If you are a crappie fisherman you probably are always looking for that edge on how to catch crappie. I could give you some elaborate spiel like, " If you use these guidelines you are guaranteed to catch crappie" but lets face it anyone who is an avid fisherman looks at statements like that as a "lot of bull" What I would like to do though is share some common guidelines I use to develop your own list of tips to catch crappie. You see on any given day you can get skunked, even the pros do once in awhile. The trick is to refine your skills to understand what crappie live bait or tackle for crappie fishing to use in different seasons and different fishing situations. To this you need to develop your own personal list of crappie fishing guidelines.
Guideline #1 Always use your local bait shop and state or federal department of natural resources to get local fishing information. Here are some good questions to ask; "What crappie minnow rigs people are using" , " What type of crappie live bait anglers are using", "What types of crappie fishing jigs and what sizes are fisherman using", "What is the average size of the crappies fisherman are catching" "Where are the best spots to catch crappie". The folks at the bait stores talk to fisherman everyday and the department of natural sources do annual netting of crappie to determine the average. size and numbers of these fish, they are a valuable resource when developing your list. You want to be as thorough as you can be with these folks because based on the information you obtain from these folks you are going to make your best crappie bait selection. For example if after interviewing your local bait shop and the department of natural resources you find out the average catch size anglers are catching is around 1/2lb to 1lb. Live bait fisherman are having the best luck using fathead minnows, and fisherman using jigs are catching crappie on small 1/64oz to 1/32oz jigs painted florescent green. The fish are being caught in the shallow areas around sunken trees. Ok al you need to do now is make you crappie rigging to march your information. Those 10 or 15-minute interviews can make the difference of catching fish or coming home empty handed. After you have set up your crappie crappies fishing rigging and caught a few fish, clean a few and see what is inside their stomachs this is a excellent way to find out exactly what crappie are eating on any given day!
Guideline #2 The best time to catch crappie in your local area is the spring season. This is a ideal time to get into the sport of crappie fishing if you are a new fisherman. The crappie fish are very active and getting ready for the annual spring spawn, and they will be feeding constantly. Also after the spring spawn they will be feeding through out the remainder of the spring and throughout the summer on the newly hatched forage crappie minnow fry and the adults. The fish will be plentiful around boat docks and submerged logs and trees. During the spawn you will need to fish directly on top of the nest. You will get many crappie strikes if you do this because the crappies are extremely protective when they are on the nest. You can use a variety of different crappie rigging to catch these silvery specks. At this time of year crappie minnow rigs work great because the fish are feeding heavily. If you are a beginner I would recommend using live bait. If you are an experienced fisherman you can use a variety of crappie fishing rigs this time of year. As a rule of the thumb, use larger jig sizes of 1/4oz. to target larger fish. Use 1/64oz to 1/16oz to target smaller fish. Again color is not as important as matching the size and the look to what the crappie are actually eating. To verify that your selection is correct open up a few fish after you catch them and see what is in the fishes stomachs.
Guideline #3 In the summer months your choice of crappie fishing rigging and crappie bait can vary on the size of fish you want to target. As the water temperature warms to 70 degrees Fahrenheit the forage fish such as crappie fishing minnows begin to spawn. And will continue to spawn throughout late spring and well into summer or until the water temperature approaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The smaller crappie will feed off the fry while the larger crappie will feed off of the adults. The size of your crappie baits will mater in the summer. For example if you want to catch crappie in the 1lb range you will need to use larger crappie live bait and larger crappie jig sizes. If the fish are feeding on Threadfin Shad you will need to match the size and look of these forage fish if you want to be successful. A good way to create your imitation is to catch a few shad and use them to make your crappie baits.
Guideline #4 There are special situations where you need to do some additional preparation to learn how to catch crappie. One of the most common special situations you will come across depending on where you are fishing is water clarity. This will be the only special situation we will touch on today. When you are fishing muddy or stained water waters the crappie will have a hard time seeing your crappie baits, and rigging for crappies so you need to hone in on their keen senses here. On your crappie live bait rigs you will need to add some flashy spinner blades and some rattles. The crappie can hear the rattles and see the blade flash as they approach your crappie bait enticing them to strike. In clear water you will need a very small diameter fishing line like fire line, that is near invisible in the water. Your crappie rigging will need to be the smallest you can find that will still get your crappie baits to where the fish are. The crappie's sight is outstanding in clear water so you need to imitate the forage fish bait well.
