No clue how to start fishing for crappie but determined to catch one soon

Hello, I've caught a "slab"(according to my friend) of a crappie once the first time I went fishing, but I have no clue how to specifically fish for them, I was using a big finesse worm then. I got a whole bunch of spinning rods so im fine on those but for lures, I don't know what to use. Been seeing people have success with a 1/8th oz jighead and some gulp minnows, either the largest size of second to largest size. I've also seen people have success with actual crappie jigs with the hair, fluffy parts, and all that stuff. I've been trying to watch videos to help me locate where they would be but everbody has that dang sonar. I'm getting a kayak soon so that might help with crappie fishing and fishing in general. Can someone please help me figure out what to use/where to look? Thanks.

Most of us use small crappie jigs or minnows. Sizes like 1/32, 1/16 and 1/8 oz are normal. Other baits work too like crank baits, small spinners, etc. As for where to fish that can be tricky but I’d start with structure like brushpiles, lay downs, bridge columns, docks etc. Look for points or areas of transition. Easy stuff to see and reach from the bank. Lots of good information here and in this forum is a great place to start. Beginners n Mentoring Forum.

Can you describe what you're doing now? And what tackle you might have on hand so we can see how you're starting out. Guessing you were bass fishing with the finesse worm, have any smaller grub type lures, maybe with a twister tail? Maybe post a picture of some of your smaller lures and I'm sure we can help get you started.

Lots of great information here. Lots of friendly and knowledgeable folks that don't mind helping here also

I'll send pictures of what I got to work with when I get back but I have a whole bunch of small mister twisters along with some normal sized curly tail grubs. All I really got in terms of small plastics. Also got a few less than an inch long floating crankbaits. What I'm doing now is just casting under cover with a curly tail on a 1/8th jighead (same curly tail I was just talking about). Nothing yet.

Road Runners are great for cast and retrieve. Super Dave’s post is full of great suggestions. Personally I use a lighter jig head 1/16th. Here is a great article on vertical casting. https://www.crappie.com/crappie/main...-crappiepappy/

Oh and quick question. Will a medium action rod be fine for now? I know it might be a little hard to detect the bites, but still. And if I get a lighter rod specifically for crappie should I get one of those really long jig poles? Theres one basspro's website for 15 bucks and it has pretty nice reviews, but the price makes me think its cheaply made. Oh and if I end up just getting a pole no combo, any reccomended reels for that?

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Originally Posted by StronkKnight

Oh and quick question. Will a medium action rod be fine for now? I know it might be a little hard to detect the bites, but still. And if I get a lighter rod specifically for crappie should I get one of those really long jig poles? Theres one basspro's website for 15 bucks and it has pretty nice reviews, but the price makes me think its cheaply made. Oh and if I end up just getting a pole no combo, any reccomended reels for that?

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If you're casting a Road Runner ... you'll want to keep the bait coming back to you at a steady pace & constant depth.
If you're casting a jig (hair or plastic with no "action") you'll want to slowly retrieve it & watch your line for any "tics" (jumps) or instant slack (& you know your jig isn't on bottom) and set the hook (whether you feel anything or not).
If you're casting a jig w/plastics that have "action" built in their shape (curly tail - boot tail) you'll want to keep the bait coming back to you, just like if you're using a Road Runner.

I wouldn't worry too much, right now, about getting new rods/reels ... and focus on your presentation. Keeping the bait at a constant depth, & speed ... learning to detect a lite bite ... being a line watcher ... talking with anglers you see on the lake & complimenting their catch success, and asking them what they caught them on ( but, NOT "where" they caught them). If you're observant, you may not even have to ask what they were using, as you can see what's on their rods (or if they have minnow buckets).

As Fall approaches ... Crappie will be following the baitfish back into the creeks, as they begin to feed up for the upcoming Winter months & the Spring spawn. Some will follow the baitfish into & then out of the creeks, while others will simply station themselves around cover that's inline with the pathway of the wandering baitfish & set up there as an ambush point.

I'd say most of us "older" fellers probably started Crappie fishing with minnows, either straight down over the side of a boat or under a float (from a boat or the bank). And there's not a thing wrong with that method. It's worked for centuries, and still does. :ThumbsUp

Perhaps you need the 1/8 oz. head for casting but in my opinion it's on the heavy side. I don't fish from shore and I prefer 1/32 and 1/16 oz. heads. If fishing under a float, I'm sure the 1/8 oz. would be fine. Light line on your current rod would be fine. Road runners are good lures; I use them often. I agree with them opinion that they are good cast and retrieve lures, particularly with a small plastic threaded on.

