Crappie Angling

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What are Crappie? Besides being one of the best tasting and fun to fish for they are a member of the sunfish family. The sunfish family includes bass, bluegill and redear sunfish. They can be found throughout North America and due to the fight they give on light tackle have become increasingly popular.

There are two species of Crappie the Black Crappie and the White Crappie. They are most easily identified by the number of spiny dorsal fin rays. The black crappie has 7 or 8 spiny dorsal fin rays, while the white crappie only has 5 or 6. The black crappie is distinguished by irregularly spaced black blotches or spots. On the White Crappie these spots tend to form vertical bars.

Black Crappie like clear water and can usually be found in ponds, reservoirs and slow moving rivers. White Crappie are more tolerant of the water conditions and can be found in muddier waters. Both crappie like structure and will congregate around areas with abundant aquatic vegetation, brush piles or other types of cover.

The world record Black Crappie is 6 lbs – 0 oz. The world record White Crappie is 5 lbs – 3 oz. You are much more likely to catch them in the ¼ to 1 lb size but because they are a school fish once you have found one there are many more where that one came from.

The spring spawning period is when a lot of anglers like to focus on crappie but in truth they can be caught all year long. The spawning period for both is when the water temperature is between 58-68 degrees. Black crappie nests are frequently found in gravel or in soft, muddy river or lake bottoms. White crappie nests are often located near structures such as brush piles, stumps or rock outcrops.

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Bank fishing for Crappie is much easier than you might think. You do not need a boat to catch these delicious black and white fish. There are more places to fish than you probably imagined. On most lakes and reservoirs across the country there are man made piers and docks that provide excellent crappie fishing opportunities. If you don’t know where they are located your local bait shop should be able to point you in the right direction.

Crappie can be caught at anytime of day but when fishing from a pier I think night time is the best. I have a crappie light that sits right on the water. You can purchase this at any sporting goods store. The first thing I do once it gets dark is to lower this light until it is right on top of the water. The reason I do this is to attract bugs and small underwater creatures to the light. This in turn attracts baitfish that feed off of these bugs and creatures. That, in turn attracts the larger fish, including crappie to feed on the baitfish.

Crappies love minnows. You will need a minnow bucket and a couple of dozen of live minnows for bait. Jigs will work as well but if jigs are what you want to use make sure you bring a variety of colors and types as you will have to experiment some to find out what they are biting. I will repeat Crappies love minnows and you will not lose valuable time finding the right lure.

The best way to rig your minnow is to take a #8 hook and run the hook through the minnow’s lips. When you are crappie fishing the minnow must be alive and swimming around to attract the crappie. Hooking it through the lips keeps the minnow alive for a very long time, and presents it in a completely natural manner. If the minnow is hooked in a manner which doesn't keep it alive long, you're just wasting the money you spent on bait.

Place a bobber on your line and start fishing. If you don’t catch one right away change the depth of the hook. Once you have hooked one and reeled it in go right back to the same spot there are more where that first one came from.

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Confused about crappie fishing tackle? You are not the only one. This is one of the most common questions and concerns from anyone setting out on their first or their 200th crappie fishing expedition. The good news, though, is that you do not have to over think it. Crappie are easy to please.

One of the best things, when it comes to fishing tackle for catching Crappie, is the fact that most anything can be used as crappie fishing tackle. From your oldest cane pole to the highest tech rod and reel, crappie fishing tackle runs the gamut. The main thing you will need to consider when you are choosing Crappie fishing tackle is the water in which you will be fishing, and how deep you will want to fish to find the crappie and get them to biting.

Use combination spin cast rods and reels or ultra light spinners if you will be fishing in areas where there is little cover or if the fish are holding in deep water. Using line as big as ten pound test to as light as four pound test usually works well in these conditions when fishing for Crappie. With this type combo, you will be able to cast more accurately to put your hook where you want it to be and will allow your hook to get down to where the fish actually are holding.

If you are fishing in shallow water where catching your hook on thick debris is an issue, you might want to consider fishing with a pole, so you can get into the dense brush, foliage, and other obstacles with fewer snags.

Using a simple cane pole, on the other hand, is certainly the least expensive and the most tried and true method for Crappie fishing, and the most picturesque crappie fishing pole. One drawback to fishing with a cane pole is the fact that they are more difficult to transport. Most of the newer poles are lightweight and telescopic, so they are easier to pack up and take with you, even in a compact car.

When you are choosing a tackle box for crappie fishing, you will probably choose based on a few simple criteria. One big consideration will be budget. Most people buy what they can afford, and if cost is an issue, you might choose based on a variety of things, but some would certainly be size, budget, and the type of crappie fishing tackle you want to use.

If you fish primarily for Crappie, and have either budgetary considerations or have size considerations, you might choose a smaller tackle box.

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