Guideline #1 Always use your local bait shop and state or federal department of natural resources to get local fishing information. Here are some good questions to ask; "What crappie minnow rigs people are using" , " What type of crappie live bait anglers are using", "What types of crappie fishing jigs and what sizes are fisherman using", "What is the average size of the crappies fisherman are catching" "Where are the best spots to catch crappie". The folks at the bait stores talk to fisherman everyday and the department of natural sources do annual netting of crappie to determine the average. size and numbers of these fish, they are a valuable resource when developing your list. You want to be as thorough as you can be with these folks because based on the information you obtain from these folks you are going to make your best crappie bait selection. For example if after interviewing your local bait shop and the department of natural resources you find out the average catch size anglers are catching is around 1/2lb to 1lb. Live bait fisherman are having the best luck using fathead minnows, and fisherman using jigs are catching crappie on small 1/64oz to 1/32oz jigs painted florescent green. The fish are being caught in the shallow areas around sunken trees. Ok al you need to do now is make you crappie rigging to march your information. Those 10 or 15-minute interviews can make the difference of catching fish or coming home empty handed. After you have set up your crappie crappies fishing rigging and caught a few fish, clean a few and see what is inside their stomachs this is a excellent way to find out exactly what crappie are eating on any given day!
Guideline #2 The best time to catch crappie in your local area is the spring season. This is a ideal time to get into the sport of crappie fishing if you are a new fisherman. The crappie fish are very active and getting ready for the annual spring spawn, and they will be feeding constantly. Also after the spring spawn they will be feeding through out the remainder of the spring and throughout the summer on the newly hatched forage crappie minnow fry and the adults. The fish will be plentiful around boat docks and submerged logs and trees. During the spawn you will need to fish directly on top of the nest. You will get many crappie strikes if you do this because the crappies are extremely protective when they are on the nest. You can use a variety of different crappie rigging to catch these silvery specks. At this time of year crappie minnow rigs work great because the fish are feeding heavily. If you are a beginner I would recommend using live bait. If you are an experienced fisherman you can use a variety of crappie fishing rigs this time of year. As a rule of the thumb, use larger jig sizes of 1/4oz. to target larger fish. Use 1/64oz to 1/16oz to target smaller fish. Again color is not as important as matching the size and the look to what the crappie are actually eating. To verify that your selection is correct open up a few fish after you catch them and see what is in the fishes stomachs.
Guideline #3 In the summer months your choice of crappie fishing rigging and crappie bait can vary on the size of fish you want to target. As the water temperature warms to 70 degrees Fahrenheit the forage fish such as crappie fishing minnows begin to spawn. And will continue to spawn throughout late spring and well into summer or until the water temperature approaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The smaller crappie will feed off the fry while the larger crappie will feed off of the adults. The size of your crappie baits will mater in the summer. For example if you want to catch crappie in the 1lb range you will need to use larger crappie live bait and larger crappie jig sizes. If the fish are feeding on threadfin shad you will need to match the size and look of these forage fish if you want to be successful. A good way to create your imitation is to catch a few shad and use them to make your crappie baits.
Guideline #4 There are special situations where you need to do some additional preparation to learn how to catch crappie. One of the most common special situations you will come across depending on where you are fishing is water clarity. This will be the only special situation we will touch on today. When you are fishing muddy or stained water waters the crappie will have a hard time seeing your crappie baits, and rigging for crappies so you need to hone in on their keen senses here. On your crappie live bait rigs you will need to add some flashy spinner blades and some rattles. The crappie can hear the rattles and see the blade flash as they approach your crappie bait enticing them to strike. In clear water you will need a very small diameter fishing line like fire line, that is near invisible in the water. Your crappie rigging will need to be the smallest you can find that will still get your crappie baits to where the fish are. The crappie's sight is outstanding in clear water so you need to imitate the forage fish bait well.
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