Advice for setup

I know this is a pretty general question,but my boys and I have decided to try getting into fishing,mainly crappie and bluegill.we have mostly done just cat fishing in the past but the boys find it to be pretty dull and setting jugs provide enough fish for a fish fry. My question is on equip setup.rods reels line jigs etc. I've already got 2 of the Shimano sienna 500 reels and a quantum ultra lite combo from Wally World. Was wondering what rods for mainly jig casting would be good without going broke buying them.what kind of line do you use? All I've got is the cheap mono zebco line from Walmart in sizes that range from 4#,6#,8# and 15# and 20# for cats.really don't know a lot about jig selection as far as weight size for heads and colors for jigs or really how to even fish them.dont own a boat so we are stuck on the bank or dock unless we go with friends. Sorry such a long and general post but since my fishing experience has been pretty much limited to drowning worms or stick bait I really don't know where to start. But I know we are all excited about starting and are jumping all in with both feet! Thank you and glad to be here!

:welcome to Crappie.com

You should be able to get some decent starter rods at Wally World for less than $30 ... like a Berkley Cherrywood. One of my fishing partners uses them, and has for MANY years, and he does well with them. A 6' or 6'6" length is a good length choice, as they will cast a good distance & their length will help take up slack during the hookset.

Stren, Trilene, & Vicious Panfish lines are all good lines ... and I'd suggest 4-6lb test for that size reel.

As far as jigs go ... the sky's the limit !! There are so many different types, styles, and shapes (and everyone has their fav's) that it's gonna depend on whom you ask ... as far as which ones are a "have to have" model. I favor 1/16oz jigheads overall, and while they can be purchased at stores usually with a #4 hook, I get mine custom made with a #2 hook ... so I can use various sizes of plastic bodies on them & still have a good gap between the hook point and top of the plastic body. And I also have them custom made with a weedguard, since I cast/vertical jig right down in the wood cover. Hair/marabou/feather (tied) jigs are also productive, and you can get the commercially made ones for a decent price.

As far as "how" you fish them (from the bank): casting is your primary option. They can be cast out and slowly reeled back in (just the jig) or they can be used with various styles of floats if you want to maintain a specific depth or a dead slow retrieve. Casting out and slowly reeling back, commonly known as "swimming" a jig, is generally done in conjunction with the "countdown system". That's simply casting out, on the first cast, and reeling back in starting at splashdown. Subsequent casts can be made to the same place as cast #1, but after splashdown you count "one Missouri" and then start reeling ... adding another second on each following cast. This enables you to cover a strip of water at various depths, as the jig will fall through the water at about 1ft per second (more or less). Following that series of casts through that strip of water, move your target a couple of feet to one side and repeat ... until you've covered the area of water in front of you. Generally you just reel in at a slow/steady pace, with no added action to the jig ... but, a slight "shake/jerk" of the rod every now and then, along the way, can make a difference. Not always, but it's always worth a try, on occasion.

Colors .... whole other "can of worms" :Rofl ... but, solid white, solid pink, & solid chartreuse are good starting points (esp. with tied jigs) and black, blues, greens, pinks, & purples with a chartreuse tail or belly color (for contrast) is a good starting point for plastic bodies. The shapes of those plastic bodies is a whole other deal ... but, the stinger shad, slider grub (boot tail), and tubes seem to garner the most attention (at least for me they do !!). There's also curly tails and the "carrot" shaped plastics to consider. And size wise ... I'd stick with the 1.5" & 2" sizes (depending on brand & style of bait chosen).

Now, that's only scratching the surface ... and mostly what I am most familiar with ... so expect differing opinions from other members that may chime in with their opinions. But, basically what you want to do is imitate a small fish (minnow/shad/fry/fingerling) with your jig, and make it appear to be an easy meal.

When casting & swimming a jig ... a Crappie bite will usually come in one of 4 different line reactions. It may be a single "jump" of the line, a sideways movement of the line (rather than a straight return route), a heavy feeling (like you're dragging a leaf or small limb), or the line suddenly goes slack (and you know the jig cannot have hit bottom). In any of these instances, set the hook (being mindful that you have to take up any/all slack line when doing so).

