Has anyone ever had success, or specifically targeted crappie by trolling?

I have a friend in Missouri that just wears them out trolling, I had never really heard of anyone doing that before.

Missouri???

"Woodhippy Trolling" with a telephone crank doesn't really count, does it??

Google Spider rigging for crappie.

LOL Mark, I know. . .

No, he's not doing a spider rig (I know what that is). Actually pulling crank baits behind the boat and trolling over structure. Told me this past weekend found a lone tree off a bluff loaded with fish. Wouldn't hit minnows or jigs, started trolling over it and after several passes, put 17 in the cooler over 12".

I saw a YouTube video of Wally Marshall trolling with crankbaits. He caught 1/2 a dozen on the video but he could catch fish in the dessert..........

I did a little crank trolling last fall for crappie .did pretty well.and I have to say it pretty fun.

I've caught a lot of crappie trolling for stripers in Texoma in the past. I've been surprised many times at how big a lure some crappie will take. A Chartreuse crankbait will quit often be irresistible to a big crappie.

Texoma was not good for crappie this year. I only caught a few before it went muddy. Last year was pretty good for trolling


I think trolling is not a good tactic for getting a limit of crappie but you'll get some big ones.


before the flood I could always count on catching a few crappie with the stripers. Your speed needs to be between 1.5 - 2 mph max to get the crappie

My fiance' and I caught a nice crappie two Sundays ago by the Tawakoni dam while we were trolling for sandies and hybrids with a hell-pet. I think I might actually start targeting them there.

Trolling is great tactic. Works really great on rivers. Depends on your definition of trolling. Pushing baits off the front with multiple polls is generally called spider rigging. I spider rig almost exclusively and have awesome results at any location you would normally single pole or fish off brush. Trolling is generally dragging lines off the back. Some use crank baits other use jigs. Ive seen lots of guys use the trolling technique on the diversion canal between Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie (Santee Lakes) with great results. When I moved to Texas a little over a year ago I was almost shocked to see no one using either spider rigging or trolling. When I lived in Mississippi almost everyone spider rigs.

Pk is right about catching quality over quantity.