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Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
#12711531
04/11/18 03:40 AM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 145
Treadlightly2
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 145 |
Had a decent day with the Crappie today, for me that is. I've never come near a limit and am happy as a clam if I get a half dozen. I made a discovery about how big a shad a Crappie will eat. Usually I'm cast netting for catfish bait but the other day I decided to put some smaller ones under a bobber and viola!! Not only will they eat the ones that nearly fit through the 1/2 inch netting, they will eat 2 inch ones too. And I think you catch bigger Crappie that way, could have just been right place right time but I brought home some very fat ones today. You guys have probably known this for years but it was news for me.
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Treadlightly2]
#12711536
04/11/18 03:43 AM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950
crapicat
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950 |
...amazing, isnt it!
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Treadlightly2]
#12711564
04/11/18 04:13 AM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 5,599
Mckinneycrappiecatcher
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 5,599 |
Yup. Fishing a river a few years back below a dam, the crappie were stacked in4FOW gorging on gizzard shad, could see striper and walleye in the hole in the bottom, friend snagged a 5 gizzard shad and put it on the hook, immediately caught a 14 Crappie. Theyll eat big baits.
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Treadlightly2]
#12711755
04/11/18 01:30 PM
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 185
Jerod Pontello
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 185 |
Every year i wil catch at least one on a trot line baited with good size perch, always surprises me
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Jerod Pontello]
#12711786
04/11/18 01:54 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950
crapicat
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950 |
Back when I trotlined, I experienced the same results...that is how I learned some of my crappie holes, before electronics!
BTW, This is TBoxes contention with his 3 inch tadpole profile...he informed me a couple of weeks ago that he has caught 7 inch crappie that have completely engulfed his 3 inch Tadpoles...so, I left my gear in the truck and used his gear...once I learned how to get the right action on the larger baits, I caught some good fish with them. I am still in some disbelief about how those larger bait profiles fit into the crappie world, BUT, next time I get on a deep pile, I am gonna throw a big bait, along with my normal offering at them, and see how that works out...
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Treadlightly2]
#12711803
04/11/18 02:03 PM
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 185
Jerod Pontello
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 185 |
Crapicat let us no how u do, im curious
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Treadlightly2]
#12711835
04/11/18 02:28 PM
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 580
erittmueller
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 580 |
Open up a few fish stomachs next time you're cleaning them, of any species. You will learn very very quickly what they are focusing on eating at that time of year. For example in my local pond that has crappie, in the summer and fall I pull out 2-4 inch shad out of them, yes LOTS of 4 inch shad out of 10 inch fish... but in the winter in my pond they only have a couple minnows in them and then a ton of young of the year bluegill and a ton of small crustaceans. Obviously pattern would be different in a lake than a pond but it definitely gives a pattern.
Catch crappie with mayfly larvae in it, next time out fish with larvae shaped plastics on standing timber. Catch a catfish with a bunch of crayfish in it and going bass fishing 3 days later? Throw craw lures. Catch crappie with 1 inch newborn baitfish downsize your lures.......
Eric
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Treadlightly2]
#12711889
04/11/18 03:07 PM
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 185
Jerod Pontello
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 185 |
I dont clean the big cats anymore but when i use to every big opp would have a 6-10 cat in his gut
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Treadlightly2]
#12712211
04/11/18 06:57 PM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,695
Ken Gaby
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,695 |
If the bait fits in their mouth, and they are hungry, they will eat it. Matching what they are feeding on at the time is good advice. When fishing off color to muddy water, a larger profile bait is easier for the crappie to detect. I've got quite a few 2.5 and 3" tadpoles from Thermocline. Nothing wrong with those 1/32 and 1/24 oz jigs, but I very rarely have one tied on. About the only time is July - August for a 1/16 or 1/32. Most of the hand ties I use are 2-2.5" profiles.
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Treadlightly2]
#12712759
04/12/18 01:50 AM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 674
RedRanger521
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 674 |
I just caught a 12" and a 9" crappie out of my pond on a 3/4 ounce spinnerbait!
2022 Caymas CX21Pro, Mercury 250 4 Stroke, 52" Ultrex 112 MS I Pilot Link, HBird M360, Two 16"Apex MSI+, Two Garmin EchoMap 126 Ultras, Two LVS34, PowerPole Blades
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Ken Gaby]
#12713439
04/12/18 03:59 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,462
PKfishin
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,462 |
Ken: You are right about that. If they can get it in their mouth they will eat it. I was fishing below PK in the Brazos a few years back and caught some 5-7 inch shad and had a bunch of under size stripers in the 12-14 inch rage eat those. I'd look at their mouth and could not believe that got that shad down.
John 21:3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee.
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Treadlightly2]
#12713687
04/12/18 06:57 PM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,035
Spiderman
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,035 |
Guys in allot of southern states troll with Big Crankbaits that don't look like they would fit in a crappies mouth, but they continue to produce fish.
The Truth is six of the seven Dwarfs are not Happy!
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Treadlightly2]
#12714167
04/12/18 11:59 PM
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 4,439
Gamblinman
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 4,439 |
Think about it. A crappie has to leave security to chase down food. If he can get a bigger dinner while out of his protection zone, he'll have to leave it less often to feed.
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: Spiderman]
#12714576
04/13/18 11:22 AM
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,063
TroyKing
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,063 |
Guys in allot of southern states troll with Big Crankbaits that don't look like they would fit in a crappies mouth, but they continue to produce fish.
two of my best spots I figured out by talking to bass fisherman.... usually when a bass fisherman realizes you are a crappie fisherman they will tell you about huge crappie they have caught on big baits like a DD22 or big jig and pig....when I say bass fisherman I mean the ones who know what they are doing and have figured out off shore structure...they don't understand why they catch occasionally catch big crappie, but I do, and I take notes.
Last edited by TroyKing; 04/13/18 11:27 AM.
The driving force and secret desire of every bass fisherman, is to one day be a crappie fisherman............Could it be that the good Lord just smilies and looks the other way when a fisherman tells a lie?
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Re: Crappie can eat bigger shad than I would have guessed
[Re: TroyKing]
#12714600
04/13/18 11:53 AM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950
crapicat
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950 |
Guys in allot of southern states troll with Big Crankbaits that don't look like they would fit in a crappies mouth, but they continue to produce fish.
two of my best spots I figured out by talking to bass fisherman.... usually when a bass fisherman realizes you are a crappie fisherman they will tell you about huge crappie they have caught on big baits like a DD22 or big jig and pig....when I say bass fisherman I mean the ones who know what they are doing and have figured out off shore structure...they don't understand why they catch occasionally catch big crappie, but I do, and I take notes. So do you tell them where you been catching big bass and invite them over for bass on the half shell?
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