:welcome:hesaidWelcome to c.c ..... you will find all the answers you looking for here . U can spend a fortune in a hurry but you don't have to . I have tons of equipment. !poles jig heads/ jigs / plastics etc but I have 5 or so go to colors that usually always work have seen a few times that they want something different. Black /chartreuse ,red/ chartreuse in tube jig. Etc. monkey milk ,blue ice ,shimmer shad etc in Bobby Garland . #2 hook 1/16oz jig head my favorite.:twocents

Thinking of going with 4lb mono on everything as I'll be in mostly open water around brush piles. Will that be adequate? May go to 6lb on 10/12 ft poles if I go to vertical jigging anytime

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Originally Posted by Jakesdad

Thinking of going with 4lb mono on everything as I'll be in mostly open water around brush piles. Will that be adequate?

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Yes. I've been doing the same thing for years.

Welcome aboard! You've come to the right place for the information you need. Good luck to you and your kids and let us know how you make out. Those Cherrywood rods are hard to beat btw. :)

Welcome to the site!!!

:welcome from South Central Mississippi! You have came to the right place they are a lot of crappie knowledge here on Crappie.com. Welcome to the site and we will be looking forward to seeing some of your fishing reports and pictures.:fish

you know...I have never even fished with them but I have read enough about them...that I think maybe a good start for a beginner may be one of the trout magnet kits with assorted heads and body colors. I have no doubt people are catching fish with them like they say they are .And the company seems to be offering kits with a good assortment should get you to the water with adequate ammo to start with and will help keep it simple at first. You can expand as you learn into all the other jig types and bodies and rigs.

I am going to start experimenting with them some myself.



Learn to use chartreuse chroma glow crappie nibbles... that's all I am going to say about that

Our local farm and home has the berkley cherrywood light action in 5' 6" length for around $20. Would this be a good rod for jig casting? Also picked up a flueger trion 20 reel to use along with the Shimano sienna 50 I got the other day.hope I'm not asking too many questions but this is all very new to me and I'm anxious to get started!

The pflugers r great and so r the Sienna's I use Berkeley solutions 4lb line works great on small spinning reels the best low memory and the least tangles out of all that I have tried so far.very stout too

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Originally Posted by Jakesdad

Our local farm and home has the berkley cherrywood light action in 5' 6" length for around $20. Would this be a good rod for jig casting? Also picked up a flueger trion 20 reel to use along with the Shimano sienna 50 I got the other day.hope I'm not asking too many questions but this is all very new to me and I'm anxious to get started!

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That would be a "good" rod for casting jigs, but a "better" one would be a 6' or 6'6" med action Cherrywood (IMHO) and I'll tell you why I say that :

Fishing from the bank, the longer rods will cast farther & take up more slack line during the hookset (and require less arm raising or speed reeling to do it). The "light" action of that brand may be a little too soft, without being more or less directly over top of the biting fish.

Unfortunately, not all "UL", "lite", or other power designations are equal among different brands. There's really no "standard" among them. The power designations are simply compared to the other rods of that brand's lineup, meaning that a "lite" action rod is just a little stiffer than an "ultralite" and a little "softer action" than a "med-lite" OF THE SAME MODEL WITHIN THAT BRAND. It may or may not compare to the same length and designation of a competing brand's rod.

Ideally, you would want a rod that had a medium power designation and a fast action tip. The "power" would guarantee you a strong hookset and the ability to control a large fish, while the "fast action" of the tip would help you with casting distance & sensitivity.

And understand, if you elect to use a float with your jig ... a shorter rod will be more cumbersome to cast with, and you will find yourself missing a lot of fish or losing them on the way in ... for the simple reason that you cannot take up as much slack, as quickly, as with a longer/stronger rod. Remember, most all of the hookset power is stopped at the float, because your jig is at a ~90deg angle to you ... so you have to move the float, thru the water's resistance, until you get it directly in a line between the rod tip and jig before the jig hook will have much power to penetrate the fish's mouth (esp. the roof of the mouth, which is where you always want the jig hook to be).

Casting with a jig, alone, it's not quite as dramatic ... but, you still have to overcome the distance, slack, and line stretch hard enough & fast enough to solidly stick the fish before it can spit the jig out.

