Getting a little down

So I'm new to crappie fishing as many here have seen. From all that I've learned here I've been super eager to go catch as many as I could. I've been to lakes, rivers, and ponds that I know hold crappie. But without electronics to know where the brush is, or laydowns that I cant see, I haven't been able to locate any. I really wanted to get on them hard this year but either my knowledge still isnt good enough, or I need a fish finder to know where to fish.

So I'm a bit bummed I put in all this reading and learning and getting gear but haven't been able to get on the crappie except when I was at a fellow members private pond that was over ran with them!

Just ranting, but still, i feel a bit like a failure because i devoted alot of effort into learning the ways of crappie fishing, only to come up empty handed. Well, except for a ton of sunfish.

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Don't be down on yourself !! nonono

I've fished for Crappie since the 1950's and still manage to get skunked (or nearly skunked), even with 60 some years of experience AND depth finders :Doh:

In fact, fishing around here is so slow right now ... the last two fishing trips & the one I'm going on tomorrow will be for Bass :yikes (yeah, I know, that's a four letter word on a Crappie website :bash but it still beats sitting in the recliner and dreaming about Crappie fishing)

If you don't have good times while trying then it's a failure, but if you enjoy your efforts it's a success.
It sounds to me like you are putting in the effort. Keep reading this forum, one day an idea will make sense to you and you will be off and running.
My wife and I fish when we can (weather and age being factors), usually from shore, she loves to catch fish but enjoys being out and trying just as much (almost).
I don't know that we will ever haul them in as we like but I know we'll keep "plugging" away.

Good luck to you friend.

Alan

The acquisition of knowledge , takes a lot longer than one would think.
Ketchn seems pretty adept at catching Crappie’s from shore, with no electronics, so it is possible.
I haven’t been at it as long as CP, and I still get skunked too.
So keep your chin up and enjoy what you can.


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Other than electronics, are other factors being observed: light tackle (rod, line), light lures (light jig heads and smaller lures), very slow erratic retrieves, fishing different depths etc.? Location patterns are the biggest challenge and the combination of the above help discover them on a daily, weekly or seasonal basis.

Sonar nowadays is cheap (as long as you don't need the fancy stuff) and invaluable finding fish in areas - especially bait fish schools mixed with larger fish (pan fish). The range of depths they are swimming gives an idea on the sonar screen where your search lure should be - lures that scours areas all around you until you establish a concentrated-casting direction and depth. It's no different for bass. Just don't depend - except initially - on areas you previously caught fish. Fish relocation is law especially in summer.

Yesterday I finally found groups of crappie in an area of the lake that hadn't been productive weeks before. After hours of only catching sunfish and small bass in the morning and finding no concentrated schools of fish on sonar, finally finding them blew me away! The location pattern had changed though the depth not so from the day before. In summer, small groups of fish and sometimes schools, are the target on sonar for general fish location as is time of day which may be mid to late afternoon once a front has passed. Anglers were getting off the lake at 1pm but I started catching fish after 2 pm under a bright sky and very windy cold front conditions. They were kayakers using no sonar. tip: no fish or sparse fish on sonar, generally no fish in an area confirmed by no hits regardless good structure or sunken trees.

Adapt.

Everyone has had "not-so-good" days on the water. That's how you learn. You do not "need" a sonar to be successful. It certainly is a valuable aid, but if you just look at some lake maps and find logical areas in which to start, you are on your way to success. Keep a journal with details on water & air temps and wind speed & direction. Patterning is developed this way.

That being said, sonars are really inexpensive these days. Especially a simple 2D black & white units. Using this device, you can find schools of BAIT.....which is more of value than actually finding fish in my opinion. This is a screen shot example of a simple ($100.) unit you get used:

Attachment 350813

This shows a school of bait on a drop off. Very valuable information. How you present your offering after locating bait is a horse of another color. But from what you've said, you are pretty well schooled in the techniques used to catch crappie. So just continue reading these forums and you will become proficient in catching in no time.

