Thread: Catching just 1 crappie

Lots of good advice above. When I am bank fishing, usually in late winter or springtime, I like to feel the bite so I am not using a float. I will tie on one of the bobber stop strings above my jig and adjust it up or down when I figure out the depth the craps are liking. Then I will just lower my jig until the string is at water level. Not rocket science but it works for me.

One and done has happened to me a lot. But being a stubborn old fellow I usually stay too long before moving. I know places that always have fish. They just don’t always want to visit with me. Depth changes with temperatures, food sources, wind, air pressure, even presentation. When casting it is hard to hit the exact place and depth every time. At least for this old man. When I can find a spot where they are stacked up and I can stay still, I like to just jig vertically. Vary my count just to keep from spooking them to much. A slow retrieval seems to work most of the time. Like others have said, I pray, Lord , at least just one please


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So IMHO Sir CrappiePappy has provided some serious Sage advice but I would respectfully like to add to his comments. The short version is SPLASH! Splash is not discussed, when teaching Bon Temps his first instructions was "Do Not Let Them Splash!". Their out fishing now but he may chime in here. If they come to the surface and splash it's usually over. As Pappy wrote, if scattered they are hard to get on a hook but splashing is the #1 way to scatter a school. I say hold your rod tip down, keep the fish in the water, lead it in as straight a line as possible away from the school and around the side of the boat well away of the rest of the bunch before breaking the surface to land. My

interesting , never thunk about the splash in reverse , seems here ,sometimes the splash makes them all want in on it .....
heck I been known to slap the water with my rod to fire em up .....
I am going to go on a boat ride soon with a bud who has LS and see if this is so in real time ......
interesting , maybe black crappie are more skittish ?
when we float ketch we often slash the float to attract attention .....I always thought half the time they keyed on my float and then found my jig .......
now ya got me wondering