like it. There is a lake I used to fish all the time and that is what I did .Every year I would sink 2 or 3 more trees there. When I couldn't catch anything else I could always go there and catch large crappie. Could most always catch some nice cats off to the sides a few feet. I can also tell how to set up bedrooms for cats also. That is a different How to Story.

[rockbass]

What MAstercatter said is a good idea, but be careful and check for the legality first.

People who only fish for crappie in the spring are doing it because that's when they are easy to find and catch. Spawning is the easy time, and the crappie will move into shallow water. The easiet thing to look for to get into crappie in the spring and fall are tree or brush in the water. Something close to deep water seems to be best in my area. Another good easy place to find them is around bridge pilings. Most times bridges that go over small portions of water at lakes will be fishable from shore. You can usually find crappie by using a simple foat rig with a smaller hook tipped with a minnow. My favorite and the best way I have found to catch crappie consistently has been to use a slip bobber rig. I'll explain.....Crappie feed looking upward. You will find them in area where there are groups of minnows or shad. Often times within minutes the crappie can be feeding a foot under the surface or 10 ft down. One place I fish year round for crappie ranges from 1 ft deep to around 7-8 ft. I can fish it for an hour and in that hour, I have to fish close to shore a foot deep or in the deepest parts bouncing my bait off the bottom. Then you have everything in between.

When the bite is hot, you will have a blast. If you go when the bite is not good or in a spot where it just doesn't hold crappie......don't expect much ;D Best idea is to hook up with someone that has an idea where to go in your area. Spring and Fall are the best times to get at them. I'll be sure to report on here through this winter and into the spring as I go crappie fishing. Hopefully all my rambling will help someone to locate crappie in their neck of the woods!

[flatcat]

Crappie are biting

[daveedka]

8-)You wear about a size 6 Shoe Right Flatcat

I love Crappie fishing in Missouri, I've never done much in Ohio.
Dave

[flatcat]

Caught these this afternoon ;D

[bobberguy]

Looks like 10 to 13 inch crappie. You will be eatting good this month!

[daveedka]

That's a nice bunch of Crappie, We may fish for a few tomorrow before we set out the cat lines, I haven't really decided yet.

[mastercatter]

Flatcat , those are some fine looking crappies there. Will be some tasty eating .....Hooking crappie on a ultra-lite is almost as much fun as fighting a large cat on heavy tackle..

[ray21465]

nice catch

[missionx4]

Last summer me and my 2nd cousin went out bass fishing on his boat at a lake called lake alma here. We both caught 18-19 inch crappie. I caught mine on a large bass tube jigging in 16ft of water off the bottom in a hole in the weeds. He caught his on a large rattletrap. Gave them to an Amish family fishing of the bank keeping their fish. We figured he needed them more than the lake did.