I have just gained access to a new pond, and have caught a few nice crappie out of it. I know there are a lot more there. What are your most productive flies for cold weather crappie?
fishinmachine
i don’t have a name for them, but basically i use a few marabu ends for a tail and just wrap the rest of the feather forward like the chinele on a wooly bugger. tye them on a size 12 or 14 dry fly hook and just let them sink slowy. if nothing takes jig it up a foot or so and keep doing it a foot or so higher until you find the right level. i tie them in black, gray and olive.
good luck
mike
FM,
The Bully Spider in the Bluegill Book has worked wonders for me. Both of my ponds hold Crappie and the Bully is the most consistant fly I tie. I will take some to Kentucky Lake in the spring for pre-spawn run and let you know how well they work in the big water
Clint
I feel closer to HIM when I’m fishing.
I use Clouser minnows tied on #6 and #8 streamer hooks. I tied them in the following colors: Top (back), Olive Green bucktail (you can add a few strands of Crystal Flash in Chartruese for some extra flash, if you want). Middle, (to simulate lateral line), very sparse black bucktail. Bottom, white bucktail. Remember, a Clouser should be dressed very sparsely. You can use Fishhair or any other similar material. I just have a lot of bucktails. This is sort of a “can’t fail” fly. If they’re there, they’ll hit it if you can get it to them.
Another productive winter pattern for me is the Virtual Minnow, although it is very tricky to tie in the smaller sizes necesary for winter crappie. Again, I tie them on #6 or #8 streamer hooks. Be very careful with the hot glue as it is easy to get too much on these small flies. If the body is too thick, you won’t be able to slide the mylar tubing over it without tearing. Use the smallest diameter mylar tubiing you can get. Use the smallest doll eyes or similar product. I cover the body with pearl-colored mylar tubing and use a grey Zonker strip (the smallest you can get). White or chartruese works good, too. You will most likely have to split the zonker strip length-wise to keep the thickness in proportion to the rest of the fly. It is worth the extra trouble. Anywhere that shad are the crappie’s main forage, they will attack this pattern. It is helpful to use a strike indicator as crappie often hit very light and soft in the winter. On both flies, put a few drops of Smelly Jelly Baitfish gel, or Shad Gel on them every so often so they smell real.
These are the only two patterns I use to specifically target crappie. I haven’t needed to try any other ones. If they are around, they always hit one or the other, unless they are too deep. I’m not real good with using a full sinking line. I have enough trouble with floating and sink-tip lines. I am sure that these will work deep as well, if you want to try. They can both be weighted with wire wrap easily, much like a Wooley Bugger (actually, just like a Wooley Bugger).
Hope this helps.
Good Luck!
Look in the panfish archives for “Ricks Favorite Crapie Flies” pictures adn patterns.
Rick
My most effective Crappie fly is the Carter’s Dragon at least that’s what I think Carter Nelson called it when he showed it to me. The receipe goes as follows:
Carter?s Dragon
Hook: X long hook size 6 to 12 (your choice)
Thread: Black 6/0
Tail: Small bunch of black rabbit fur ? 2 pieces of silver Krystal Flash on each side
Body: Black chenille or mohair yarn
Collar: Hackel, either black, grizzly, olive or silver badger
Beard: Black Krystal Flash
Eye: Black or silver dumbbell eyes
Tie in a bunch of black rabbit fur for the tail. Add two pieces of Krystal flash on each side of the tail for some flash. Tie in the chenille and wrap the thread to the eye of the hook. Tie in the dumbbell eyes. Wrap the chenille up to the eyes and tie off. Clip excess chenille. Tie in a hackle feather by its tip. Make two wraps for the collar, tie off and clip excess. Tie in a small bunch of black Krystal Flash on the under side of the hook directly in front of the dumbbell eyes. The Krystal flash should reach to the end of the hook.
Crappie also like it tied in bright colors such as chartruese/white or orange/white with a silver krystal flash beard.
Fish this pattern by letting it sink for about 10 seconds. Then make very quick 3-6? strips with a two second pause between strips. This is an excellent winter bluegill and crappie fly, but hold on, because bass and crappie find it equally irresistible.
Good luck.
Jim Smith
I use a marabou muddler, any size or color. Works great, its funny how different the flies we use and they all work for there own designated waters. I’ve tried some of the flies above and hardly any have worked. For winter I’d probably weight the fly a bit, but not much just to get it under and not on the floor.
Hello Fishing Machine,
My favorite crappie fly is Al Campbells
Crappie Candy. Great how to recipe here
on FAOL that Al put together for us. It
really works well in my warmwater lake
fishery. Good luck! Warm regards, Jim [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/052801fotw.html:917c3]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/052801fotw.html[/url:917c3]
Phil Morrill’s (Orlando, FL) posts from the Warmwater Angler Yahoo list group might help 
:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial”>quote:</font><HR>Well my dedication finally paid off. Hit the dock this evening with my
4wt, full sink line, and a crappie candy. Caught a bunch of specs, the
largest 13". What fun! If I had a bucket or stringer with me, I would
have invited a few home for dinner.
The specs were finally where I thought they’d be…only a week late.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial”>quote:</font><HR>Thanks Robert,
Yup, I think the cold front did it too.
I was using a size 8, yellow yarn body, white marabou tail, peacock
crystal flash wing, with small beadchain eyes, I have been omitting
the bottom wing. I also was using a full sinking line. I know from
my depthfinder, the area was catching them in is about 10ft, but they
were suspended probably at about 5ft.
I wish I had a bucket to put them in, they kind of caught me by
surprise and I didn’t want to stop fishing to run up to the house to
get one.
Speaking of limits: We get (what I believe to be) folks that must
sell their catches. You will see them drift across the lake pulling
out fish after fish. 3 guys in a boat easily taking 75 fish…then
they change out coolers and start again. I am calling the FWC on
them if I see them again. I have to admit, however, that watching
them made me even more obsessed with catching specs.
Maybe tonight I will keep a few for the frying pan.
-Phil<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL
“Flip a fly”
[This message has been edited by dixieangler (edited 01 December 2005).]