Thread: Why are Crappie so difficult for so many to catch

That’s a good tip, Ketchn. Lately I’ve started to hang up in the trees overhead from a hard set. I’m going to try to remember to try this.

Anyone that watches the Alabama forum knows who ditch Basser is. I’ve sat just a few feet from him several times while he caught one fish after another and I never got a bite. Kinda discouraging and encouraging at the same time. lol


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Originally Posted by Damion Kidd

Anyone that watches the Alabama forum knows who ditch Basser is. I’ve sat just a few feet from him several times while he caught one fish after another and I never got a bite. Kinda discouraging and encouraging at the same time. lol

So it's kinda like "The Force" in the Star Wars movies. After a while you just get to where your subconscious is doing the fishing. You kinda gotta let go control to get control, very hard to describe.

When I’m alone I just love to undress a lay down trying to create a pattern. I tight line mostly with my left hand holding the line. I do this because I can manipulate the jig various ways VERY SLOWLY! In thick cover I have to do this. Next: patience and quiet this goes without saying. Next: confidence in what’s on the end of the line. I go light (1/32 oz) with a slightly bigger hook on the jig. Next: pay attention to the angle of the dangle, depth, shade creation underwater (this helps me a great deal) and most of all see these conditions when you get a strike. That is the pattern for me so I give these situations a longer look.
Another thing that I do is to imagine where things are that I can’t see in a lay down. I normally approach from the top ends that I can’t normally see but I give this area a good look. I have no live scope so I am guessing at this point. I have guessed right many times as the Sacs love that type of structure at times. It looks like open water but I figure where the top ends are and start in. Another bonus is that the limb angles are generally toward me which reduces hangups.
It’s a labor of love and I’m as patient as they come. I just stick and move and try to build a pattern and repeat it. LOVE IT!!

Originally Posted by DeadlyDan

That’s a good tip, Ketchn. Lately I’ve started to hang up in the trees overhead from a hard set. I’m going to try to remember to try this.

I do it mostly in VERY tight spots and to be sure where I put my jig when I dock ketch you will break a rod tip trying to set the hook in a traditional raise the rod method , should probably make a video of it sometime there is for sure an art to ketchn dock crappie consistently

The ones I catch are super easy, it's the one I don't I have a problem with!

It is often little stuff. USUALLY, I've found that one guy will move his lure too much, OR he is getting hit, but just can't feel it. Or his jig is too light/heavy to stay in the zone.

The other night, my nephew was onto the fish. We watched him and he would drop it down about 12', close his bail and wait. BAM! No motion, just get it in there. We started doing the same, and soon, all three of us were catching constantly. All because he had cracked the code.

Having various people fishing together raises the chances of someone figuring out what the fish want. When someone catches, we ask questions like:
How deep? What size jig? Which soft pladlure? How were you moving it? Reeling or holding still? Thin leader or straight to the line?

But I also agree that using SLAB SAUCE definitely raises your odds. Recently, they fish were suspended and not eating. I slathered a jig in slab sauce, stopped it in the middle of the fish and caught a nice fish. It was one of those days where the fish were indifferent. If you used the sauce, you caught, if not, you didn't.

my first suggestion to the wanting to ketch crappie crowd is go with a stiff ultralite and a very small offering on light line , and go SLOW and then SLOWER and for ANYTHING that could be even possibly a bite , it gets a hook set ....
once you realize a large portion of crappie bites are very light bites , you will become way better at ketchn them.