Basic Crappie Fishing Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

(Warning: If you are an old crusty experienced fisherman and you want more advanced stuff, click here!)

Fishing for crappie is one of the most fun and popular types of fishing. You don’t have to be a professional to do it, and crappie are available in almost all the waters in the United States. Crappie are native fish in North America, especially in the north eastern states. They are part of the sunfish family including bass and blue gill. An adult crappie will measure out at about ten inches long and a large one can weigh in at approximately one pound.

Fishing for crappie is one of the easiest to learn and is good for the experienced and beginner fishermen alike. One tip for catching crappie is to remember to hook them gently, as their mouths are tender and thin skinned. You can fish for crappie all year long, but the best seasons are fall and spring time. To fish for crappie you do not need any fancy fishing gear. A regular rod and reel will suffice, or even a cane pole if you are fishing in a smaller sized pond. For bait you will want to use live minnows, small jigs or even worms and bugs. Minnows seem to be their favorite food though, and many fishermen will only use minnows for crappie fishing.

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Most fishermen state that the best time to catch crappie is at night by using a source of light. If you have a dock you can fish from you can simply hang a lantern or bright flash light up with it shining into the water. The bugs that are attracted to the light will in tuner attract the crappie. Small fish such as minnow will be attracted to the light and will lure the crappie into the area. Crappie are attracted to live minnows, so it’s important to keep fresh bait handy, so you will have live bait under your bobber. Hooking a minnow through the lip is the best way to keep them alive.

If you can’t keep live bait for some reason, the next best thing to use for crappie fishing is a jig. To use a lure or jig for crappie it’s important to choose the right one. It will have to be a very good imitation of a natural food source or they won’t go for it. Because they prefer live bait it’s best to choose a lure that is the same color as a minnow. Crappie can see well so if the lure is an odd color, you may not have much luck with it. The exception to this rule is if you are fishing in bright sunlight. If that’s the case you will want to use a brightly colored lure. Some anglers prefer to fly fish if they are using artificial bait.

Now these are just a few basic tips to get you started but if you want to fish like a pro (but without all the sponsors) click here to learn the sneakiest and most diabolical crappie fishing techniques out there before they are banned!

Click Here To Learn Advanced Crappie Fishing Techniques!