Fishing with a crankbait is often the best way to catch big crappie suspended in the open water. First, use your electronics to find schools of crappie, then use a 2-inch medium diving crankbait to troll through the school of fish. To make the crankbait dive 10-12 feet, use a 4-6 pound fluorocarbon line.
How do you catch a crappie for beginners?
Crappie Fishing Basics
- Crappie are mostly minnow eaters, and minnows hide around any kind of brush or weeds to avoid being eaten.
- Small live minnows are popular crappie baits.
- Crappie anglers primarily use ultralight spinning or spincasting reels equipped with 4- or 6-pound-test line and 5- to 5 1/2-foot-long rods.
What is the best time of day to catch crappie?
The best time to fish for crappie is at early dawn and dusk. But during the colder months it can be at the warmest time of day in the afternoon. Crappie generally feed most actively in low light, so this leaves the night as another great time to catch them as well if you have the opportunity.
What is the best month to fish for crappie?
The best fishing of the year takes place once the water warms up to the mid-50s. That could be as early as February in some Southern California Lakes, but doesn’t arrive until April farther north. Crappies feed most actively in the morning and evening, so stick to those times of the day for the highest catch rates.
What’s the best way to fish for crappie? – Related Questions
What smell attracts crappie?
Crappie baits are injected with old-school anise oil. Toledo Bend Guide Jerry Thompson’s a big fan of accenting his live minnow rigs with Berkley Powerbait Crappie Nibbles — a tactic he calls “adding cheese to the burger.” Chartreuse is his favorite, but pink gets bit, too.
What will attract crappie?
Minnows, worms, insects—just about anything can catch a crappie’s attention. You don’t have to worry about the color of the bait, and you’re only throwing them what they would be eating anyway. Minnows are hands-down the favorite used by most, and some even tip a jig with a live minnow for a double-whammy.
What month do crappie run?
Depending on their range, crappie spawn between late February and mid-June. They will gather in large numbers in shallow water areas up to 6 feet when temperatures are between 50 and 60F.
What color does crappie see best?
A combination of black and chartreuse will catch crappie in most any lake he has fished. Chase Thomas, who fishes a wide range of waters in central Arkansas, also is a fan of chartreuse but matches it up with a different contrasting color.
What time of year do crappie start biting?
The best time of year to catch crappie is during the spawning season which takes place from February-May. During the spawn, both male and female crappie move from deep locations into shallow and concentrated spawning areas. This makes them very easy to target, as they are actively feeding and defending their nests.
What is the best color to catch crappie?
In deeper water, blue-white and purple-white are excellent. In stained water (coffee color or with tannic acid) with bright-light conditions, my four predominate crappie catching colors are: green, chartreuse, lime and orange. Lures that contrast two of these colors, or matching them with brown or white are great.
What is crappie favorite food?
Crappie dine heavily on small baitfish like minnows, shiners, and small bluegills, along with aquatic invertebrates such as insect larvae, crayfish, and freshwater shrimp. To a lesser extent, crappie feed on terrestrial insects as well such as grasshoppers, worms, and moths.
What rig is best for crappie?
The 8 Best Crappie Bait Rigs
- Slip-Float Rig. It’s easy to adjust the slip-float rig to any depth you want.
- Drop-Shot Rig.
- Minnow-and-Brush-Jig Rig.
- Simple Bobber Rig.
- Floating Bottom-Walker Rig.
- Double-Jig Bait Rig.
- Three-Way Swivel Rig.
- Bullet Bait Rig.
How deep should I fish for crappie today?
The perfect crappie fishing depth is between 4 to 6 feet. But they can also drop to 8 or 12 feet depending on the light conditions and water temperatures. And if you’re ice fishing, then you might find crappie as deep as 20 feet below the ice. A lot of variables come into play when you’re fishing for crappie.
What size hooks for crappies?
The Best Hook Sizes for Crappie
Crappie have large mouths relative their size, and we’ll often fish #2 and #4 hooks, moving up to a #1 for really big minnows. While you might fish #6 and #7 for bluegill, these smaller hooks can more easily tear themselves free from a crappie’s mouth, just by virtue of their tiny gap.
What length rod is best for crappie fishing?
The best rod length for crappie fishing will be on the longer range, anywhere between 6ft to 16ft, while still feeling comfortable in your hands. Ideally, you’ll want a lightweight rod that allows you to sneak up on the fish and drop your line without needing to cast.
Does line size matter for crappie?
Most anglers prefer a 2 lbs. to 10 lbs. monofilament line for crappie fishing. Crappie have extremely delicate mouths, and anglers must take great care to avoid ripping their hook out of the crappie’s mouth completely when both fighting the fish and setting the hook.
What pound test is best for crappie?
A good bet is 4-pound test. 5. Follow crappie through their seasonal changes.
Should I use braided line for crappie?
Yes, a braided line is a great option for crappie fishing. Due to the lack of stretch, smaller diameter and greater strength braided line excels when fishing in saltwater, deep water situations and areas with brush and weeds where you may snag a line. A 10 to 15 lb braided line is your best choice in these situations.
How old is a 4 inch crappie?
While it is difficult to tell exactly how old a crappie is, some generalizations can be made based on their size. On average a crappie will reach between 3 and 4 inches in its first year of life.