You're certainly about to hit on the right time of year.

Forgot to add this. Finally got my kayak in though so it should be a lot easier now. My dam has these giant weed islands, don't know the actualy name for those but I feel like some stuff would be hiding there. Going to go tomorrow ill keep everyone updated. Thanks for all the help too.

Congrats on the kayak. Be safe, have fun exploring and catch those slabs!

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Originally Posted by StronkKnight

Forgot to add this. Finally got my kayak in though so it should be a lot easier now. My dam has these giant weed islands, don't know the actualy name for those but I feel like some stuff would be hiding there. Going to go tomorrow ill keep everyone updated. Thanks for all the help too.

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Floating weed mats should hold some fish, as they provide shade and hiding places for whatever baitfish roams your waters. Now, Shad may not be in those mats, but other species & the very small/young probably will be.

I would start out by casting the outside edges of the mats, then moving in closer and dipping your bait down thru any opening you see. And depending on the time of day & angle of the Sun, that shade may not be directly under the mat (but should still be explored).

One quick question for you, though .... is this lake populated by both White & Black Crappie ??

You should also look for a contour map of the lakes you plan to fish from your kayak. They will give a head start on finding some drop offs and edges where there is a good chance you'll find some fish hiding out.
Congrats on the new boat and don't forget to take a camera with you on your trips!

Crappiepappy, I only have black crappie in here. No shad or small baitfish to my knowledge though, ive been fishing there for months. Smallest thing ive seen was a bluegill. And 6poundtest, ill try to look for one today before i go out. Ill 100% bring something that can take pictures haha. Oh and contour is the depth and all that right?

Can't go today or for this weekend for that matter. Annoying

What's the name of this lake ?? And whereabouts in Mass. is it ??

If you're going to use your phone to take pics, I suggest downloading the (free) Crappie.com app. Reason being, some phone pics that are directly loaded to the site or loaded to a computer and then loaded to the site will appear turned to the left. It's not the phones fault, but some times the site cannot read the orientation code of the picture and tries to correct the orientation & ends up turning a "portrait" mode shot into a "landscape" mode shot. :Doh:

If you use the Crappie.com app ... you can load the pic and message directly from it and the pic should come out in the correct orientation. Or you can do what I do and load the pic into the Testing Area Forum from the phone, then use the computer to type in the message in the appropriate forum & then copy/paste the picture out of the Testing Area Forum & into the message box in whatever forum you're posting in. The Testing Area also serves as a "hosting site" for the pictures you put in there, and can be copied/pasted to future messages.

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

What's the name of this lake ?? And whereabouts in Mass. is it ??

If you're going to use your phone to take pics, I suggest downloading the (free) Crappie.com app. Reason being, some phone pics that are directly loaded to the site or loaded to a computer and then loaded to the site will appear turned to the left. It's not the phones fault, but some times the site cannot read the orientation code of the picture and tries to correct the orientation & ends up turning a "portrait" mode shot into a "landscape" mode shot. :Doh:

If you use the Crappie.com app ... you can load the pic and message directly from it and the pic should come out in the correct orientation. Or you can do what I do and load the pic into the Testing Area Forum from the phone, then use the computer to type in the message in the appropriate forum & then copy/paste the picture out of the Testing Area Forum & into the message box in whatever forum you're posting in. The Testing Area also serves as a "hosting site" for the pictures you put in there, and can be copied/pasted to future messages.

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Just got the app, had no clue there was one. Name of the lake is lewin brook pond. On the map it might show this circular looking one, but look north of it. Thats where i fish. It is in mass.


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Originally Posted by StronkKnight

Just got the app, had no clue there was one. Name of the lake is lewin brook pond. On the map it might show this circular looking one, but look north of it. Thats where i fish. It is in mass.


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OK ... yeah, I was gonna try and find it on my Navionics Chartviewer on my computer & see if it shows any contours, depth, etc. but it appears to be too small a body of water for Navionics to even chart. I did look at it on Google Maps, and did see the weed islands (or what looked like weed islands). When you are referring to the "dam" ... is that next to the Jr High School ?

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

OK ... yeah, I was gonna try and find it on my Navionics Chartviewer on my computer & see if it shows any contours, depth, etc. but it appears to be too small a body of water for Navionics to even chart. I did look at it on Google Maps, and did see the weed islands (or what looked like weed islands). When you are referring to the "dam" ... is that next to the Jr High School ?