One more thing. Make sure the water (lake, pond, res) that you are fishing has quantities of crappie. Some folks I've fished with have taken me to places where we caught little or nothing. Upon further investigation, I discovered that the "panfish" population did not contain a sufficient quantity of crappie. So do your homework. And above all, have FUN!

the ever mighty crappie in an extremely elusive critter sometimes .
I know the lakes I frequent very well or I wouldn't be on the fish like you see posted .
Staying on crappie in numbers off the bank will require you to have around 15 to 20 spots to cover on at least a half dozen water bodies .
Some will be just certain months or even weeks .
These fish can be real tough to locate and ketch for sure and don't ever think its easy .
Especially off the bank with just a rod and your feet my friend
don't get discouraged and keep your feet busy and ask the locals a million questions and then apply a strong filter .
what settles out after filtering is likely where you need to focus .
You wont find very many accidently I promise off the bank most of the time .
heads up and pitch that jig like you mean it bro :highfive

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. Yesterday I made one step towards doing what I can to help. I bought a spool of 4lb fluorocarbon and will spool up my crappie rod with it today. Before I was using 10lb mono and I'm hoping the fluoro helps.

Tomorrow I'm going to the river and going to concentrate on crappie. Going to leave my bass rods in the truck. I'm going to apply all I've learned and scour the fire out of the river bank looking for brush and laydowns.

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Fishing is like golf in that one good fish or golf shot will always keep you coming back. Sooner or later you will figure them out. Don't ever give up.

worry more about location and jigging in the fishs face than the line you use. run and gun a good water till you find some then remember where that was. another thing that will help you is fishing a local river. its way easier to find fish in a river than a lake most days. you said your catching sunnies. that tells me you mite also be fishing too deep. crappie love to suspend

like said we all get skunked a times

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Originally Posted by river scum

worry more about location and jigging in the fishs face than the line you use. run and gun a good water till you find some then remember where that was. another thing that will help you is fishing a local river. its way easier to find fish in a river than a lake most days. you said your catching sunnies. that tells me you mite also be fishing too deep. crappie love to suspend

like said we all get skunked a times

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I usually fish a jig under a float and usually about 18" deep. But I have no idea what the water depth is in each area I'm fishing.

I've been catching bass like crazy but when i switch to crappie I get nothing. For weeks now.

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Originally Posted by BAFishBarn

I bought a spool of 4lb fluorocarbon and will spool up my crappie rod with it today. Before I was using 10lb mono ...

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HO. LEE. COW. :yikes

The 4# line is a step in the right direction.

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Originally Posted by BAFishBarn

I usually fish a jig under a float and usually about 18" deep.

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Lose the float.

Cast the jig out, count it down (one thousand one, one thousand two, etc.), and swim it back slowly. Change depths until you find fish.

Started out fishing from a boat back in the 70's. We never had sonar back then either. We "mapped" the depths of our lakes with a hand line. Tie a large bolt to the end of a section of parachute cord (or whatever else you have handy). Then every 10' tie an overhand knot. Use a small section of various colored ribbons to indicate the depth. Stop your boat on what you think is a likely spot and drop the line. Now you know how deep it is. :)

We did that for many years. Then I got my first "green box". A Lowrance flasher type sonar. Awesome device back then. Like I said, a 2D LCD sonar is not that expensive these days.

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

Lose the float.

Cast the jig out, count it down (one thousand one, one thousand two, etc.), and swim it back slowly. Change depths until you find fish.

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I need to try that. I always heard crappie like it slow and to look at the bait for a second before deciding to bite so that why I use the float.

But I have some time today so I'll spool up the 4lb fluoro and give it a try at a local pond. I've seen pics of people catching crappie in it but never caught any there personally.

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What you're complaining about is what excites me to chase these fish, they are a challenge..... There's a few things we'll several things I tell folks to help them but here's a few I'll type up for you.....
Structure
Structure in different depths
Structure for different wind directions
Jigs
Jigs in different colors
Jigs in different sizes
Action and pay attention to what brings a bite and repeat..
Use a loop knot (very important)
This time of year move, move and move to find the active fish on structure....
Bait in the area you're fishn....
If you put this puzzle together you will catch crappie......
Put the work in and it'll pay off....

A favorite sayn I have is "Enjoy The Hunt Or Stay Home".....

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Originally Posted by SKs Crappie Catching Adventures

A favorite sayn I have is "Enjoy The Hunt Or Stay Home".....

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I do enjoy the hunt! But I also enjoy reaping the rewards!

I need to learn to tie a loop knot. I've just been using a palomar knot. Heading out to the pond now. There is no visible structure but some cover that I plan on fishing.

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Here's a pictorial reply to much of the above:
Sonar: a picture speaks :
https://i.imgur.com/aw7WzCm.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/YXrgLqm.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/w9W8BOd.jpg
Water temp turned off or on - who cares, you're fishing regardless.
Baitfish mixed with crappie or other panfish - a sure sign fish are near and catchable mid-depth.
Bottom is hard showing stumps.
A color unit goes for less than $100 and can be hooked to a motorcycle battery if you're rowing. I made my transducer portable:
https://i.imgur.com/FJLxrBp.jpg

I made this buoy marker from a kid's splash toy and chuck it overboard in the direction of multiple fish strikes especially if the wind is blowing the boat:
https://i.imgur.com/21zS5w1.jpg
Knowing exactly where fish hit is extremely important !