Case in point : I'm over 6' tall, with a wingspan of over 6' ... I used a 5' UL rod for quite some time, for casting jigs. Setting the hook meant moving the rod/reel (and my arms) to almost above my head (with nearly totally outstretched arms) when I would get a bite at much of any distance. Since I went to my current 6'6" ESP PowerLite rod as my primary jig casting rod ... my hookset involves rod/reel/arm movement of less than 1/3 the distance I had to move the 5' rod. It really does make that much difference.

So how do I know what action to go with between brands(light vs medium)? I was afraid if I went medium it would be too stiff using the 4 lb line. Wow I've got alot to learn!(not at all disagreeing with you on your suggestion as all I have to go off of is what I read which is why I thought light was better)any brand(s) and action(s)you could recommend would be appreciated

There is very good info on here from very experienced veterans. But don't overthink it so soon. Take notes on what you learn here and then just go out fish. Then you will know what works or does not work for you.
Then when you decide to upgrade you will have a idea of what you want.
Tackle will never make up for experience.
And as always go have fun!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Jakesdad

So how do I know what action to go with between brands(light vs medium)?

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As CP said, there's really no standard on rod action. I don't think you'll go wrong with rods marked "light" or "ultralight", though. The Cherrywoods will work fine. I also agree with CP that a longer rod will help you, particularly if you're fishing from the bank.

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Originally Posted by Jakesdad

So how do I know what action to go with between brands(light vs medium)? I was afraid if I went medium it would be too stiff using the 4 lb line. Wow I've got alot to learn!(not at all disagreeing with you on your suggestion as all I have to go off of is what I read which is why I thought light was better)any brand(s) and action(s)you could recommend would be appreciated

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What I would do is go to a store and handle a few different brands. I'd hold the rod to see how heavy/light it feels. Then I'd shake the rod and observe the tip ... if it don't move at all, it's too stiff, and if it moves from the middle to the tip, it's too soft. What you really want is one that moves on the top 1/3 of the rod. THEN I'd read the labeling to see what designations that brand states, but don't fret over them. Just make a mental note of how that rod feels in your hands and how it reacts to being shaken. And if possible, put your choice of reel on the rod and then lay the rod/reel over your finger, right on the front end of the handle. If it will balance there, it's a perfect match ... if it tips slightly towards the handle or tip, it's a decent match ... if it drops like a rock towards either end, try another rod. Having a balanced outfit will reduce the stress on your wrist/forearm, when casting or holding the outfit for any length of time. Handle heavy outfits will just feel heavy, but tip heavy outfits will wear you out quick. Balanced outfits will feel lighter in your hand, and become an extension of your arm.

I can't really recommend any particular brand or model, simply because I'm not familiar with the newer ones of any brand. I have already accumulated over 20 rod/reel outfits, that can be used for different Crappie fishing methods (or specific ones), so I've not had any reason to comparison shop for replacements. I mentioned Cherrywoods because one of my fishing partners has used them for decades, and does very well with them, so I'm kinda familiar with that model of Berkley rods.

I read that the newer Cherrywood rods aren't the same as the older ones. I bought one & to my misfortune shattered it the 1st time out. (my fault more that I can blame the rod) but I found the Cherrywood's too stiff for my liking. I like the Shakespere Micro Series. I have a 5'6 light action. I'm thinking about buying a longer rod of the same series. Might not be your fancy though. Best thing is to find a rod that feels right for you. I love checking out rods.

These guys offer great advice. I'm pretty new to crappie fishing also & built up a good inexpensive tackle box of jigs but I do catch crappie. I use Mr Crappie line, 6lb cameo I bought at WalMart & I love it cept the fact I have a time seeing the line to tie knots cause my near vision is bout a crap shoot:yikesWell that's my :twocents

I've seen the Shakespeare Micro at Walmart and was wondering if they were any good. May give them a try, the price is right

our local private retail hunting and fishing store sells an Okuma rod (6 '2") with an Okuma size ten reel for just over $50.00 . good set up .

I have got a 7' shakespeare micro graphite that i use pulling crankbaits and it has held up to the abuse so far. I really like the rod has a nice tip and plenty of backbone.

Tackle can vary alot depending on techniques you use and waters you fish .

I snapped the tip off my 5'6. Totally my fault. Been looking at the 7ft rods. They look to have a better backbone to em. Shakespeare says they make a 6'6" Micro but haven't run across one yet. Might go with the 7ft.