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Yeah right there, the dam. Weed islands showed up like a month ago I think. Might not be there on map but they are on the North end near the shores... i think?


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Originally Posted by StronkKnight

Yeah right there, the dam. Weed islands showed up like a month ago I think. Might not be there on map but they are on the North end near the shores... i think?


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Yeah, Google Maps is showing them concentrated on the Northern section of the pond, but still a few scattered around just North of the dam. It says it's a 2023 map, but that doesn't always mean it was satellite surveyed this year. It could be from several years ago & not updated in that area. :dono

In any case ... check out around the rock rip rap bank (school yard side) ... and any trees that have fallen into the water along the banks. Black Crappie like rocks as much as weeds, and they will use wood cover often, as well. One thing about Black Crappie, they're just as likely to feed on bugs & crawfish as they are on minnows ... so black, brown, green, and other "bug" colors are good colors to try (or a combo of those colors ... or any of those colors & a chartreuse tail).

I'd also be searching the drop offs around all those points that stick out in to the main body. Edges are often very productive with a slow falling jig just to the deep side of the line.

Found time to go fishing today. No crappie but I got these guys. Used a 1/8th oz jighead with some sort of small triple ripple. Attachment 469920Attachment 469921


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Looks like a good start, congrats!
Time on the water will result in finding the crappie, I'm sure. And when you find one, work that area pretty thoroughly as there is usually a few buddies nearby.

Yeah man I can't wait. Can't fish most of the place mainly because all the dang weeds. Once fall turns up the weeds will finally die and I can fish those areas better. What I'm using right now is fine, right? Thinking of getting a beetle spin too so I can catch everything.

Proof that you're on the right track is in your photo's above. Personally, I like the lighter jig heads as I feel I can fish them slower if needed. Depending on the size of the plastic you thread on, 1/8 oz. sinks pretty fast. What size plastic are you threading on, 2"? 3"? Let the fish tell you what they want on a particular day and don't be afraid to try different weights, styles, colors and speed or manner of retrieve. Sometimes they want a steady retrieve, sometimes it's a rise and fall back retrieve, sometimes is straight down under the boat, dead still with a tiny quiver now and then.
I have a Beetlespin or 2 but somehow, they never seem to get clipped on; I should try them, too. But you can catch anything on a curly tail, straight tail or other tail shapes. Even feather jigs or hair jigs like you see our more southern friends use work great.
There is no one correct answer for all waters and conditions.

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Originally Posted by StronkKnight

Found time to go fishing today. No crappie but I got these guys. Used a 1/8th oz jighead with some sort of small triple ripple. Attachment 469920Attachment 469921


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Looking at that top pic it appears you were "overhead wrist snap casting" .... your line is wrapped over the end of the rod :Doh:

*that happens when snapping your wrist forward to cast before the jig has fully loaded the rod, which leaves slack line between the tip and next guide down and the jig flies thru between the rod and slack line.*

6pound, I used a very small 1" lure. I will try 1/16th weight when I get them because 1/8th (said 1/10th) on a scale just sunk super fast, so ill use the 1/16th so they will have more time to bite it. I'm going to order stuff either tonight for crappie. Thinking about getting a few different minnow colors, 2", like 2-3 roadrunners, few more triple twisters, and 1/16th jigheads. All that sounds fine right? And should I add anythign? And should I just get it off basspro or tacklewarehouse? I've bought off tacklewarehouse before but not off basspro's website.

All sounds pretty good. Around 2" is my go-to for the most part. Fish USA is another good supplier.

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Originally Posted by StronkKnight

6pound, I used a very small 1" lure. I will try 1/16th weight when I get them because 1/8th (said 1/10th) on a scale just sunk super fast, so ill use the 1/16th so they will have more time to bite it. I'm going to order stuff either tonight for crappie. Thinking about getting a few different minnow colors, 2", like 2-3 roadrunners, few more triple twisters, and 1/16th jigheads. All that sounds fine right? And should I add anythign? And should I just get it off basspro or tacklewarehouse? I've bought off tacklewarehouse before but not off basspro's website.

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If I were getting Road Runners, I'd get the marabou ones. Just my :twocents

Also, what size line are you using ? I wouldn't use anything over 6# test mono.

If you're going to be ordering online ... price shop several different places & don't forget to check how much S/H charges are.

