Ok, I am an avid bass fisherman and always thought this crappie fishing thing must be easy since I always hear you guys talk about multiple 25 fish limits by mid morning. I have tried crappie fishing a few times and have had very little luck. I usually end up getting frustrated and break out the bass fishing gear.

I called my dad yesterday and invited him to meet me so we could figure them out and take my sons out today. To say we struggled would be an understatement. We had 5 crappies from noon until 4:30, not what i was hoping for and definitely not enough to take a 4 and 7 year old out today for more of.

So My questions are what line size and type is best. Do you use flourocarbon or mono. what jig sizes, styles and colors are used most often. And finally what is the advantage to the long rods I see used sometimes and what is the ideal length and action rod for catching crappie?

To add to my frustration I read that apparently we are fishing on the new "it lake for crapie" Palestine so I have one less excuse there LOL

Thanks for any pointers,

Jason

Hiring a guide would probably be your first step. It will be money well spent and might save a lot of frustration.

First, crappie can be one of the most frustrating fish to catch consistently. They can be finicky and the strike is often very subtle. It's also a bit like real estate...location, location, location.

Matthew and I fished Palestine on Friday. Both of us are what I consider to be reasonably competent crappie fisherman but having said that it was only our second time on Palestine. We fished for about 6 hours and caught a total of 8 fish....they were good sized fish so we felt that the quality was great even if the quantity wasn't. We caught 4 fish off the bridge and the other 4 off brush. The four that come off the brush came off a spot that was probably 8' in diameter and took us the better part of 3 hours to catch.

My point is saying all this is that they're not the easiest fish in the world to catch on a consistent basis. I'll bet that every guy that posts those mid-morning limit stories will tell you more stories about the days they fished all day and caught little to nothing. They may be considered panfish but they aren't bream.

Hiring a guide or making friends and fishing with someone that is more experienced is a good move IMHO.

Personally I fish higher end rods than most (Dobyns) but that's just my personal preferrence. I like a 7'-7.5', medium light rod and I fish 10# Fireline in the flame green with an 8# fluor leader. As for your jig question...most everything we caught Friday was on pink & chartreuse had ties, if you look down a few posts you'll see Crazy Angler caught most of his on his Slam Bandit in a new color. Reports from Palestine earlier in the week said blue and white was the ticket. I other words alot of different things will work.

Hang out here in the crappie section and you'll get some good info. Hire a guide for an instructional trip. They aren't easy but they're not quantum physics either.

Get with clay83! He is the crappie guide de-lux on Palestine!

Tell me about it man. I decided to try this crappie thing out to a couple days ago out here at Lewisville. I get out there with my little spinning rod, 1/8 oz jig and start fishing the bridge pillars.... got 2 bites! Waiting on that little jig to sink is a killer for me especially with a bad case of ADD which is prolly why I like bass fishing more... Anyways it was still pretty fun and makes me want to try even more to catch em now. Just don't know where to catch em at. Good luck man! Spring time bass fishing is right around the corner!!

To me, crappie fishing is harder than bass fishing. This is the reason I started crappie fishing and haven't bass fished in over 2 years. Now catching a heavy stringer of bass is a different story! I use to be the same way with regards to getting frustrated and breaking out the bass tackle. I finally made myself leave all the bass tackle at home and forced myself to use only jigs. (I don't use minnows, I consider it cheating)

To catch crappie consistently, you have to find the structure. This is the hardest part for me. If you don't know how to read your graph or don't have a graph, it is near impossible to have success. It's like fishing in a 5 gallon bucket once you find some structure. You have to stay right on top of it. Don't give up!!!

Crappie fishing any lake can be real good or real bad on any given day if you dont know where and what to fish. Palestine is my home lake and there are few days that I can't go and catch a limit. But there are days that I struggle to catch 8-10 fish. I don't know what boat and equipment you have and it really doesn't matter, what matters is where you where fishing and were you fishing where the fish are. You can fish all day in the wrong spot with the highest priced rods/reels, baits and gadgets and never get a bite. I can fish in the right spot with a broom handle and 12 lb stren line and catch fish. Going crappie fishing every once in while hoping to catch fish is normally a tough outing. My success comes from spending lots of time on the water and even more time finding and building structure in those right spots. I would say in your case hiring a guide would be a good way to get a few of your questions answered and get you ready to put your kids on some fish.

