new to crappie

i have always been a bass fisherman but would like to be better at catching crappie. Can anyone offer some pointers on techniques, hot spots, and bait? i would like to stick to artificial baits and im local to lake conway. thanks for any help.

I perfer about a 10' graph. rod and spinnin reel...6 lb test monofiliment ...1/16" oz Jigs...and any colors as long as Chartruse is the back half color. Black/Char, Red/Char, Green/Char, Plain Char only works wonders...are the basics I use...many other people will say different though. Vary the jigs in your box...1/32 oz also...This rod a reel setup can be used to tight line jig fish...or you can flip it...or just make a whip cast....snap on bobbers work well....easy on ...easy off as needed when flippin along banks and slow retrieve.

Fish Gold Creek up the way to pond and along channel edges. On Conway also...Greens lake is good around the cypress trees close to boat lanes right now.

Alaways fish SLOW for crappie....and easy setting hooks...just a flip of the wrist. Drop jig slow and hold it for a few seconds...then dip down once or twice...pull out...work it over.

that's my 2 cents...for what its worth.

thanks for the info. im gonna take all the advise i can get. any ideas on what the ideal water depth is and how deep to fish it? also, i have caught a few small ones but nothing close to the 1 1/2 - 2lb fish i keep hearing about. how do i get into the bigger fish?

just experiment around....

fishman64, spider rigging is a neat way to put fish in the boat. I'm a bass fisherman by heart and just started crappie fishing heavy sinc eI live in the heart of some of the best crappie lakes in the south. Maumelle, Illinois Bayou and the strip pits on Dardanelle and even Beaverfork would be great place to spider rig.

Unless you are just going on a meat haul, I don't care for anything other than jigging. Nothing like a 12' buck's pole with a jig. But it depends on the lake and your fishing preference. I verticle jig cover and love to feel a slab thump my jig. Some clear lake require casting with a jig or a jig and cork setup. That is why I love fishing dingy lake as the fish are'nt as spooky. I also used to spiderrig with my dad years ago and went through the Bass tournament craze. If you love Bass fishing style , you would probably enjoy verticle jigging. Your best bet is go with a few folks and pick or adjust your own style of fishing. Conway has plenty of cover to jig.
Here I run and gun sorta like Bass fishing. lol lol Instead of running point to point like Bass fisherem, I use the trolling motor and run Crappie condo (brushpile , stakebed,bamboo. or other manmade structures) to condo. In a morning I fish 20 to 40 Crappie condos or other cover.

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Originally Posted by fishman64

how do i get into the bigger fish?

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Got to go to the lakes where they are.

I am fairly new to crappie fishing myself. Been doing it seriously for about 2-3 years. I will tell you there are a lot of factors that come into play as far as how deep to fish, colors to choose, ways to fish etc. Or maybe I just try too hard!! The best advice I can give is use this site as your #1 tool. These guys on here can definately give pointers and reports that will help you catch fish. Welcome to the site from Crossett.

i really enjoy this forum and all of the great feedback. i have noticed a few referenced to "spiderrigging", is it just like it sounds? prop a couple of poles up on each side of the boat an start to troll?

what about scent attractants? do they work as well with crappie as they do with bass?

fishman 64, rigging is just like it sounds. Over here, Mississippi limits you to 5 poles per person. I saw a guy on Horseshoe last weekend in Arkansas that had no less than 15 on the bow of his boat. Trolling crankbaits in the summer is a very popular technique and I know from personal experience it can be awesome on Beaverfork in Faulkner County.