Best guess on my line is 2-4 pound. Nothing too heavy. Ill try those marabou ones. For the minnows, im thinking shad and blue ice for colors. Only saying those two because this one old man I watch on youtube always has success with those. Any other suggestions for colors?
only asking because there are so many choices for colors.

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Originally Posted by StronkKnight

Best guess on my line is 2-4 pound. Nothing too heavy. Ill try those marabou ones. For the minnows, im thinking shad and blue ice for colors. Only saying those two because this one old man I watch on youtube always has success with those. Any other suggestions for colors?
only asking because there are so many choices for colors.

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LOL .... yeah, you ask 10 people to give you their top 3 colors, and you're likely to get 30 different ones. If you've got some white, some chartreuse, some pink, and some Junebug colors in your baits ... you're off to a good start. (those colors can be solo or in combination)

You've already established that there's Bass & sunfish there, so if there's any Crappie around they're likely to be eating their fry (along with the aquatic bugs and other things swimming or crawling around in those waters.

IMHO ... Beetle Spins are a pretty good bait, but notorious for getting fouled in your line when cast. Road Runners "can" do that, also, but are just not as likely to.

I should have mentioned to check out our site sponsors in my reply last night. I've ordered from both Grizzley Jig and Pico with fine results.
I prefer the more natural colors or subdued colors for the most part but agree with the chartreuse or white options.

Minnows are hard to beat when one is starting out. Few rods, minnow bucket / aerator, some floats, weights, and hooks. A fella is ready to go.

Ordering tonight from pico. got 20 1/16th oz jigheads, 2 flip floats, some stops, 2 different types of marabou jigs (6 each), little shad in ghost shad color, orange and brown crappie tube, and a triple tip blue and chart. Happy I got these. Tried ordering from grizzly but there were no marabous, but there were underspins. Ordered from pico instead because the jigheads were a lot cheaper, and i'd rather just use the marabou jigs. By the way, how long does it normally take for them to arrive? Week?

Pico is awesome. Mitch is good folk too. They always have gotten my orders right out to me and I’d imagine they’d do the same for you. Probably within a week. Pretty sure they use USPS shipping. Let us know how things work for you.

quick question, any reccomended poles if I want to be fishing for crappie off shore? I know light action would be nice.

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Originally Posted by StronkKnight

quick question, any reccomended poles if I want to be fishing for crappie off shore? I know light action would be nice.

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If you're on a shoreline that has no overhead obstructions, I'd go with a 7-8ft rod in med/lite to med action with a fast tip. If there are overhead obstructions, I'd go with a 6 to 6.5ft rod and learn how to "shoot docks" or learn to sidearm cast with accuracy. Learning how to "shoot docks" can also be a major factor when in very confined spaces, and will work just fine with rods shorter than 6ft.
A reel with a long or wide spool & lite line will help with distance on your casts. Brand of said rods is a personal choice (per budget) and that's your call. You just want to make sure that the reel balances the rod so that it's not tip heavy, or you'll wear out your wrist/arm with any extended use. :twocents

Alright thank you. Is a long/wide spool just a normal spinning reel with just a wider place to put your line on? I searched it up all I got was conventional baitcasters

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Originally Posted by StronkKnight

Alright thank you. Is a long/wide spool just a normal spinning reel with just a wider place to put your line on? I searched it up all I got was conventional baitcasters

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Yes ... spinning reel. Sorry to be confusing, but basically what you want is a spinning reel that holds the most yardage of the same pound test line. Some reels have spools that are "longer" (front to back) and some have spools that are "wider" (side to side) .... with the idea of allowing the line to come off the reel spool easier, lending to longer casts.

Still .... more important than spool size is the weight of the reel. Like I said before ... you want the reel to balance the rod so that it's not tip heavy. I do that by placing the rod/reel on my outstretched finger at the front end of the handle. If it balances or slightly dips back towards the handle end, that's good. If it dips quickly towards the tip end, the reel is too light.

The biggest problem with getting a rod & reel that balances is having to buy them online. Being able to walk into a store & match them up is the best way to insure your outfit will be balanced. I don't even know if "combo" outfits are all that balanced, as I've never bought a combo outfit. I've just got a lot of rods & reels, and switch the reels around on different rods to make a balanced outfit.

For now, let's just concentrate on getting a balanced outfit & not worry so much about the spool length/width. If the outfit is balanced and can cast a 1/16oz jig 40ft away on 6# mono ... you're in business.