Any tricks for big fish?

[badbrad]

I was curious if anybody on their multi-rod setups baits a pole differntly to target "big crappie" only, and whether this tactic would work. I was thinking about rigging poles with a two jig set up, and having one jig with a larger bait like a Yum beavertail or other large bait. Does anyone experiment with one rod pushing crankbaits, while other's are rigged with jigs. You can tell I'm bored and thinking about fishing. Can't wait to get out and experiment for myself.

[kincade]

Bigger minnows

Crank baits

Spoons

And a lot of times they arent near the cover smaller ones are on. Fish suspended crappie....

[england]

For starters you need to find a lake with a catchable number of big fish. Most every lake with crappie is going to have a few big fish,but it might take years before you run across one. If you are lucky enough to have some water where they grow big try fishing a little deeper a little slower and use a bigger bait. I am lucky enough to have some water like this and that is what I do when I target the biguns only. Sometimes it works ,sometimes it dont. That fishin I reckon.

[jigsbydirk]

Big Baits = Big Fish, not neccessarily heavier just longer baits.

[Joey Briggs]

I dont think is as much the bait as it is the place my 2 cents worth.

[SpeckWick]

I notice that on the lake I fish the most, I can catch better average size crappie on bigger baits. I love the YUM Wooly Beavertail and their curltail grubs. My dad got me hooked on Riverside twistertail grubs as a kid. Yellow 1.5". I can still go out most any day and catch crappie on them, but not always the bigger ones. The past few years since getting more serious about crappie fishing and fishing some tournaments, I have found that a lot of times, switching to a larger bait helps catch bigger crappie, if they are around. We don't have many 2 pound plus slabs in my home lake, but the bigger ones I have caught have come on 2" or 3" YUM Beavertails and curltails, or shad shaped 2" or 3" bodies. Another thing that works for me is to cast to small solitary cover. A lot of times, the big fallen trees become community holes and are beat to death by every fisherman that goes by them. If you pull up to one and are catching a bunch of dinks, sometimes you can find a single stick up, or stump, ar some other small cover close to the same depth and area, and find larger fish on it. Not usually in bunches, but some of my bigger crappie have been caught in that kind of stuff. Seems the big ones will stay in the general area of the school, but don't want to fight the dinks for a meal. Just my experiences, or dillusions...you decide.

[GRIZZ]

From my observation targeting large fish is two fold. If you study anglers who specifically target large fish they nearly all follow the same formula.

First they fish in water that has the capability of producing world class fish, like the bay of Quinte Ontario for walleyes, one of the few lakes of California that produce 20lb plus largemouth, the St Lawrence Seaway or eastern Ontario or Erie for giant muskies, and with crappies it would probably center around the mid southern states, though with crappies its strange because monsters can pop up from several areas around the country and not necessarily in the deep mid south. Then they concentrate on the time of the year that they are typically spawning or feeding for winter and weigh the most.

Secondly, monster hunters learn the unique habits and routines of a specific fish they have a passion for and become experts in how world class fish behave differently than normal sized fish of that one species, because world class fish do behave differently or they wouldn't have gotten that big.

I think this is an area where no one person or group of people have taken the lead in trophy crappie fishing and its wide open, unless I've been missing something. There are people who are skilled in crappie tournament fishing, but that is different than trophy fishing.

Its wide open right now with crappie fishing getting so popular, and I bet in the next few years a few people will stand out of the crowd and show the knowledge and ability to yearly catch the largest crappie of anyone in the world. I hope the race to catch world record crappies becomes as interesting at the race to catch the next world record largemouth. With the possible exception of the walleye I don't think there is another fish that will attract the attention that largemouth do now like crappies could.

I would like to hear from some people who already target large crappies to hear what they have learned, but I bet there are some similarities with the other monster hunters.

1. Larger baits. Bigger fish conserve energy by eating large baits.
2. Solitude. World class fish are loners and don't school with the masses, but typically on the outskirts of the masses where there is less fishing pressure, and more ways to escape.
3. They are picky eaters and don't strike a lure if it doesn't very closely resemble their favorite meals.

I'm sure there is a lot more but, seeking out people like Fred McClintock and studying his methods and his skill with world class stripers would be the best bet in learning to get the big ones. Frankly, I don't know of any trophy crappie specialists that are well known like he is with stripers or others are with the other major species. Thats why this category is so wide open.

[FalconSmitty]

fish water that has produced a hawg in the past. 4 of my fish over 3 pounds came from within 1 mile of each other. This past weekend I caught one near 3# from the same hole that prodused a monster the day before. I also missed the twin to my big fish. Like they all said hawgs are loners so fish isolated cover near larger cover.

[Crappie Reaper]

Funny how people experience different things. I agree that big fish tend to conserve energy. But, most of the bigger Crappie I have caught have come off a 1/64th oz jig. I guess I have just dropped it right in front of them. They hit very, very light, and most would never know they were getting a bite. I think the bigger Crappie will hit anything that is right in front of them. But, will tend to suck in a micro jig while taking no more than a breath. Where as something heavier will take them some effort. When it comes to Crappie, I don't believe big bait, big fish comes into play at all. Even when using minnows, I'll boat more nice fish with a smaller minnow. So, the jury may still be out on this one.

[Baditude]

One of my largest crappie was a white that was 17.5 inches and just under 2 pounds (post spawn)...i caught her on a 5 inch golden shiner. Bigger bait USUALLY catches bigger fish , but not in every case. The 2lb 4oz black i caught this winter (posted on the TN. board) i caught on a one inch long pin minnow. It just goes to show that there are probably many factors to consider and years of experimenting to actually target and successfully catch nothing but trophy crappie.