3 Crappie Fishing Secrets

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I don't know if these are really 'secrets', but I see a lot of people going home empty-handed because they didn't use some of these tricks. I'd like to start out by saying that none of my (or anyone else's) tricks are a substitute for knowing about crappie, and knowing the area you are fishing in. All the tricks in the world are not going to help you if you haven't done your homework, so study about crappie, and study the lake maps, and do a lot of 'scouting' at the lake or river. Crappie are migratory, just like birds, and they use the same traffic routes every time. Learn their movements.

One of the old-school techniques that is beginning to enjoy a come-back is using a marabou jig underneath a bobber. If the crappie are deep, you can use a slip-bobber. This works best with a good 10-12 foot crappie rod, and a good spinning or spincast reel. Toss this rig in and around cover in appropriate places. One advantage to this rig is that in warm weather, when crappies get sulky, moody and suspended in open water, it puts the jig at the exact right depth (once you determine what that is) and right in front of it's nose, every time.

You can also use this with a live minnow, but jigs really work better for this. If you are going to use live minnows, I'd recommend a light split-shot sinker and one of those great European porcupine quill floats. They are super-sensitive, and can detect even the lightest hit from a moody crappie. The main trick to this is to find the right depth that the crappie are at. You can do it with either a SONAR unit, or trial and error. When you catch a crappie, make a note of the depth, because that is where they will all be.

If they get really moody, sometimes you can 'shame' them onto biting by getting another rod, and rig it with a small crank-bait, or spinner. Cast it beyond where your float is, and reel it back in rapidly, coming as close to your float as possible. To the crappies, it appears that a smaller, more aggressive fish is about to eat something in front of them. No self-respecting crappie can resist the temptation to put this little upstart back into it's rightful place in the food-chain. One of two things usually happens. Either the crappie tries to beat the other fish to the punch, and you will catch it on the float rig, or the crappie will attack the offending fish directly, in which case you will catch it on the lure. Either way, it's a win-win situation for you (but not so good for the crappie)..

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