One of the simplest I've found for that type of fishing is a RR w/tube jig or a swimbait tail, dropped to the bottom and slowly reeled back to the top. They'l hit it on the way up, slow-slower-slowest.
How do you fish deeper water, 14-30' deep? For still fishing, say over a brushpile, what setup do you use to get the crappie. I fish in 25-30' of water and there is a brush pile there and the fish are running from bottom up to about 16'. What is your setup for fishing this deep water areas?
Bassky
One of the simplest I've found for that type of fishing is a RR w/tube jig or a swimbait tail, dropped to the bottom and slowly reeled back to the top. They'l hit it on the way up, slow-slower-slowest.
sometimes I use a bouble jig set up one light jig on top heaver jig on bottom,, sometimes I use a drop sinker, sometimes I just use a 1/4oz jig, plastic tube or hard body jig always,,, and we fish 40 to 60 ft. in the winter. and as EnonEye stated slow roll up easy,slow down, tic. set the hook
If I'm forced to "still fish" such a spot --
I'd likely use one or more of these three :
Tightline w/traditional hook & sinker and a minner.
Drifting the general area with bell/egg sinker - then leader line of about 8-12" with a jig/minner.
Vertical Casting with a 1/16oz marabou jig.
But, that would probably be AFTER I had cast the spot with a 1/16oz weedless jighead/plastic body ... either casting beyond the spot & just letting the jig pendulum swing back (not reeling in until jig was straight down under me, & then Vertical Casting retrieve back to surface), or casting beyond the spot & counting down before reeling in (& usually adding 2secs to the count, after each 4th cast, until I was hitting bottom).
My jig casting & Vertical Casting techniques are usually used for water up to 25' deep ... deeper than that & I'm most likely to be drifting/tightlining a minnow setup of some sort, or fishing somewhere else Doh Rofl
... cp
Don't know if you're asking for baits/techniques or equipment so I'll cover both. What you're describing is how we fish most of the year here in TX.
My set-up (not for everyone) is a Dobyns DX701SF or DX742SF w/ Shimano Stradic 1000, 10# Fireline (Flame Green) and an 8# Seaguar InvisX leader. I use 1/8 & 1/4 oz jigs and jig heads with soft plastics and hand tied feather tail jigs. My most used weight for both plastics and hand ties is 1/8 but I've started using the 1/4 oz more when the fish are 20'+ and when the wind kicks up which is almost any given day here. The reason I say my set-up isn't for everyone is that not everyone can or will spend that kind of coin on a crappie rod. There are good alternatives out there for alot less money but whether I'm fishing a $300 Dobyns or a $35 Pro Angler the thing(s) that I won't change for vertical jigging is the Fireline/fluoro leader combination. It's the biggest difference in being able to detect bites IMHO.
You cant beat the dobyns rod 702 for this, but i would rig up a drop shot. Using powerpro and seaguar, with an owners downshot hook.
I don'y do that much any more either and only summer, but I use to use a 1/8 Oz. jig on the bottom and would put a Gamakatsu Drop Shot Hook #1 or #2 about 15" to 18" above the jig for a minnow. Hate using minnows, but I think some times the smaller fish will hit a minnow and may get the others started too. My experience is most of the bigger fish come on the jig. I do the same thing at night in the summer if I go.
Skip
Jig on top of a spoon, or 1/8 on top of a 1/4. It all depends on the wind and boat traffic. I love spooning them, slingin plastics too, just don't fish much deeper than maybe 25' at best.
Up here in the north country i use my Vexilar flasher. It is great on the ice and just as good on open water. It is wired up and mounted on the bow. The xducer is mounted on the trolling motor.I troll slow with my trolling motor looking for signals and when found i use a short rod 41/2 ft.
I hardly ever fish an area that deep as I usually stay 16' or shallower all year, but if I did I'd spider rig the area tightlining minners and moving VERY SLKOW.
Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.