Thread: Fly fish for crappie ?

I know some folks fly fish for crappie , when is the best time? think I would do any good this fall? or do they go too deep to reach? I was thinking a "clouser minnow"...........?
Pat.... Gates County

Are those clousers or crappie candy or both? Whatever they are, I like them. Look very good, maybe a little bulky for my tastre but that is just me. As for going deep, I don't see why they still wouldn't work on a sinking a tip or intermediate sinking line. I fish 30-50 foot deep pools for salmon in the fall and have no problme getting down to the fish with just a sinking leader and sinking tip. It does get a little boring waiting for the fly to sink that deep but if that is what it takes.

Those will work! Like was already mentioned, I prefer mine a bit more sparse. Tie a few up and notice the difference in action and look in the water. You may also want to tie some with bead chain eyes for when the fish are shallow.

I also have become a believer in Slumpbusters for crappie. It's a nice dark streamer that has a lot of motion.

I like to fish for crappie the most when they're shallow for spawn, because they're concentrated where we can get after them easier with a fly. That being said, you can catch them most any time of the year, you just have to adapt your tactics!

Thanks for the reply /input, pic is of my attempt at Clousers. Plan to tye some with bead eyes,for the extra weight.......... fish today and or tomorrow............ :-)

I agree with the other guys: sparse is best for a Clouser.

Originally Posted by deathb4disco

I agree with the other guys: sparse is best for a Clouser.

UNLESS you are fishing for bull redfish or trophy specks.
Or king mackerel - oooo yah, I gotta get me some more of that!
Pete

Nice looking flies the Clouser is one of the top flies here in Maine when the Crappie are on the beds in May.We will also use little spiders with rubber legs in various colors when they are taking directly on the surface.

Originally Posted by therodologist

Nice looking flies the Clouser is one of the top flies here in Maine when the Crappie are on the beds in May.We will also use little spiders with rubber legs in various colors when they are taking directly on the surface.

That's interesting. During past Novembers I have caught smallish (9 - 10") crappie on size 8 yellow sponge spiders. Wonder what most folks would thing about "topwater fishing" for crappie??! :D
Look out for yourself for the next couple of days. Earl is nothing to be scoffed at!
Bon chance.
Pete

The window of importunity to catch Crappie on there beds with flies here in Maine is very small generally the two middle weeks of May.The rest of the time we try to get them when they are suspended in the much deeper water both in the lakes and the rivers. Attached is a photo of two nice Crappie that a fellow angler caught while fishing with me last week he kept four fish with a combined weight of eight pounds.

The window of importunity to catch Crappie on there beds here in Maine is very small generally the two middle weeks of May.The rest of the time we try to get them when they are suspended in the much deeper water both in the lakes and the rivers. Attached is a photo of two nice Crappie that a fellow angler caught while fishing with me last week he kept four fish with a combined weight of eight and a half pounds.
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