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Reply With QuoteCrappie nibbles
Slabmaster II
thx for the great info.
are you tipping those jigs with any one item for this time of year, or just give everything a try and see whats working that day?
Originally Posted by CrappiePappy
If you really catch them in the early pre-spawn movement from their deep water Winter haunts, on their way to the creeks/bays where they intend to spawn ... longline trolling of jigs is likely your best bet, since you'll be covering a lot of water and more likely to intercept them along their route of travel. That route is usually along the old creek channel, or across open flats with spots of cover scattered around.
Once they get stationed near their spawning grounds, they'll feed heavily to put on weight and store the nutrients needed to finish egg/milt production and survive the rigors of the spawn. They may move in and out from the spawning bank, depending on water/weather conditions, but most any presentation will work ... as long as you find their depth & location.
Once they actually get set up and start spawning, you'll usually find the males shallow & the females a little farther off shore (staging) ... but, you will occasionally catch both genders from the shallows, if you happen to be there when the females come cruising in looking for a mate. Again, any shallow water technique will usually work at those times.
I generally use the same size jigs throughout the year ... 1/32 or 1/16oz for casting/trolling methods, depending on depth & speed needed to present the lure to them.
... cp
Crappie.com 1K Star General
Crappie nibbles
Slabmaster II
'CrappiePappy' when i asked what are you tipping your jigs with.
i mean, are you putting one of the many soft plastics on it, or using hairjigs, jigs w/minnow, ect ?
i'm never sure when someone says jigs, what exactly they mean.
Last edited by naturenut; 01-14-2015 at 04:56 PM.
Crappie.com 1K Star General
Curly tails, tube jigs, stingers, bobby g strollers, bobby g slab slayers, hair jigs.Take your pick. Let the fish tell you what they want. All of those work well with longlining.
Dollfly LIKED above post
Slabmaster II
Thx bud!
thats what i'm looking for. :-)
my goal this year is to catch them way before spawn. i love new challenges, and learning new ways to catch fish.
Last edited by naturenut; 01-14-2015 at 05:47 PM.
Crappie.com 1K Star General
Lots of different ways to catch them and baits to use. One day they will cooperate and hit minnows, the next they may prefer jigs. CrappiePappy told you right when he said cover water next to a drop in the mouths of bays. Some guys use a heavy sinker and bump bottom with a jig or two above it, tipped with a minnow.
My personal preference is to tightline a jig or cast across tops of brushpiles. Tightlining will let you hold the jig in front of their nose. Definitely tip with crappie nibble, it'll help them make up there mind. A lot of guys will spider rig as they follow the drops. Try different depths, if you're not catching fish adjust how deep your fishing. When you catch a fish or two, there's a good chance there is a lot more around.
Slabmaster II
great info, very much appreciated,thx
is tightlining basicly the same as dropshotting ?
i caught alot of crappie late this fall dropshotting with two hooks about 18'' apart.
Crappie.com 1K Star General
In essence the same thing. You are targeting specific structure.
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IMHO -
Tightlining may mean different things to different people ... but, generally it's fishing straight down over the side of the boat, while the boat is tied or anchored, usually with a hook/sinker rig.
True "dropshotting" requires the weight on the bottom of the line to actually BE on the bottom of the lake, and action is imparted to the baits on the line above by letting slack in the line & moving the rod tip.
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And when I'm using jigs, I'm referring to a jighead with some form of plastic body. Casting, vertical jigging, & dock shooting, I don't add anything else. Drifting or spider rigging, I will usually have the jig tipped with a minnow (whether there's a plastic body attached or not). Trolling ... I'll use jigs/plastics, hair/feather jigs, & Roadrunners.
... cp
Trophy King
Like me! way up here in PA! I catch Crappie all year long in PA lakes and even the Susquehanna.I disagree. I've seen many posts from just about every section of the country represented here. Which is one reason why I love this site so much.
In the spawn, they move to shallow bays, but they like cover and feed all year long. Any minnow imitation in Marabou, Soft Plastic, or Gulp will catch. Even under the thick ice, I catch Crappie like crazy!
Crappie are the best tablefare, and they multiply fast. My local lakes are almost pollution free, and the Crappie are thriving!
I agree with Crestliner, Crappies are fished for all over the US. That guy way up in Maine seems to catch bigger Crappie than the southern boys catch? LOL
I've posted so many pix on internet fishing sites that my Photobuckert is almost filled up! I still keep taking pix though.
