Looking fo advise on gear for a beginner

[ctf58]

Okay fellas,

I've been lurking and commenting from time to time. I've never had any success targeting crappie. I also do not have any crappie specific gear. I have some small ultralite gear for gills that are very short rods and a few medium/light action spinning rod and reels for bass that are 7' or so. I have bought all kinds of Arkie type tubes and just got some killer looking jigs from bigorange84 to benifit a fallen officer.
What economical equipment should I get to start learning the ropes? I'm wanting to cast or jig I guess. I'm not ready to spider rig. I go to Academy Sports of Wally World and see these 10'+ rods and am clueless.

If you could recommend a beginners kit what would it be? Rod, reel, line and lures.
I have a minnow bucket and a bass boat with good electronics.

I'll hopefully be fishing on KY and Barkley. I also have a 7 acre slough on my property that the Ohio river backs into about every other year that is about 4 feet deep average with some spots about 15 feet deep. Wondering if there would be any Crappie caught in there. I catch catfish and see gar and drums swimming.

Thanks
ctf58

[CrappiePappy]

If you want to cast jigs, fish minnows (tightline or w/float), or even do some longline trolling ... you could use what you already have.

When I started Crappie fishing, we used 6' fiberglass rods & spincast reels with 8lb test mono. Every now & then we'd even cast a 1/8oz Doll Fly jig with them. But, most of the time we simply tied to a tree & fished straight down over the side of the boat with minnows.

You might want to downsize your line on the Bass outfits, if it's over 8lb test, but otherwise you should be OK with them for casting, trolling, and tightline fishing. And don't think that just because you've designated the smaller outfits for "gills", that they can't be used effectively for Crappie, as well.
If you don't already have these, you might consider getting ...
Some pinch-on sinkers (#4 size) ... some #2 Aberdeen hooks ... for tightlining minnows.
Some 1/16oz jigheads & various colored plastic bodies, & some 1/16oz Roadrunners (marabou) to cast. (along with your custom made jigs & Arkie tubes)

I don't know about your particular "slough", but Crappie have been known to inhabit such areas ... getting in when the river rises, in order to get out of the current, and becoming trapped in there when the water level drops.

While I do admit to having around 30 rods, from 5' UL's to 14' spider rig rods, I don't seem to catch many more fish than when I owned 2 or 3 "Crappie outfits" and tightlined minnows 90% of the time .... I'd much rather cast jigs, but have collected this many rods so that I can use most any method I know when the fish just aren't having it with the jigs.

... cp

[kissfan4]

Use what you have, like "crappiepappy" mentioned use lighter line 4-6# i like mr crappie his-vis line but use whatever your preference is. Crappie fishing with minnows under a bobber is my favorite, and the most simplest way to catch them. If your going to use tubes just head to walmart and pick up a selection of different colored tubes, along with weedless hooks (these will keep you from pulling your hair out while fishing in the thick stuff) and last but not least, some roadrunners, i always, and mean always use chartreuse it is my go to color i get them in 1/16 ounce and then i will pinch on a split shot if i need to fish deeper. Get you an assortment of bodies to go with them, bubble belly and curly tail are two of my main picks. Sorry i feel like i am rambling on, just get you some of the mentioned lures and supplies ad get out there, once you start catching them you build confidence in whatever lures/tactics you are using and the rest is history.

[ifish]

It sounds like you have some good crappie gear. I think the big question is where the crappie are at any given time. I have put out a lot of crappie beds and I attribute what fish I catch to this and of course what I find that a lot of my buddies have contributed. Like anything it is seat time and attention to detail. I would take a day and pick one bay and break it down to water depths and contours with a really good map. Then I would scan for crappie related drops and brush. Mark some spots and cast until I started getting hung up and work the area over like a bulls eye. My style is 2 poling with 11' foot High Tec JSG graphite rods I pay $30 for at Fast Eddies in Fairdealing. I hover over my brush piles and stake beds holding 2 rods and use Mo Magic 2.5 baits in pink & white with a glow pink 1/8 oz. head with #1 1350 light wire hooks. I use 20# blue power pro slick line with eagle claw ice reels. I make all my jig heads and plastic baits if that tells you anything. My last count on waypoints was over 5,000 for several lakes and rivers in Western Kentucky. I have been crappie fishing since 1964 but real serious since '94. I think my fishing changed when I started a GPS waypoint management system and using the best electronics. Good luck and there is a ton of info on here that can be had for free with a lot of great crappie fisherman willing to help. I do not give any locations on this site due to the amount of traffic it can generate. Take care and hope you catch some crappie.

[kycreek]

I'd be surprised if there isn't panfish in that slough if it's connected to the river. Find the brush/stumps in there and you will find out soon enough. Finding the stucture = finding the fish

[ctf58]

Thanks guys, I do have some roadrunners and thill type bobbers. I'll go buy some of the suggested hooks and such. How would you hook the minnows? I know that is a debate that can get ugly but I gotta ask. If it is in the back, is it just under the dorsal fin? If it is in the mouth, how do you do that?

Thanks again
clint

[CrappiePappy]

Thanks guys, I do have some roadrunners and thill type bobbers. I'll go buy some of the suggested hooks and such. How would you hook the minnows? I know that is a debate that can get ugly but I gotta ask. If it is in the back, is it just under the dorsal fin? If it is in the mouth, how do you do that?

Thanks again
clint

On a plain hook I usually hook a minnow behind the eyeballs (not bursting the eyeballs).
On a jig I hook a minnow from under the "chin" (V of the throat) and out between the nostrils.

I was taught to hook minnows under the dorsal fin, between the fin & backbone (some 50+ years ago) ... but, haven't used that hooking method for over 30yrs. In all likelihood, it's because I rarely tie up and fish as much as I used to do, and fish lakes that don't always have a lot of standing timber to tie up to.

If you are not moving around a lot (as in drifting, trolling, casting) then most any way to hook a minnow will work. But, once you put motion to your rigs presentation, you want to hook the minnow so that it will be moving head first in the direction of your movement. Dorsal fin & tail hooking methods don't work as well when you're moving, & doesn't present the minnow in a "normal" manner. IMHO

... cp

[ctf58]

Couple of Sat images. Left one is April, right is August full of duck weed. Cyprus trees are the spots in the water. Some are 8 feet diameter. It is about 2 miles from the river and technically the upper most part of a 300to400+ acre slough that does have some crappie, or at least that is what I'm told. It has been separated from the other slough system except when the Ohio floods. Sounds like we are in for some serious flooding soon, but I am afraid it will be so cold that it sure will not replenish anything. My slough is 5" thick ice right now. Will be interesting if 8 feet of flood water comes in. Will the ice melt or rise up as large chunks and float into my tree line.

[kissfan4]

Regarding how to hook the minnow, just switch it up. Sometimes thats what gets them to bite. Usually i always hook them in the back towards the tail, if the crappie are not hitting i will try hooking them like "crappiepappy" said, through the bottom of the chin and out in between the nostrils.

[kycreek]

I normally go up under the chin & out. Like pappy said if it's in motion keep his head in the front.

Does the slough flood regularly? If it has the depths you posted above it almost has to have panfish in it. IMO