What To Use To Catch Crappie- A Complete Guide

What To Use To Catch Crappie- A Complete Guide

Crappie is also known as strawberry bass, papermouth, white perch, and speckled perch. They have flaky white meat used with other dishes to make it more delicious. According to many freshwater anglers crappie are considered the tastiest freshwater fish. They are famous for their delightful taste and belong to the sunfish family and they are mainly present in North American freshwater. 

What To Use To Catch Crappie? Due to the many varieties of crappie, you can catch them in many ways making it a good experience for every angler to come up with his or her new favorite technique. Basically crappie fish is of two types, white crappie, and black crappie. But their fishing tips don’t differ and all almost the same.

It is simple to catch crappie because they can be caught by many techniques. It becomes a bit challenging when you need to catch enough crappie for a full-on fish fry. 

Steps For What To Use To Catch Crappie?

Below are the steps you need to follow while catching the crappie.

What To Use To Catch Crappie

Step One: Choose Your Method

Different gears for used for different methods so you need to identify how to use them for specific purposes. An angler with different depths, structures, and conditions can get fruitful results by choosing methods. Expert and successful fishers prepare themselves for each situation and they keep the essentials for each technique so they can adjust their tactics and baits in different conditions while fishing.

Any angler can get better results, either by learning one technique and mastering it or switching and experimenting with new tactics while crappie fishing.

Bobber and Minnow Rig

The boober above a small is a classical old setup and it is one of the most common and impressive methods used by many anglers throughout the year.

The best method of using it is making a fixed bobber above the minnow attached on one two-number Aberdeen hook

The purpose of the minnow is to attract fish. Adding weights to your minnows will cause them to sink to the bottom of the water column where they will become a meal for larger predatory fish. In addition, anglers must learn how to properly cast their minnows. Casting involves using a casting rod and a reel to release the minnow in a certain amount of time while keeping the minnow in the desired area.

Spider Rigging

This method is used by anglers by which they can troll minnows or jigs with 14-161 inches rods off the front of the boat. Those who apply the rigging method for holding very long poles can use Rod holders. The most common setup that is used for spider rigging is two minnows and two jigs on a number 1 or 2 hook tied at different lengths above a heavy sinker.

Jig Fishing

You can use jugs in different situations for catching fish and in most cases, it becomes more efficient if used properly.

You can cast and present your jig vertically to crappie. In some cases, if the fish are most aggressive near brush piles, you need to cast past your target and receive a soft plastic  1/16 oz jig on the brush pile top. 

Step Two: Gather Your Gear

Gear

In past, for catching crappie a can pole having some lines was use. Nowadays, anglers fisher use the following to catch crappie.

  1. 14-16 foot trolling rods
  2. 9-1 foot jig poles
  3. Ultralight spinning outfits

The second step is to select a gear based on the above-chosen methods.

Baits for Catching Crappie

To catch crappie a small minnow can be use in an effective way. But this is the oldest and most popular method. Also, there are many other techniques that are use by many expert anglers. Spider rigging is mainly done by many popular baits and is the most common method to catch crappie.

Crankbaits, live minnows, and plastic jigs with lead jig heads are the most common and effective crappie baits.

Step Three: Know Where To Look

Deep structures or woody cover areas are mostly consider to best places for catching crappie. Because crappie like the places where they feel safe so weed beds and standing timber are the best choices.

More fish are found near the shoreline weed beds, cover-buttonwillow, blowdowns, cypress trees, or stickups. The big crappie is mainly present in shallow water near channel edges.

The Spawn

crappie usually spawn in water at 16-16 degree Celsius. Their generated depth is based on the clarity of the water. crappie spawn in 1 to 2 feet in muddy or stained water. If the water is crystal clear the crappie will move to 22 feet or more. In the spawning period, most anglers try to be closer to the shoreline to catch crappie. Best luck with the post-spawn crappie is usually achieve by fishing the mid-day, preferably with a little bit of chop and using a fathead minnow.

Step Four: Catch Crappie

While looking for structure be prepare for unprepare tig to use your favorite technique. Catching crappie gives more fun and joy to all beginners and expert-level fishermen. While fishing in a new area or in variable water temperatures you have to learn many methods and techniques so that you can know all about the nature of local fish and their changing habits.

Conclusion

What To Use To Catch Crappie? Crappie fishing is a great pastime for any fisherman. It’s a very enjoyable experience. It’s also a very challenging and exciting activity. Crappie fishing requires patience and skill. It’s a lot like any other sport, except that it is a lot more difficult.

The first thing you need to do is to buy the right equipment. You also need to know how to bait your hook. You’ll also need to know how to fish for crappie. The key to catching crappie is to know when to strike, where to fish, and how to use the right bait. Crappie is extremely sensitive to vibration and sound, so a quiet boat and a quiet line are crucial to making a good catch.

Crappies are very wary of baitfish, so they often won’t eat them. That’s why it’s important to use bait that resembles a natural food source. Crappies can be caught in almost any type of water, but they are most likely to be found in clear water or near the shoreline.

The best baits which are often used while crappie fishing is Jigs and minnows. While present in multiple diets they can be caught by multiple techniques making it a good experience for anglers to try their own favorite methods and skills.

Jigs and minnows are considered recommended crappie baits year-round. But if either of both doesn’t produce try a jig/minnow

The best color bait for catching crappie is black and chartreuse. These colors are recommended by expert anglers who had spent more time catching crappie.

Crappies’ favorite food is mainly small baitfish like minnows, small bluegills, and shinners also some aquatic invertebrates like crayfish, freshwater shrimp, and insect larvae.

Joshua Collier
"Joshua Collier is an experienced angler and writer based in Florida. With over 10 years of experience fishing in freshwater and saltwater environments, Joshua has become an expert on everything from fly fishing for trout to trolling for marlin.