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Not familiar with trolling for crappie. Do you just catch one here and there? Crappie bunch up good, do you catch one and try to catch more or keep moving? Do you troll with primary motor or troll motor? You use crank baits for this? What rods/reels? How'd you get into it, what are your results? What time of year? Lots of questions, lol. Tell me about it and why do you do it? Do you catch generally big ones? Seems like you would.
Are you writing a book? :biggrinQuote:
Originally Posted by livemusic
Get out and fish, man!
There are multiple ways to troll. Usually, you catch bigger fish. Definitely, a way to catch more numbers. You are searching more aggressive fish and covering a lot of ground usually when longlining. When spider rigging or tightlining you are controlling depth and may move very little. Pushing is a way to control depth while moving faster and putting baits in front of fish before the trolling motor spooks them. You always use the trolling motor to control speed and direction. Some use crank baits. I prefer jigs. Cranks are a newer tactic for open water suspended fish. Though, I would definitely stick to jigs to start. They are cheaper and easier to learn. Plus, trebles not very good for released fish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itdTVSgSnKk
I've posted this here before. We did this video a couple of years ago but nothing has changed.
I would longline for crappie using curly tail grubs or roadrunners the same way but with 6 pound line and my speed around 1.0-1.2.
BTW, I haven't gotten any prettier or smaller (wife has me on a diet) since this was done. Bib overalls are still my fishing clothes of choice.
Each tactic is different, I suggest starting with longlining. Or tell us what lakes you normally fish and we can give advice from there. As for the number you catch depends. I have landed 8 at one time. You can even catch two on one line if double jigging.
Zowie.... That is one heck of a set of questions. There are as many ways of doing it as there are people on the boards.Quote:
Originally Posted by livemusic
I probably fished 15 days in April, will go again later this week. Websites LOVE people like me who ask questions, have you started any threads lately? A forum is NOTHING without threads.Quote:
Originally Posted by deathb4disco
Go to the MS board and read the sticky thread.....Crankbaits 101
Quote:
Originally Posted by livemusic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6cxNR9ML8k
I'm just joking with you.
I was going to say to look up cranking in the Mississippi stickys. But, we got testy. DP
:hesaid X3Quote:
Originally Posted by "G"
I have never tried longlining crankbaits. Going to try it but I bought the cheap cranks from wLure Shop - More Saving, More Fishing they were much cheaper like less than 2 bucks each free shipping also. So if I don't really like it I won't be out of a lot of money. A lot of them were 99 cents so anyway I now have 24 new cranks(for $31.00) to try and if I lose them it won't be like losing 5 or 6 dollars each like the good lures cost. The scary part is if I do like it I will have to have the better lures then with all the other bells and whistles of longlining crankbaits. Crappie fishing is getting very expensive now a days but I love trying new ways.:twocents
https://wlure.com/images/C/c549x11.jpg
I got into trolling maybe two or three years ago. I decided that spider rigging would be where I started. I deploy six rods off the bow...three on each side. They are generally rigged with a 3/4 oz weight and a single hook about 18 inches down the line from the weight. I tried using the double-minnow rigs but they stayed tangled up so much that I didn't think it was worth the effort. Somehow they go under the water just fine...and then tie themselves in knots while they are down there.
I troll using my trolling motor, generally 0.5 to 1.0 MPH. I bait hooks with live minnows most of the time, and at other times use jigs.
I read the fishing reports for the lakes I fish and use that as my guide for where to start fishing when I hit the water.
So far I've not found much success though. My best day ever I caught 9 fish. Most of the time I catch 0 to 2 fish, in 4 to 6 hours of trolling. As you can see, I'm still struggling my way up the learning curve. I know my gear is right...but finding fish and getting them to bite has been far more difficult than I thought it would be.
There are lots of great videos on youtube, and lots of great articles written on trolling...just read all you can...and then spend as much time as you can trying to put it all together on the water.
Let us know how those cranks work for youQuote:
Originally Posted by scrat
MRDUX uses a bunch of these ...Quote:
Originally Posted by theygotaeat
Rickie
I'm not sure what the finished number on those is but the blanks I paint are 549s. They will run about 12 feet deep with 100 feet of line out. We catch a lot of fish on them. To buy, put hooks and rings on them, and paint them I have less than $1.50 in each one. Of course that is not putting any value on the time I put into them. They are for my friends and myself so I don't sell them. I think ScottV does.Quote:
Originally Posted by rnvinc
Good to know they do work good because I bought a bunch they were already painted. I think about 16 were the 549's here is what I bought: If I had bought name brand I might for that price would have got 5 maybe 6 lures not counting shipping charges. Figures out about $1.33 each.Quote:
Originally Posted by mrdux
2 x C549X11 (C549X11) = $3.38
2 x C549X18 (C549X18) = $3.38
2 x C569X1 (C569X1) = $1.98
2 x C549X6 (C549X6) = $3.38
2 x C549X1 (C549X1) = $3.38
2 x C549X34 (C549X34) = $3.38
2 x M514X10 (M514X10) = $1.98
2 x C253X11 (C253X11) = $1.98
4 x C549X39 (C549X39) = $3.96
4 x C549X2 (C549X2) = $3.96
------------------------------------------------------
Sub-Total: $30.76
Handling Fee: $1.00
Free Shipping, 20-25 Business Days Shipping: $0.00
Total: $31.76
Couple suggestions, if I may....Quote:
Originally Posted by fishinhunter
Your leaders are too long. I have my bottom hook about 6" below weight, top hook is above weight whatever spacing I desire but on a 6" leader as well. Never tangles.
.5 is the fastest I go when spider rigging. I try to stay around .2-.3 mph most of the time. This is the most common mistake I see people make. I have had people trolling circles around me not catching while I am slaying them. SLOW DOWN!
Pay close attention to the hooks on those. I personally change out the hooks on the factory ones I bought. I think the hooks are inferior to even the lower priced trebles available here.Quote:
Originally Posted by scrat
When I got them in the mail I noticed the hooks were not very good. Can you tell me the size of treble hooks you use and where you purchase them in bulk. I just ordered some medium running cranks 647's and will need to change out there hooks also. Thanks Mr. mrdux for the help.Quote:
Originally Posted by mrdux
For the 549s I use #6 red trebles, either Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp 3X size 6 or if I can find them, Matzou red sickle trebles in #6. I get the Eagle Claws from my local WalMart in 20 packs if they have them.
For the bigger C55s, I use #4 Matzuo sickle trebles, all red all the time if I can find them. If not, again the Eagle Claws red in #4.