All these guys are giving good advice. A few years ago my buddy and I were converted from the "green carp". The best move we made after being frustrated for a few trips was to hire a guide. I have had several guided trips and watched the videos by Earnest Paty. Also you will learn a lot from this forum. As these guys have said you still face days that you'll struggle but those stringer filling days will come and you will be addicted as we all are.
Good luck. Share what you learn.

Best piece of advice from Ernest Paty's video. If you aren't catching fish, MOVE! You are there to target the most aggressive fish that are feeding right then. Don't stay in one spot for more than 5 minutes if you're not getting bit. Stay on the move. Don't anchor!!!! Always use your trolling motor.

Get out while your ahead! This is the most addictive thing I know of! Dang these crappie!

location is over 90 percent of the deal with crappie. Also don't be hard headed and limit yourself to just jigs. Especially if kids are involved. You want them to catch fish at that age, not become a master jig fisherman. I grew up fishing with minnows, but I don't put out multiple rods and use rod holders. I fish a jig identical to how I fish a minnow so there is no difference to me. If they aren't biting a jig, they will more than likely bite a minnow. But like I said earlier the most important thing is location. The problem 90 percent of guys have that struggle crappie fishing is that they aren't very good at boat control. If you can't keep your boat still over a tiny spot with your trolling motor you aren't going to be as effective as you could.

Being a bass fisherman, one thing you have to change is your hook set. Many times you can over set the hook on crappie, just a wrest jerk is all it takes. The most productive way to catch crappie is fishing brush piles, you may already know were some are that you bass fish. A med or med lite rod works great with 8 to 10 lb test line. I like spinning reels but a bait cast works good as well. Crappie have many patterns they run through out the year, so learning those patterns is very important. If you are fishing 8' or less I like useing 1/16 oz jigs any deeper I use a 1/8 oz. Their are many differant colors of jigs out there, but the blk/char, and white/char are two colors you want to have on hand at any lake. On plastics I like using Rocky Top jigs, On hand tied jigs Thumpit, Jiggums and TNT Tackle Jigs are all hard to beat.

I also used to fish for bass exclusively but made the switch to crappie fishing in order to get my son hooked on fishing. If you had success in bass fishing you will do well crappie fishing. For me, locating crappie is very similar to locating bass since most of my bass fishing was done throwing a jig and worm. Crappie and bass seasonal patterns are similar and they both like cover. Fish for crappie in some of the same areas you fished for bass. Difference being think smaller and fish slower. Small baits, smaller tackle especially when fishing a jig (1/32 to 1/16 oz jig--I actually remove some of the marabou feathers to make it even smaller). Use light XL (extra limp mono) line and light to medium action rod so as to feel a 1/32 oz jig or minnow on the end of the rod. No need for an expensive reel, I prefer a small spinning reel (around 6 oz in weigh--very little chunking and winding for me when crappie fishing). The key is to get a good balanced rod and reel to help you feel the light thump or no longer feeling the weight of the jig or minnow that comes from a crappie bite. Once you master the bite difference between a bass and crappie you will be on your way to some good crappie adventures. Also remember to slow down your presentation, twitch a jig don't jerk it. Pay attention to where you locate the first crappie, others will follow the same pattern. In my opinion a bass will move a longer distance to take a bait, so your bait presentation will need to become more accurate when crappie fishing. Not unusual to catch a bunch of crappie in an area several times the size of your boat. You will save gas crappie fishing and you will be a happier fisherman at the end of the day. No one will give you a hard time if you decide to eat your catch. By the way, my son picked up jig fishing at age 5. If you fish it enough, so will you. Welcome to the good side of a wonderful fishing life.
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Gary (Crappie Jigging)

Thanks guys! I'll follow your pointers and book Clay83 in the near future. The problem with that it my boys will realize I don't have a clue after going out with him and will expect me to put them on fish all of the time.

Dad and I fished the 155 bridge mostly and saw quite a few fish being caught but it definitely isn't peaceful under there. I guess it would have been better if we had been catching fish.

Thanks again

Jason

All good posts!
Especailly like this one. Good stuff.

go at like your getting ready for a Bass tournament ( do your homework and research )then buy a good filet knife.

i started crappie fishing this year after hearing some good reports. i just looked for the stack of boats and pulled in like i new what i was doing. watched how everyone was fishing them and did the same. most of the guys out there on the water have no problem giving advice if you ask.

Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

What I mean by the statement above is that if you will take the time to create the perfect habitat for those fish and not rely on just electronics and someone elses grit(or be a bridge bandit) then you will have a much better chance at having a consitent catch. Determine a lake that you want to target and fish that lake exclusive. Create the habitat for different conditions. Dont go sink three christmas trees and think your work is done. The more you prepare the piles the more places YOU have to fish. Its like the baseball movie-Field of Dreams "Build it and they will come".
There are many AWESOME Crappie fisherman on this forum but two that I believe that fish the way I do would be Keith Speer and Chuck Rollins. These guys are probably some of the best at this sport and they do just what I said. One of them makes a living at guiding crappie trips.

Please understand I don't mean to come off rude. I have done it the hard way and have come full circle and the payoff is much better when you have your own piles to fish. Hopefully you can learn quicker than I did.

Good luck Fishing and always remeber to make it so that the kids in your boat have an awesome time. They are the future.

I only started fresh water fishing this past summer when I found a creek with some really great bass fishing and then I heard how fun crappie were !I was so looking forward to the winter crappie run , but boy I am so glad I'm not the only one totally lost on crappie fishing . I've never even actually seen one in real life lol . was hoping to catch some on white rock creek but so far epic fail .. I'll keep trying but now starting to look forward to spring bass fishing . lol.

Lots of good advise here. Crappie fishing is definately not the game for young children unless the parent is pretty knowledgeable about crappie fishing and doesn't fish too long. Also this is not the best time of year for beginners to learn on their own.

Brushpile fishing is the best most of the time but also harder until you have built or found several.

I reccomend bridges for most beginners at first but even there there's a lot to learn. All bridge columns are not created equal. Cross members? How deep? Fish the ends or middle?

I prefer to start near the ends and ALWAYS on the shady side. If there are three or more columns in each row the middle ones usually hold the most fish. Mark your line so you know exactly how deep you get bit so you can return to that depth.

See what I mean. A lot to learn.

Be patient, you will get there.

PS: don't be afraid to use a heavier jig when fishing deep (over 20') I often use two 1/4 oz jigs in winter. Sometimes even one 1/2 oz one. I make my own because it's hard to buy ready made ones the right size (Except from Jigum Jigs).

Guess my 8 year old is an exception then. Kid is actually amazing or so lucky I should have him picking nightly lotto numbers. I started him jig fishing over this past summer in prep for the winter time bite and he was addicted and just as sick as his dad when he got that first bump. Before he was using jigs he would minnow fish with no aid or help at all as far as putting on his minnow setting the depth and finding the crappie. Biggest crappie I have ever caught was almost touching 2lbs. To sum up that stat I may bag a few more than him but he usually always catches the slab of the day, once again, Luck? Last spring he caught one just under 2.5lb and another at 2.75lb and already this fall and winter he has had several over the 1.5lb range. He also isn't like most kids he never wants to leave even if the bite isn't on he is still fishing and searching for them. Always ready to get up at 4am and get down to the lake no matter how cold. The funny thing is that he is the only kid I have ever seen in my life that is able to sit on a crappie dock full of avid crappie fsherman and carrie on a conversation with everyone as if he was one of the guys and seeing the respect the men give him and not treating him like a kid. What really cracks me up is when a person who isn't a regular at the dock is in a slip fishing and my son goes to the same slip drops a jig and you can see the body language of the person that tells you he thinking darn kid going to get my way, tangle up in my line and be loud and scare off the fish. I just sit back and watch and the result is usually the guy moving in shame because my son is wearing them out and putting on a clinic. Sometimes I wonder if i take him to much or that we fish to hard when we go but it is his passion and favorite hobby except for baseball. The way I look at is hopefully he never loses hi passion for it because when he is a teenager I would much rather him be at the lake than somewhere drinking or using drugs. He usually makes all A's in school, I just question how people that see us regularly at the lake that don't know us view me as a father because we fish so much. To some it may look like I am always dragging him to the lake and making this poor kid sit there all day. It is the other way around I have to tell him son it is tme to leave. Enough of me bragging on my son, not really bragging it just is what it is but crappie fishing takes patience and alot mind games you have to play will those unpredictable fish. Main thing is never give up and go to a descent crappie dock or barge and watch and listen to the people that are doing good. Ask questions,most will be happy to give advice. Keep at it and you will be catching fish and at the lake alot. It isn't for everyone but if a 8 year old can do it anyone can. The main factor is if you have the true heart and passion for it.

Amen brother, preach it!

Congrats on the 'Crappie Kid'. Those are great moments/memories for a lifetime.