Up or Down?

[bobberdown]

Will Crappie move to bait presented below them? I have always believed that a Crappie’s eyes are set to see above them and the bait should be at eye level or above the fish. I had conservation about this with an angler today. He said he had had better luck fishing below them. I still hold my belief you should present the bait slightly above the school of fish. Who is correct?
By the way I had a limit of 10” 13” and he had 6 9”.

[labill]

Everything I've read supports the fact that crappie feed up, not down. But who's to say there could be some crappie on bottom? I've also run into that before. They never showed up on the sonar, I guess they were too close in the weeds but they were being caught about 6 inches off bottom. Go figure!!

[CrappieMagnet]

Only up.Their field of vision is that of an L if that makes sense to you.

[CrappieLips]

I've always belived they hunt up, but i have them to see it and follow the bait down and float the cork, but for the most fish above, it's hard to see down when your eyes are on the top of your head

[Blue Duck]

Up is better......

[wrwest]

I have always thought that there sight was in an upwards view too. But like others I have also caught them a foot off the bottom.

[crappiepappy]

Will Crappie move to bait presented below them? I have always believed that a Crappie’s eyes are set to see above them and the bait should be at eye level or above the fish. I had conservation about this with an angler today. He said he had had better luck fishing below them. I still hold my belief you should present the bait slightly above the school of fish. Who is correct?
By the way I had a limit of 10” 13” and he had 6 9”.

To answer your question (will they "move" to get a bait presented "below" them) ....... yes, sometimes. But they are more prone to attacking a bait that is in front of them, or above them. It's the same deal with the question - will they hit a rising or falling bait better. It depends. If the fish is hungry, it may follow/chase. Territorial behavior, and just plain curiosity may make a fish "move to the bait" ... either to run it off, or to size it up.
There's a limit to "how far" above or below, that a bait can be presented, with effect. This also depends on the mood of the fish.
It has been my experience, that Crappie will "come up" farther than they will "go down" ... chasing after a bait. This indicates, to me, that their preferrence is to attack from the advantage point of "under" the bait - where their eyes work to their advantage. I believe they, more often than not, "intercept" falling baits, or downward arching baits ... rather than actually "chasing after" it, in a downward direction (for any distance, anyway). I've never had a Crappie hit my jig on the fall, when Vertical Casting .... but, once on the way up, I "expect" them to hit it :D ....... luck2ya .... cp

[jfraley]

I usually try to throw the jigs in thier mouths, but if that doesn't work, I will put the jig above them.

[Bruce Carp]

crappiepappy, I catch most of my crappie as the bait falls into the zone! Think about it, the fish are looking upward and the bait is falling towards them, if you are not prepared you will not notice the hits on the fall. They bite and spit out the jig, with the hit going unnoticed unless you are looking for it. Takes a while to work and feel that process but it works. Then if not hit, you work the upward movement, fishing the same water twice(up and down) on each cast or vertical(tightlining). Learned it from an old Colonel in Kentucky many years ago and it works for me and those willing to give it a try. Slower vertical presentation downward. My two cents, it may improve your game.

[Roberta]

I agree that we usually catch on the drop while casting or jigging.
However, I will say that watching our tropical aquarium fish has taught me that fish can move their eyes some to follow falling food and they will sometimes chase it to the bottom. They frequently "stand on their heads" to search for tidbits on the bottom. One reason I picked this particular type of fish is that they are built like miniature crappie. I'll bet forum members with crappie in their aquariums have seen similar behavior. - Roberta