Never used a loop knot and won't start now:
https://i.imgur.com/1D4J3hm.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/Kn1OWhF.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/UGYV95z.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/KSjD3Xx.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/wndQyke.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/QndEvkN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5dVSqT3.jpg?1https://i.imgur.com/TJkUUjE.jpg?1

Note lure color brightness. If the water is murky it might make a difference.
Note: all jigs pictured are unpainted. (less distraction from the lure or make it look larger to fish than desired)

Line diameter affects lure action. That rule is set in stone! For light lures, the thinner the better. Most photos show braid attached to the jigs and not just any braid.
Jig weight and hook size are matched to plastic lure length or how fast or slow I need to retrieve the lure.
Couldn't have said this better:

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Lose the float. Cast the jig out and swim it back slowly. Change depths until you find fish.

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Floats work some of the time but waste time in an area where fish aren't biting. (though I do like seeing a float dive multiple times when the float bite is on !)
https://i.imgur.com/DutcEXm.jpg?1

At times species don't mix, but at other times you may catch four species in an large square-foot area all day long. If bass and sunfish are the most prominent species to hit your baits for consecutive weeks, could be the crappie population is depleted. You won't know for certain unless you fish a water early and late in the year if the summer crappie bite has been tough. Fish move and associate so don't assume anything.

Blow downs or lay downs would be my suggestion with out sonar. Especially those that extend into deep water. No sonar needed those are laying at a steep angle. Fish it slow. Check it all out feeling every brànch.

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Originally Posted by BAFishBarn

I do enjoy the hunt! But I also enjoy reaping the rewards!

I need to learn to tie a loop knot. I've just been using a palomar knot. Heading out to the pond now. There is no visible structure but some cover that I plan on fishing.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

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Most of the better crappie anglers only use a loop knot to position the jig in a natural position..... Any that don't well they just don't know the know....

This is not the best vid but you'll learn how to tie it here....

https://youtu.be/3MHOUVvWJ6s

I'd say a $100 fish finder is really all you need. You can get tutorials on YouTube. What really helped me recently was buying the Navionics app $15.99 per year which will give you contours and lake maps for your larger state lakes. These show drop offs, road beds, underwater structures and where the old river beds are, and with the GPS feature on the app, you can literally get on the fishy spots.

I have to agree on a few things. First, run what ya brung. No electronics doesn’t mean no fish. Just means different techniques. The countdown method stated earlier is spot on. Also have a straight and curl tail body, both do the trick when the other won’t.
The depth sounder line worked for many generations seamen long before electronics. Different knots for different depths.

If I know I’m in deep enough water, I cast and close the bail and let the jig pendulum back to me, then hold it still for say thirty seconds or so before a slow vertical retrieve. You’re testing for depth of fish. Count on the fall and count reel rotation on the retrieve. Find them on the retrieve and you can unlock the anti reverse and backreel back down to them.

Count on losing some jigs, so don’t spend lots on them, good yes expensive no. Keep after it, we’ve all been in your shoes.

The only place worth my time bank fishing is under a shaded boat dock during hot weather.



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I went out to the pond I was told had crappie. Either I was lied to or I still suck. I ditched the bobber, changed colors, changed spots, tipped with crappie nibbles, sprayed slab sauce, put the bobber on, and on and on. Caught 2 greenies and that's it. Looked for any visible structure and worked different depths. Notta.

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Other than finding fish of any species in an area, sonar is advantageous in the following ways doing the count-down method can't:
1. Unless there is a lake map that shows depth changes, sonar gives you an idea of those changes for future reference regardless the size of the water fished.
I want to know what I'm casting to 30' from the boat in any direction. Knowing where drop offs are /how steep, and how long points and ledges are can't be learned by dropping a sinker. A flat at one depth can be many yards long and not vary much in depth. Knowing what depth where fish are found is something that changes from area to area. Having a general knowledge of those areas saves time. Sonar helps discover things every time you fish that you were never aware of no matter the year discovered.
2. Following flooded creek channel beds mean changes in depth - following them may mean locating structure-relating fish.
3. Bottom hardness - mud/gravel/sand - is shown on sonar. Sometimes fish prefer a harder bottom. Dropping a sinker won't tell you anything about bottom hardness or where the tops of weed beds and weed lines are. Discovering humps in the middle of a lake or river can make a big difference locating fish as well as knowing how long they are and their steepest parts.
4. The deeper the water fished and the larger it is, the greater the need for sonar. Sounding with a weight in 30 or more feet isn't my idea of using my time efficiently to finding fish and many on crappie.com fish water deeper than most of us are confident fishing.

