Crappie Fishing

How to catch the big slabs !

Obviously, I am partial to slip bobbers and minnows. Year round crappie can be caught in 3-6' of water. Some days, jigs are the big ticket. I am partial to roadrunners. Red head with white curly tail 2" grub. But white heads with smoked silver and all chartreuse also work. Water clarity and weather conditions usually dictate which color is best, and so do the fish ! Many use conventional jig heads with tube jigs, chartreuse/black and pink/white are popular colors. Jigs should be fished very slow with a twitching motion and stop from time to time and can also be fished from a bobber to control the depth and presentation a little more. Always be prepared for the bite so you can set the hook. Jig fishing requires a very quick hook set, whereas with minnow fishing you want to make sure they got it before you set the hook. And don't forget, if you are fishing structure, and or you are fishing deep water ... drop shotting can also be a great technique for crappie ... especially down at the river fishing pylons and docks ! If you don't catch a crappie within 15 minutes, try a different depth ... or try a different spot !