Crappie Flies

[bmaher287]

I am interested in catching crappies on flies? What are your favorite flies to use for crappies? Please post pics if you have them, it helps so I can tie ones similar to them.

[James Smith]

I've had very good luck with a fly created by Carter Nelson called the Carters SEM Sculpin. Here's a link to a video showing how to tie it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxc3azavAv8 It works great for large bream in basic black with a grizzly hackle and for bream in brighter colors like charturese and white.

Jim Smith

[quivira kid]

#6 bead chain eye Clouser minnow tied with kiptail, pink over white, chartreuse over white, chartreuse over pink....

#10 black furled tail mohair leech

#10 micro Clouser with chartreuse dyed squirrel over white kip

[FishnDave]

My favorites have remained fairly steady the last few years. Here's a blog entry I wrote about it a couple years ago, and these favorites continue to catch a lot of crappies for me.
http://fishndave.blogspot.com/2010/10/crappie-fly-patterns.html

If I had to pick just two favorites...they would be microjigs (all-chartreuse or gold/natural...Springbrook Wunder-style (bright red thread)) under an indicator during daylight hours, and #8 unweighted yellow boa yarn leeches after dark.

[fr8dog]

The little boogers are a blast on the fly. The clouser is a good choice because they like to be around cover, and it rides hook up. Less snags. I tie on light wire hooks that pull free from sticks with a good tug. If I'm throwing into heavier stuff, I use flies tied with a weedguard of 6# mono, like the style on bass bugs. Spring and fall are best when they move up shallow. I usually throw #6's, but size 4 work well, also. Tie them up in different weights: some days they want S..L..O..W, others they nail it on the run. Last thing is have a couple color schemes. The chart/white was mentioned earlier and is my favorite. I also use black over white, blue/white, or black over chart. Craft fur or marabou are what I tie with most often. Hope this helps. I had a ball last year. Not sure what was the most fun, pulling them out of the water or throwing them into the fryer!

[Gigmaster]

No question. Here are the top crappies flies that I have used:

1. Crappie Candy
2. Green over White Clouser Minnow (Fire Tiger Clousers work good, too...)
3. Chartruese Woolly Bugger
4. Any Green over White streamer
5. Black-Nosed Dace
6. Small Puglisi-Style Shad
7. Small Polar Minnow in Gray and White.

[tailingloop]

Primary forage for crappie in most of our local lakes are threadfin shad, bluegill and bass fry, damselfly and dragonfly nymphs, and chironomids. I don't fish chironomid patterns for crappie.

I use olive bird's nest nymphs as imitations for bass and bluegill fry.

For damsel fly nymphs I use just about any damselfly nymph pattern. The must be hundreds to choose from.

For dragon fly nymphs I use olive buggers, tied on standard hooks and on jig hooks.

For threadfin shad imitations I use grey/white Clouser minnows ranging in size from 1.5 to 3 inches long. Also chartreuse/ white. Also Lefty's deceivers in the same sizes and colors. The larger sized flies can be very important when the crappie key in on schools of larger shad in late summer. When the crappie are in a topwater mood I use small white crease flies or Gartside gurglers or generic panfish poppers.