OK, how do you catch crappie?

[Big Bad Wulff]

I have never really just "crappie fished" before so I am pretty ignorant about how to catch them. I know they like jigs, right? Never been much of a jig user but enlighten me. I have caught them 'by mistake' with roostertails before.

I will be using a spinning reel and/ or a fly rod and can do this on the shore or off bass boat on a lake or off a long wooden walkway across a large pond. The latter is where I will most likely crappie fish and there seems to be tons of them in there. The water is pretty shallow(1-3 ft) and very stained.
What fly patterns work well?

Thanks for the help.

[dixieangler]

Here you go. Lots of articles to read but Rick and Joe cover it (the "where to find them", "what to use", and "how to") pretty good. I personally prefer three flies most of the time but if a better fly or flies comes along (that I try out) that works here where I live for me I may go with that. A #10 Improved McGinty or Improved Black Gnat wet fly for shallow and suspended Specks and the #8 Crappie Candy fly in the standard fluorescent green (early season) and in yellow chartreuse (later season) for when the Specks are deeper. I may switch to a slow full sink line when they are really deep (or further down than my nine foot leader will take the fly) with the Crappie Candy fly. These flies have worked well for me in clear and also stained water. Your results may or may not be the same as mine for what I use and may be dependent on your geographical location. Or what you are most confident in using after catching some. One final suggestion is that Specks don't like noise, so it would be best to approach them as quietly as possible without spooking them. Best of luck.

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/feature ... chive.html

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/feature ... chive.html

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/view ... hp?t=14214

[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/052801fotw.html:814da]Crappie Candy[/url:814da]

[Greg Hunsicker]

First. You have to find them. Start by researching spring crappie behavior and watch the local fishing reports. If you are going to find them by fishing, cover the water. Fish the middle depths and concentrate on brush piles and other underwater structure. Finally, Search FAOL for "Crappie Candy".

[gadabout]

Here in the north I fish for them in the spring, usually in the month of May. I look for them in the shallows and find a fly rod to be a very effective for catching them. I will wade the shoreline or get in a float tube and cover the perimeter of a small pond, casting towards shore until I find a bunch. Black/Olive Wooly Bugger, McGinty wet fly, and Tellico nymph are three patterns I've had a lot of success with.

[Joe Billingsley]

Many times a crappie doesn't "hit" a fly or lure like a bass or bream will. The fly often will just stop during your retrieve. The feeling you have is that you have hung up in some weeds. Slowly lift your rod to set the hook, don't jerk. They're not called "Paper Mouths" for no reason.
Joe

[white43]

Years ago my first crappie was caught on, of all things, a wooly bugger. Red zonker tail, with peacock herl body with a green grizzly hackle palmered in. And under body wire wrap. I was actually targeting early season bluegill but had changed my retrieve from a hand twist to a slow, steady strip. Did extremely well and caught more than my bait/bobber fishing buddy. After that day I thought a Clouser-style fly would be best. There are many great flies, including the Clouser, Wooly Bugger, Crappie Candy, et.al. My favorite, though, is a Hare n' Copper (a New Zealand trout nymph) tied on a size 10 hook. I've since lost count of the number of crappies I've caught, but the majority have been on this little nymph. I can't tell you why. Only that there remains a beautiful mystery about fishing. JGW

[Big Bad Wulff]

gadabout: that is pretty funny because I tried wooley buggers and a Telico yesterday. I could see them roll and hit something near or on the surface kinda like a trout does.

I caught nothing. Oh well.

[MikieFinn]

Try small streamers fished slowly. You need to keep it about 1 to 2 feed above cover/bottom.

Around here Mikey Finn is DEADLY. Last fall I found a school and got a crappie on every other cast for over an hour.

Using light weight rod wit slow or moderate action will help to keep the hook in their paper mouths...

[Big Bad Wulff]

"paper mouths"(??)
I'm not saying it isn't true because I've caught a whole 2 crappie in my life but the 2 I caught had pretty stout lips.
One hit a full 1/2 ounce roostertail hard enough for me to think it was a bass and I fought it like a bass until I saw it was a crappie. It's mouth/lips were every bit as stout as a bass....or seemed so. Maybe the southern version is different?


Now someone help me out here. About 30 years ago I caught a fish in a lake north of North Bay (Canada) that was shaped kinda like a crappie/speck but it was pure white and it DID have paper lips(actually we lost it off the stringer because the lips ripped out. Any idea what that was??

[DShock]

SHE Fish?
Doug