• Just my 2 cents worth - from a Crappie.com Newbie

    I have read a lot about crappie fishing on several web sites before and this site has been the most helpful one that I have run across so far. I have learned more in the pass few weeks here than all the others.

    I use 2/0 Aberdeen gold hooks and minnows and most of the time I have very few that are gut hooked. I don't have to buy minnow as we have a catfish pond that has plenty of minnows. I throw out a handful of catfish feed and run the catfish off before throwing a 4' 1/4"cast net and a lot of the time I will have about 4 or 5 dozen minnows in one cast.

    My wife and I fish with 12 poles - 6 each B&M 10' cheap crappie poles @ $6 each sometimes with corks and sometimes without depending on how deep they are, most of the time they are only 2'-4' deep in spring and we fish deeper in summer. We have not had a lot of luck in the winter as it is harder to go in the cold weather the older you get and even harder to get my wife to go when it is cold weather.

    We use the trolling motor trolling very slowly. When we locate them some of the times we will catch 2 or 3 each on poles at one time. I will throw buoy marker out and troll over that spot again, but we have noticed if we try to anchor there it will run them off so we don't stop we just keep trolling.

    I have tried using all kinds of plastic baits but keep going back to minnows. I look at it this way why imitate a minnow when you can use the real thing and if it ain't broke don't fix it. I have 2 fish finders a hb 565 and a hb 717 but I have never been real good at seeing anything but structure and depth with either one. I can't see anything like the pictures I see on this site. I know the more expensive ones are better but when you retire and live on a budget you use what you got. When you fish a lake that's 450 acres for several years you learn the depths anyway. I know several people that use plastic baits that would not use nothing else and one day I may get enough confidence to use them because it would be cleaner, quicker and easier than minnows.

    I made my pole holder from 4" PVC pipe and made the stands from 1/2" metal pipe way cheaper than the ones that are factory made. Our boat is a 1991 tracker pro 16 with a 25 hp Johnson with minn kota foot control trolling motor, it works fine for the lake we fish. It would not be big enough for the big reservoirs and rivers that some people fish.


    My wife decides how many crappie we keep and what size as she is the one that cooks at our house, and sometimes we see people fishing from the bank and we offer them the fish we have caught so they can have a good fish fry. When we are through fishing for the day we have a 5 gallon bucket that has been cut in half and the middle replaced with about a foot of 1/4” hardware cloth and a lid that we sink out in the lake beside a ( unused) old light pole to keep minnow alive, they will sometimes live for days and even for a week or two there, so far no one has bothered it there.

    The thing about crappie fishing is that anyone on any type of budget can fish. I know some of the best expensive equipment will help find fish but it won't make them bite. Well like I said I have learned a lot here and one of the most important thing that I have learned is that fish are like any other animal that we hunt and catch, that we need to help protect them by adding fish habitat and structure. If only we were required to fix one fish habitat per year when we buy license's the fishing as a whole would be so much better. Oh well it is raining and cold outside and there is not a lot to do so I just gave y'all my 2 cents worth and it didn't cost you nothing. Well my wife has dinner ready so I hope everyone has a good safe fishing season this year and don't forget put some habitat out (where it legal to do so).

    This article was originally published in forum thread: Just my 2 cents worth started by scrat View original post
    Comments 13 Comments
    1. catman's Avatar
      catman -
      Nice read, thanks for your 2 cents worth.
    1. Speckanator's Avatar
      Speckanator -
      good 2 cents...makes sense
    1. NYHellbender's Avatar
      NYHellbender -
      Nice read - Thanks for sharing with us.
    1. mrgreenheads's Avatar
      mrgreenheads -
      x2 My exact feelings on crappie fishing have fun and use what ya got
    1. wicklundrh's Avatar
      wicklundrh -
      That was worth way more than 2 cents!
    1. bigarm's Avatar
      bigarm -
      Good read Thanks for info and welcome aboard
    1. Scouts Out's Avatar
      Scouts Out -
      Thank you!
    1. skeetbum's Avatar
      skeetbum -
      Your two cents makes good sense. Thanks for sharing it with us.
    1. Billbob's Avatar
      Billbob -
      good read
    1. STUMP HUNTER's Avatar
      STUMP HUNTER -
      Welcome to crappie fishing. Enjoyed your write up, sounds like y'all have a good time while fishing.
    1. RetiredRR's Avatar
      RetiredRR -
      I even liked the camo crappie pic.
    1. prefers shiners's Avatar
      prefers shiners -
      Well Scrat.....seems like you got life and the crappie figured out....I really enjoyed your post....welcome to the best fishing forum around......
    1. striperbud's Avatar
      striperbud -
      All of us should learn something here....this family is what fishing is all about! Thank You!!
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