One Pole Success - By Derek Frick

About 6 years ago I got bit with the “crappie bug.” I remember the day like it was yesterday. My cousin and I had taken an early spring trip on Lake Murray in search of some elusive slabs. To be honest, I was very much a rookie at the time (and still am), but we had a game plan of sorts to try. Needless to say, our plan only resulted in one nice crappie, but the trip was very rewarding. We both watched in disbelief as several boats in the same area as us boated slab after slab. I had never seen anything like it. Not only were they catching nice fish in great numbers, but they were fishing with a set-up I had never seen. They were spider rigging. The multiple pole setup became my new thing and it didn’t take long before we had the boat rigged out and we were catching fish with everyone else. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about the movement and patterns of fish from those first couple years on the water. At that point in time, I was strictly a spring time fisherman, partly because I had other hobbies, and mostly because I couldn’t catch them any other time of the year.





Then a couple years ago it happened again…it was like déjà vu. My wife and I were out bream fishing in early June. It had been a few weeks since I had tried the crappie and my last trips had proved to be fairly unsuccessful. I watched a fellow crappie.com member pull up to a log within sight of us and drop a jig beside it. BAMM!!! Fish on!!! I watched as he wrestled a 2 lb slab in the boat. I immediately started trolling his way… and I asked… “what are you doing?” That’s when Roland (S-town Crappie King) explained to me his technique of single pole jigging. The very next weekend I was on the water again with a jig pole in hand. It didn’t take but a few trips before I was catching a mess of fish and the more time I spent on the water, the more stuff I tried, and the more success I started having. For any beginners into the sport of crappie fishing: Don’t be afraid to try something new on every trip out. You never know where you might find fish holding and it’s good to be able to think outside of the box. I have fallen for the single pole method “hook, line, and sinker” as they say. Now don’t get me wrong, I still love to see 4 rods get hammered by slabs simultaneously, but as far as a year round method to catch fish on a consistent basis the jig pole is where it is at folks.




What You Need to Get Started

The real beauty of the single pole method is in its simplicity. You don’t have to have hundreds upon hundreds of dollars to put towards equipment to be successful. It’s nice to have a grand worth of electronics to locate brush, but it’s not necessary. You don’t need 16 different poles and an I-pilot trolling motor to dial in an exact speed accurate to a tenth of a mile per hour. All you need to single pole jig is just that…a single pole. They come in many lengths, styles, and brands, but if I were to recommend a rod to someone I would say pick one that is around 10’ long, light, sensitive, has some backbone and a fast tip. Shorter rods may limit what you can fish and longer rods take some getting used to for beginners…or they did for me. Pick your favorite line in 4-8 lb test (depending on the structure that you are fishing) and your favorite jig and rig it up. The reel doesn’t have to be high dollar, but I do suggest getting something that has a good working drag so you can handle big fish and non-crappie that like your offering.




What to Fish

What should I fish? That’s a loaded question isn’t it? My response would be anything you think could have a crappie holding around it. A log that’s hung up on a flat adjacent to a channel, a tree top that has fallen into the water, a brush pile, a bridge, standing timber, grass mats, a dock, etc. The list goes on and on and the possibilities are somewhat endless based on the lake that you’re fishing. I have learned over the last couple years that no matter what time of year it is fish can be found hanging just about anywhere. Normally I fish deep stuff when the temperatures are extreme (dead of summer or winter) and shallower stuff in the milder spring and fall seasons. With that being said, if you’re not catching fish deep don’t assume they just aren’t biting. Try shallow. One of my best spots this past summer was a dock that was 3 foot deep at its end. The dock was not close to any deep water and I really can’t tell you why fish were there, but they were.




How to Fish It

There are a million different ways to work a jig, but I’ve found that sometimes the best way is the “Do Nothing.” By that I mean just let the jig sit idle. Pitch it beside, around, or on top of the structure, and let it fall vertical. If the fish dictate that they want it moving, try making the jig hop every few seconds by briefly moving the rod tip. The fast action tip on a jig pole will assist you in doing this. There are a lot of good articles around the internet on how to work a jig and I suggest anyone wanting to try this method search them out and experiment with them all. You never know from day to day what the fish will like the best. This is one of the best ones I have found: http://www.gameandfishmag.com/2011/0...nfish_jig0411/

My final piece of advice is to ask questions. The fine folks here on Crappie.com are full of knowledge and everyone is always willing to help out. Everyone on here has a strong suit in something and by spending time on these forums we all become better fishermen/women by sharing our experiences. One of the greatest things about fishing is the fact that there’s always room for improvement. With that being said, the best learning tool is experience and every time you take a trip on the water you learn something new. There’s no better teacher than trial and error and time spent on the water. Good luck and Tight Lines to All!