Need help with Equipment

[Ozarkadver]

I have just got into crappie fishing and am wanting to get the right stuff. What size rods, reels, line, sinkers, hooks/jigs and what size live minniows. Any help would be great.

[Fishawk]

Best advise I can give you is, STAY AWAY FROM MINNOWS, use jigs!!!!!!

[Ozarkadver]

Really?

[rnvinc]

I hope this thread doesn't turn into another jigs vs minnows.....

[Ozarkadver]

Haha just saw that one. I just need help on equipment lets forget about jig/minniows for right now.

[rnvinc]

Haha just saw that one. I just need help on equipment lets forget about jig/minniows for right now.

Probably a good idea for now until you find some techniques for crappie fishing that you like...

Jigs vs minnows on this site is like Chevy vs Ford on an auto site...very opinionated...

[deathb4disco]

I just need help on equipment

What do you plan on doing? Trolling? Casting? Vertical jigging? The tackle I'd suggest for casting jigs won't help you if you're gonna be trolling crankbaits.

[Eager Beaver]

As Db4d has stated it depends on the type of fishing style you will be doing. For rods it matters the most for there are a lot of different length rods and actions with which to choose from that depend on which style you will be doing. Then there is the line that is also varied for the style, The jigs are pretty much what season and where you are fishing, (location). For a lot of the styles any reel will work. If you are going to cast and retrieve than you will want the best reel that you can afford. This apply's to the rod also. It goes for the amount of work that it will be used as compared to vertical jigging. As far as minnows it depends on what season you are fishing. After the first of the year you will start with the smallest minnows you can find. As the seasons go on you will use bigger minnows. Look for minnows in the water and use the same size that is natural for that time of the season, ending in the fall with the biggest minnows. With jigs you want to start with 1/32 or smaller in the spring and then go to bigger jigs as the seasons progress. If the fish are aggressive you can go to bigger jigs with twister tails with more action. When the fish aren't very aggressive then go to smaller jigs and use a tail with less action like a paddle tail, or a strait tail with no action. As far as hooks I like the red and gold aberdeen #4 and #6 light wire hooks, I use a stick bobber just big enough to keep it above water with least resistance. Sometimes you will need a slip bobber for deeper water. As far as sinkers I use a #5 and #7 re-useable sinkers depending on how deep the water is. As far as line I use Cabela's 4 lb and 6 lb hi-vis yellow. I also use power pro braided line on heavier equipment to fish deep in the brush piles. As we have said it all depends on the style you would like to use.
Personally I like all the styles and use whatever the fish like at the time. You get a little experience and you will be able to distinguish what the fish want if you pay attention.
As far as was stated about only using jigs, that is a personal choose. A lot of guy's prefer to just use jigs but they make their own jigs so are kind of partial. I will never tell anyone to just use one type of bait. I let the fish tell me what they want instead of me telling the fish what they want to eat at a certain time. I take jigs, minnows, and worms with me most of the time I am on the water. Which brings up an important point. Will you be fishing from a boat or from the bank? When you decide what type fishing you would be doing the most then we can help you define what equipment would work best. Don't get caught up in pricey equipment at first until you get a little experience. You may decided that you want to use a different style and then have to purchase different equipment. This should get you started tho. EB

[barrelslime]

Jigs tipped with Minnows

[skeetbum]

Best advise I can give you is, STAY AWAY FROM MINNOWS, use jigs!!!!!!

I second that. Minnows will always produce some fish but the thrill of the thump when a big crappie slurps a jig is the real deal. Fishawk walked away from the field yesterday in our local tournament by turning in 10 fish that weighed just under 13 lbs. He used nothing but jigs, and no one else turned in half that weight. 2 of the fish weighed 1.89 and 1.99 lbs. Not trying to suck up or anything like that, but this is testament to the ability of jigs over minnows in the right hands. Jig rods and ultralight rods from 5' to 10' get a lot of use, and 1/32 to 1/8 jigs are the most common. Panfish assassin tiny shad and Bobby Garland baby shad are some of the most popular plastics used, but there are many options. Darker colors have worked for us around here lately and patience is key to success. Count on losing some jigs along the way, cuz if you aint getting hung up now and then, you're probably not in the right place. Crappie are structure oriented but they do suspend, sometimes moving up and down in the water column in relation to a piece of structure.
Welcome from Middle Tennessee. There are no dumb questions here and we all look forward to hearing about your path to Crappie success. Tight lines....Skeet.