Artificial or live bait?

[HLLeonard]

I have been a serious crappie fisherman for only a couple of years so I don't have lot of experience to lean on but was wondering what you guys opinion was of which was more productive... I use minnows probably 95% of the time and in the waters I fish, it seems I have learned to catch crappie in the heat of the summer as well as spring and fall, not a wintertime fisherman here, I see lots of fishermen out in the spring and fall crappie fishing, both live bait and artificial, but in the summer crappie fishermen are scarce, it seems the few I do see are fishing minnows, I seem to be able to catch crappie in the summer as well as in the spring, the pattern is just different... Do jigs and other artificial bait produce as well as live bait or do the live bait guys just think minnows are better.

[deathb4disco]

The last time I used minnows, Jimmy Carter was president (shudder). Jigs are just so much easier.

[Williefast]

I use a mix of both. Minnows dont live long in the summer so I use worms. Winter I use minnows more often. I also catch crappie on mimic minnows and gulp.

[CrappiePappy]

I don't think one is "overall" better than the other, as they both produce. Personally, I prefer casting methods for Crappie ... but, when the situaton dictates otherwise, then live bait methods are my choice. And I'm not opposed to combining the two, when necessary. I've caught Crappie in the 2lb+ range, on live and on artificial bait. The only reason artificial bait has produced more in numbers, for me ... is because I've used artificial bait more often.

You might see more Ky Summertime Crappie anglers ... if you fish at night.

... cp

[logs]

Minnows most of the time.

[Blackhawk19]

I always start out with minnows and then if needed I adjust to what they want that day. I'm probably 95% minnows.

[HLLeonard]

I use a mix of both. Minnows dont live long in the summer so I use worms. Winter I use minnows more often. I also catch crappie on mimic minnows and gulp.

--
Minnows are harder to deal with in the heat of the summer but an old refrigerator with the temp adjusted to not be quite as cold as we like the one in the kitchen and a couple of Styrofoam lined minnow buckets and an air pump from a tropical fish tank works well for me in the summer, minnows will live for a week or two this way... Taking minnows from the fridge with you and a couple frozen coke bottles of ice along to keep the temp down seems to keep the minnows alive the whole day for me, if I have any left I return them to the fridge for the next time.

[HLLeonard]

I don't think one is "overall" better than the other, as they both produce. Personally, I prefer casting methods for Crappie ... but, when the situaton dictates otherwise, then live bait methods are my choice. And I'm not opposed to combining the two, when necessary. I've caught Crappie in the 2lb+ range, on live and on artificial bait. The only reason artificial bait has produced more in numbers, for me ... is because I've used artificial bait more often.

You might see more Ky Summertime Crappie anglers ... if you fish at night.

... cp

--
That is probably the truth, something else I'm not is a night fisherman, when it gets dark I am more inclined to want to go to sleep... My personal choice in catching crappie is with a jig under a bobber but this is almost exclusively in the spring season, a jig is less hassle than live bait and is a little more entertaining, for me anyway... Maybe I catch more fish with minnows at other times because I use them more, they just seem more productive to me.

[NIMROD]

Use jigs 100% of the time with good success no matter time of year.

[crappiejgr]

Use artificial most of the time . Don't have a reliable bait shop close , wish I did .