Fish other waters if the one your fishing isn't yielding more than a few species. Crappie may not exist there. Using light jigs and soft plastics catch everything that swims including catfish and suckers as well as fish of all sizes. Just a matter of time until you have full confidence using them in areas you've memorized as possible fish holding areas. The more the better.

If the water you're fishing is only 5' or less and less than a few acres, don't bother with any of the above. But for the reservoirs I fish I want to know what this drawdown revealed:
https://i.imgur.com/9LWcuh6.jpg

What is natural to fish should not be a factor choosing lures or anything else regarding lures. Technical factors such as lure speed, shape/action/size and how used (presentation) is no different than fishing for any species. All the lures I pictured work a majority of the time and on the same day in the same water most times of the year. They are my fish finders and used many yards to the side of the boat or out from the bank aided by knowing the bottom.

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Originally Posted by BAFishBarn

I usually fish a jig under a float and usually about 18" deep. But I have no idea what the water depth is in each area I'm fishing.

I've been catching bass like crazy but when i switch to crappie I get nothing. For weeks now.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

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this time of year in the spots I frequent you wont find crappie up that high in the water column except maybe in the dark .
I was using a float today at the river on my lunch break and had it set at 7 foot deep in about 12 fow and every species of fish was taking the jig around that depth .

Back in the day when sonar wasn't around. We would sink cedar trees and Mark them by looking at things on banks like light poles or big trees to mark where we sank them. Fish habitat" build it and they will come" still doing it as of today although I have sonar and GPS to mark my brush tops

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Most of the better crappie anglers only use a loop knot to position the jig in a natural position..... Any that don't well they just don't know the know....

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Interesting comment.

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Originally Posted by BAFishBarn

I went out to the pond I was told had crappie.

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Crappie in ponds are always an iffy situation. My experience in similar waters tells me that crappie will jump all over small jigs. So, if you're not catching them, they're either not many left in the pond or you're doing something wrong. IMO, the two most important variables are depth and speed. Regarding speed, most people reel too fast. (High gear ratio reels make this easy to do.) So, when in doubt, slow down. I don't know how big a jig head you're using, but I'm a big fan of 1/32 oz. It's big enough to get decent casting distance and light enough to get a fairly slow drop through the water. A 1/32 oz head matched with a trout magnet is a killer bait.

find a bridge midday on a 10 to 12 fow preferably or deeper very slow river or a deep spot close to the bank on a lake under a bridge at high noon IN THE SHADE , set a slip float about 5 to 6 foot deep and move it a foot deeper at a time until you get bit . use a loop knot and nothing between your jig and the float and if the float does ANYTHING at all up down sideways quivers twitches or slides north or south east or west ,SET THE HOOK HARD and real fast as you can . any playing around with a crappie at a distance from you equals lost crappie .
use a small body bait and a crappie nibble slid down to the bend in the hook ,not just on the hook point. you will need a 7 foot rod in my opinion that's pretty stiff to cast well and take the stretch up on the mono at a distance away from you on hook sets .
try light twitches first with a long pause in between , if that don't get bit try a hard pop and a pause . if all else fails drag it really really slowly to you . watch the float like a hawk and don't look away EVER .
if you follow this advice and apply it to several spots that meet the mentioned criteria , you will likely ketch some crappie I am pretty sure off the bank in the summer . :highfive

My take away so far. Yea I know I am the crappie.com project child, but depth, cover, time of day make a difference..... unless you have sonor and can just spot where they are at. I want sonor. I have a jon boat, but it has no motor let alone a sonor unit. So I mainly fish city ponds. I know they make a sonor that is capable, the iBobber, I believe. But from the info on this thread I'm almost more confused on what to do.

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I think though I'm going to let it go. I'm not a quitter, but I know when to call it and crappie have me beat. I can catch bass and let them go. I can catch small sunfish. But I love to eat crappie, and I cant catch them no matter how hhard I try. So I think I might just say bye and forget about them. I know I'm a bit up and down emotionally on here, I'm sorry. I'm an US Army combat vet of the Iraq war and haven't quite found my niche in the world I thought crappie fishing was it. I love this forum but I will leave in peace because I know it's a great place better without me.

