Crappie Fishing Questions..

[CrappieGodzilla]

Hello all of you Crappie Fisherwoman and Fishermen. I am new to this web site and I will most likely be asking allot of dumb questions, please bear with me. OK Here goes. #1. Has anyone fished the Deep Ledge Jigs, Deep Ledge Spinner Jigs and Brush Bug Jigs? If so how, when and where do you fish them? #2. Also what weights and colors do you use? I realize that the water color, temperature, and time of year come into play. #3. I will need information about fishing poles, line and different ways to rig these offerings. More questions to follow at a later time. If you use other fishing lures please share that information with me. Thank you very much, Ron AKA CrappieGodzilla...

[huntinslabs]

Welcome. Never tried the jigs you speak of. Prolly use 1/16 oz about 75% of time. And multitudes of colors.

[DockShootinJack]

No questions are dumb ones. We all all here to learn from one another and enjoy the sport we all love. I am not familiar with the jigs mentioned. Sure someone will come along and answer that for you. Jig weights, from a pole taken on here 1/16 and 1/32 are pretty popular, but different weights get used for different fishing techniques and times of year. The two mentioned above would give a decent start. Rigs and knots. There is a very good sticky in the main fishing section. It has allot of good information. As far as colors, the state forums for the lakes you fish should have some guys happy to share their favorite colors for a given lake. Poles are a matter of what you like. We all have different taste in fishing rods. Rod choice will also be determined by the type of fishing you do. A 16' pole for trolling/ spider rigging may not be the best.choice for casting jigs or dock shooting. Rods can be from $20.00 on up to over $100. I like the Shakespeare Microlite series of rods. They are around $20.00, come with a cork grip and can be had in lengths from 5' to 7'6" . For the money they are a good rod, but that's just my take on them. Your mileage may vary. For line I like the braids, but I shoot docks allot and I like the strength verses small diameter for the type of fishing I do. Once again seldom aboard Crappie Godzilla.

[DockShootinJack]

The last line should have read Welcome aboard instead of seldom. Auto correct strikes again.

[CrappieGodzilla]

Thanks for all of the Crappie fishing information. I was asking about the Deep Ledge Jigs, Deep Ledge Spinner Jigs and Brush Bug Jigs because I had been reading about them on a other website. They sounded like a very good starting choice for my Crappie fishing venture. It seams like it will depend upon what lakes that I will be fishing because of local preference to that area. I haven't bought any Crappie Poles as of yet because I don't know how I want to fish for them. I have read that there are many ways to fish for them, just wondering which way would be the easiest way. Thanks for all of your help. Ron AKA CrappieGodzilla...

[CrappiePappy]

You can't really go by "how I want to fish for them" ... you need to know where they are (depth & cover being used) and pick the best method to use that will present your lure within their strike zone. Presentation method can sometimes be more crucial than color or size of lure.

White Crappie "prefer" off color water, warmer water, wood cover
Black Crappie "prefer" clearer water, cooler water, rock & weed cover

BUT ... given the circumstance that their "preferred" conditions are not available, or in abundance, either or both will make do with what IS available.

IMHO ... if using a jig for casting or jigging presentations, in water less than 20ft deep, a 1/16oz jig up to a 1/8oz jig on a 7-8ft rod with 6lb test mono is a good all around starting point. The rod should probably be a fast to very fast action tip rod, rather than a soft action (parabolic bend) rod. Hi-vis line can be used when casting & swimming the jig back to you, over submerged cover, so you can see the line movement (tic/thump) rather than waiting to "feel" the bite. Vertically jigging you can get away with clear mono, since you're more likely to feel the bite.

The "easiest" way to catch Crappie is probably using the "tightline" method, or what I grew up calling "still fishing" ... which is being in a boat, tied up to a standing tree or anchored over a submerged tree or brush pile, and fishing straight down over the side of the boat with a hook/sinker/minnow. But, as with any method being used, you have to locate the fish, first ... either through use of your electronics or by simple trial & error of moving from place to place. Having some idea of where the fish "should" be, at that time of day and/or the season, will help you eliminate unproductive water a little faster than simply going from one likely looking spot to the next.

... cp