New Crappie Fisherman, Need Your Advice

[Boondock]

I am brand new to crappie fishing and would like to learn as much as possible. Looking to gain some knowledge from you seasoned vets out there. I would GREATLY appreciate it if you could take a minute to relay your most valuable piece of information.

Also, are there any good crappie holes on the Ohio or creeks of the Ohio in/around the Louisville area?

Thanks in advance!

[waynewallen]

from what i've learned from my dad and have exp over the yrs, depth is the most important thing in crappie fishing. if they are bitting, the color of the jig really doesnt matter. i have purposely changed colors when the bite was on and they didnt slow down but if i didnt have the right dept they wouldnt touch it or if i didnt have the jig at the right location, no bite. ie.... they will want the jig coming from a certain direction across whatever structure they are holding to. yes, crappie are a structure oriented fish.99 outa 100 there will be some kind of structure they are holding to. u might not be able to see it but its there. crappie are funny fish, some times they will only bite on a vertical pres. other times it has to be moving. hope this helps. i could write a book. but its more fun to go fishin and try to figure them out.

[cook]

I would GREATLY appreciate it if you could take a minute to relay your most valuable piece of information.



Thanks in advance!

The best I can give you is time.Take the time to read old posts,take time on the water,time to meet other members,etc....

There is no "BEST" anything-some tactics work at certain times,some lines are better for certain situations,some baits/lures for different waters

not trying to be a smart azz(that comes natural :D )but ya gotta be specific....try listing what lake your fishing next and what time...that might narrow things down a bit.

welcome aboard.

[Michael D]

Get you some minners and some slip corks. I am with wayne wallen on the fact that depth is the most important factor in catching crappie. Honesty, time on the water and not getting discouraged when you don't catch anything is the best way I know how to learn to fish. Just keep trying. Also, like cook says, when and where are you trying to fish?

[howferg]

Small baits 1/16 , 1/32,& 1/8 are good sizes to use with a minnow or curly tail soft plastic . if you find trees laid down on the side of the creeks fish right in the branches , you will get hung up but that goes with crappie fishing .I would say that most of the trbutarys on the ohio will support nice crappie. you should use light line 4#-6# . when you set the hook light jerk is best or you will pull the hook thru the fish mouth. march and april is when you will have the best luck while crappie are sponding in shallow water in brush ,tree lay downs , and under docks . this will get you started but as mentioned before reading other post will give you adv. knowledge for those days when a cold front came thru or its 85 degrees and the fishing is getting tough. PS Crappie are like most fish early morning and evening is theyre feeding times although thwill bite in the spond most of the day/.

[Huck Finn]

The #1 tip I can give is to fish were the bait is. Find the bait and you will find the fish in most cases. This goes for any species of fish, fresh or saltwater. Of course there are exceptions to every rule.

[crappie52]

fish as much as possible, every chance you get, learn everytime out wether catching or not, pay attention to what is going on around you, weather,water,wind ect, ask lots of questions and have a ball.

[caseydrew]

Find out who the best crappie fisherman are for the area you are fishing and do your best to get them to take you fishing and pay very close attention to everything they tell you. In return....offer to put in brushpiles wherever they would like some in return for their help. You can read everything in the world, but a couple days fishing w/ guys that know what they are doing will teach you more than anything. If guides are available...many are well worth the money.

[CrappiePappy]

IMHO -- it is the same as it is in real estate : Location, Location, Location

IF you're not fishing where the Crappie are, won't matter what bait, depth, speed, method, or timeframe you're using. Learn the habits & habitats, and their differences for the different seasons ... and the movements the fish make, in regards to those different seasons.
Use the old "reporter's rule", of what questions to ask to get the whole story .... who, what, when, where, why, and how. You already know "who" ... that's the Crappie. The "what" ... that's locating them, in order to catch them. When ... that's when you can go, and/or the best time to go. Where ... is the body of water that you fish, the productive areas of that body of water (as it relates to season), and the type of cover (or depth) utilized by the fish (given the circumstances/conditions at hand). Why ... is not so much why you fish, but rather "why are they where they are". The How ... is the method, presentation, bait, depth, and speed that's used to put yourself in a position to give yourself the best chance of catching them.
You can just "go fishing" ... sit in a likely looking spot, and wait for them to come to you. Or you can formulate a game plan, and actively seek them out.
Creek & river fishing is a little different than lake fishing, due to one important factor .... creeks & rivers usually have more current. ANYTHING that deflects or slows that current, or creates an eddy, is worthy of taking into consideration ... whether it's a stump, fallen tree, root wad, wing dam, the direction a channel takes, inflowing creek, bridge pilon, or anything else that creates slack water. Crappie don't like to fight the current, so they'll find the eddy water/slack current spots ... and wait in ambush positions, to catch the disoriented prey that the current washes to them.
That brings me to another very important factor ... shade. Crappie like shade It affords them camouflage (from predators, or their food/prey). They're ambush predators, not slash/dash predators. They're built for manuverability, not speed. They will give chase, but usually only for a short distance ... preferring instead, to slip up under/behind their prey, with stealth, and use their large mouth to suck in their victims. Shade can come from two different factors : an object that blocks the incoming light, and water depth (getting below the level of light penetration). Obviously, a solid object will block any amount of light, regardless of water clarity. But, clearer water situations will require greater depth, in order to diffuse the incoming light.
Crappie seek much the same things we do --- food, shelter, security, comfort. Find all those factors in one place, and you're very likely to find the fish.
Food - minnows/shad/worms/craws/bugs/fry of various fish species
Shelter - wood/weeds/docks/other submerged objects
Security - water clarity/depth/shade
Comfort - water temps

The two main species of Crappie ... the White Crappie & the Black Crappie ... have slightly different preferrences in the first two of those factors, if given a choice (I lumped them all together). But, they will adapt their behavior, as needed, to compensate for the lack of any of their preferred conditions. That's why you can, sometimes, catch both species from the same spot/area, on the same bait. Perfect conditions, and/or the presence of all four of those factors, is a rare occasion. That's why I named Food & Shelter as the first two factors ... that's because those two factors dictate "location". They are also factors that can be controlled by the fish. Security comes in third, because ... even though they can't control the water clarity, water temps, water depth, or location of shade ... they can seek out their preferred choice, given that the first two factors are present. Comfort comes in fourth, because they're cold blooded. They can't regulate their body temps, so they react to the temps present at the time/place. They do have preferred ranges of water temperature, but they can survive a much wider range.

... cp

[crappiepastor]

Everything that has been said here is great. Hard earned experience is a must. However, BnM poles has produced a new video with Russ Bailey on Crappie Fishing that is really good and gives a lot of information - I highly recommend it. If you're in the Louisville area, I'd be happy to meet with you and maybe even take you fishin a time or two.