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BAFishBarn, you giving up way too easy...like falling out of a 10 mile road march in the first mile...I have only been chasing crappie as a target fish for about 7 years now. I still have troubles. I am stuck on shore 99% of the time, in locations with little visible structure. It's very hard for me to move around a lot due to a back and knee injury from the service. However their is no quit in me. As often as I can, I am at the water for as long as I can take it...It's like learning to march, stay in step, rifle drills or anything else in life that matters to YOU, you have to put in the time, other wise you just going to go through life not accomplishing much of anything...
Everything in life that's worth a darn takes time...Some people have a nak for everything in life, then some of us struggle at most everything and still don't get it. But the trick is not to give up on yourself and something you love.
Me, I'm mostly a loner, not many close friends that's any where close to where I am. So I fish by myself, that's just me. I hate crowds, and that's any thing more than 1 in my book. I'm that way probably from being the youngest sibling with 6 yrs between me and my closest sibling and them having older friends closer to their age growing up. So I spent a lot of time Alone...Don't matter. I guess I'm trying to say, is don't give up on yourself too early, as you are doing now. Stay with it, and it will come...

a great forum needs all the mix of people hanging around to make it interesting . skill levels and experience need to be broad to help those ghost entities learn and keep coming back to visit . and the entertainment value of been there done that is great as well .
don't give up just yet on them my friend and to be sure some member is likely to come along and help you ketch some in person .
if you ever visit the ft worth area I will take you with me somewhere if you want . :highfive

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Stay with it, and it will come...

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Freshwater fishing isn't like saltwater fishing or fishing on a large body of water with a guide. The tips provided have a time and place - some more than others, but at least the basics have been covered and can not be denied. You can't but help learn a water the more you fish it, study it and remember key facts either by memory or other means (notebook or a digital camera as I have). If possible fish with someone in order to speed up the learning process of what can be used, how it was used while noting where both of you caught fish. Many false ideas (IE loop knots and painted jig heads always catch more fish) will fall away and be replaced by the truth-in-catching.

The single most incredible thing about crappie.com that to my knowledge only one other fishing forum has: input by many to arrive at the truth and discover what is real vs. what is superstition, hype, misinformation or nonsense. Finding fish is one thing - knowing what to use, knowing when and how to use it is another. Since you already catch bass, crappie is just another species that is no smarter or less susceptible to lures and as is true for fishing anywhere, there is no substitute for learning everything one can by thousands of casts that become less blind as one continues the process. If that doesn't work for you, there's always golf....:puke

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Originally Posted by BAFishBarn

I think though I'm going to let it go. I'm not a quitter, but I know when to call it and crappie have me beat. I can catch bass and let them go. I can catch small sunfish. But I love to eat crappie, and I cant catch them no matter how hhard I try.

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I think your main problem is you're fishing in places that don't have many crappie and might never have had many crappie. Crappie don't do well in small ponds.

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Originally Posted by BAFishBarn

My take away so far. Yea I know I am the crappie.com project child, but depth, cover, time of day make a difference..... unless you have sonor and can just spot where they are at. I want sonor.

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Sonar is just a tool, and it's not indispensable. I don't have sonar and catch plenty of fish. For decades in this country, fishermen had, at best, a small flasher unit -- and they caught plenty of fish. Sonar is a luxury that we take for granted.

If you want to approximate the depth of where you're fishing, cast out a 3/8 oz weight and count it down when it hits the water (1001, 1002, etc.) When it hits bottom (you'll know when it hits bottom when the line goes slack), take note of your count and double it. So, a count of 1005 would be 10 feet (2 x 5.) Cast around with the weight and build a mental picture of where the depth changes are.

Thank you for all the encouragement everyone. I'm going back out today. I'm going to an oxbow of a river, so there should be crappie, I just have to find them. So I'm going to do my best and cover water and use what I've learned so far to try to catch as many as I can. Wish me luck!

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Maybe look for a mentor in your area who would be willing to help shorten your learning curve. Nobody is born knowing how to catch fish, so it's all about learning and learning how to adapt.

Before sonar, we used a pyramid weight on masonry cord and felt our way to the holes & channels. What I used to do was divide the lake up into sections and concentrate on learning a small section at a time. Eventually, you'll connect. You also need to study the habits and behavior of what you're fishing for. Crappie have fairly consistent seasonal patterns. The sooner you can learn to match the depths and structure in the water with the crappie's pattern, the more likely you will be to catch fish.

Keep after it. Good luck.

Jim