Crappie being line shy ?

[Rojo]

I think the deal is red color turns black underwater first before any other color. Having competed all over the nation achieving top ranks you do the same thing over and over that includes eating the exact same breakfast, using the exact same ammo, wearing the same gloves, etc of the days you won championships. I catch crappie for years now with Mr Crappie Camo over any other line. Tying the knot to a red portion has nothing to do with the color for me as is has to do with the last 5000 crappie I caught that portion of the line is what was tied to the jig. Confidence, confidence catches fish.

[SuperDave336]

I’m glad you mentioned the camo line. I just bought the crappie max camo line on BPS sale and with all the talk on red was starting to wonder if I wasted my money since it has some red. I usually use hi-viz but have been switching more and more to clear.

[Ketchn]

I got a bud that slings fish quite well with mr. crappie camo line
I prefer no color line myself ,but I also frequently use hi vis
and sometimes braid ....I said sometimes
I never tested the red cajun fire line myself with any crappie though
but I used a bunch of it in Alaska on salmon and trout and it seemed to work ok there .
I used to see an older fella back when use cotton line straight to a big gold crappie hook with a shiner under a float with a cane pole and do pretty well just like that ....
the problem in the end will always remain the same though, folks just dont get what we see and what a crappie might or might not see are TOTALLY different , our blue isnt their blue and our red isnt their red and etc etc etc .
there in lies the real issue of concern
heck I still have not ever seen a for sure scientific to make me believe it study on if they can EVEN see the fish world in actual color.
their eye sight might be similar to how a cat views the world ,black and white and objects that move seem highlighted in a brighter shade of white .
that particular study seemed to make me think it was true .

[BJH]

I don't worry about line color, i only fish for blind crappie?

[Kelvin]

Would say normally i can't tell any difference. One day we were casting jigs for Crappie, buddy was out fishing me 4-1 I had Hi vis he had clear mono both had exact same jigs. He finally said here try one of my poles, right away I started matching him 1-1. So that day it mattered. This was a reservoir w/moderately clear water .

[Eagle 1]

My dad used a black nylon line so thick that the bobber stop was a loop in the main line . Fished clear water in the summer time with no issues . They used minnows so small is you tried hooking them in the back would cut them in half . no problems even on a big catfish go involved .

[kyfishman]

I've fished for crappie with ultra clear line and I've used hi-vis as well. I have #30 braid on all my trolling rods that ends in a flourocarbon leader #6 to #8 lbs. I've fished in ultra clear water, and water as muddy as the Miss. River. But I can't say that line color, or even line size for that matter, ever has really made a difference. I honestly believe that the fishing market has become such a big business that most of the stuff being hawked as "best" or "sure to improve your catch" is made FOR THE FISHERMAN AND NOT THE FISH! For instance, think about the numerous kinds and brands of plastic jigs on the market today. There are literally thousands of kinds and colors, but they basically are all the same. I've got hundreds of colors and styles of jigs in my boat and usually use maybe 5 or 6 different colors or kinds most of the time. All those jigs are made for THE FISHERMAN, not the FISH. Do I need hundreds of kinds of plastic jigs? No. Do I need 500 brands of fishing line to guarantee success? No. Honestly, I could probably stick to 6 to 10lb Stren and catch as many crappie as I ever have. Fishing, like most everything else in America, boils down to big business. Today I fish out of a $30,000 boat with $10,000 worth of electronics and $100 fishing rods, but if the truth be known, I probably caught just as many (or more) crappie back in the day when I used a cane pole, 30 lb nylon line, a 3/0 gold Eagle Claw hook and a big plastic red and white bobber. Folks, I know some of you will disagree, but I think most of this stuff being marketed today is aimed at the FISHERMAN and not the FISH.

[Rojo]

Changing line diameter has more to do with sink rate for me than visibility. As quoted earlier by Mr Ketchn, 400# fluorocarbon is far from invisible. I bet it would not sink 12ft with a 1/16oz jig, but it is heavier than water I think so mute point. Displacement of water is a key factor to a jigs presentation, line shy or not in the particular situation where if slower sink rates trigger strikes, larger diameter line for a given jig weight helps regulate the sink rate. I am very guilty of dropping to 6# Mr Crappie if I catch myself thinking about line visibility, as all my focus is on using the Force to "Feel" it's time to set the hook during the "Winter" bite.

[NIMROD]

Changing line diameter has more to do with sink rate for me than visibility. As quoted earlier by Mr Ketchn, 400# fluorocarbon is far from invisible. I bet it would not sink 12ft with a 1/16oz jig, but it is heavier than water I think so mute point. Displacement of water is a key factor to a jigs presentation, line shy or not in the particular situation where if slower sink rates trigger strikes, larger diameter line for a given jig weight helps regulate the sink rate. I am very guilty of dropping to 6# Mr Crappie if I catch myself thinking about line visibility, as all my focus is on using the Force to "Feel" it's time to set the hook during the "Winter" bite.

Yes larger diameter equals more drag and slower fall . One old guy using heavier line and lighter jig said he never felt the bite as it was so light once . We were using 8 lb test with 1/8 oz jigs , they were hammering a bait . Line diameter matters but line color I don't think so most times .

[Techno2000]

I've had Old-timers fishing right along side me with huge corks, hooks and line pulling up just as many fish as me, with all my high tech stuff... go figure ...Lol