Crappie Feeding

[pop]

I know crappie eyes are on top of their heads and they feed up, but; do they ever feed on the bottom? Pop

[CrappiePappy]

I know crappie eyes are on top of their heads and they feed up, but; do they ever feed on the bottom? Pop

Yes, Pop ... they can & will go down for a meal, and also pick food off the bottom. They just won't usually go as far "down" to chase a meal, as they will go "up" to get one. BUT, their preference is to come up from below & behind whenever possible.

[Crestliner08]

I agree. They will go down after a bait. But I believe it may be that they saw it descending and followed it down. Normally they feed looking up or ahead. Yet there have been times, especially in early ice out season, or late fall, where slow rolling a Road Runner along the bottom has been very productive!

[barrelslime]

Iv cleaned hundreds of crappie with crawfish in them and they dont suspend in the water so YES crappie feed down. It aggravates me when a crappie pro states "Crappie NEVER feed down" BULL

[trypman1]

I agree, Crappie that are feeding will go up or down. Now, if they are suspended in open water, that may not work.

[silverside]

My pb crappie was caught on a chunk of worm on the bottom while catfishing. So yes... but I think less often than feeding up.

[dhaire]

Darn crappie in my lake will not feed up or down lately.


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com

[silverside]

Darn crappie in my lake will not feed up or down lately.


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com

I guess that leaves sideways. Try suspending crankbaits

[Locator79]

I've caught a lot of crappie bouncing a jig in the mud, especially in the fall

[SlabSlider]

Crappie are like other predator fish. They will suspend and eat bait grouped in balls and the crappie school to feed on them. The crappie have eyes that naturally look forward and up while standing still. They hang below or to the sides of these bait balls. Never above as they don't look down without putting the tails in an up postion which is unnatural. On occasion there will be no bait balls and the crappie will forage a bit when hungry and they "tail" by swimming in a "head down" maneuver to pick at the bottom bait. They don't normally do this but will when there are no bait balls to feed them when they are really hungry. They only forage the bottom if no bait. That is the reason there mouths are so thin. They do not spend lots of time picking at rocks and debris toughening up their mouths like drum or catfish. They tend to like the bait coming to them rather than feed off the bottom.