Thread: Tip Of The Day.... by GCF

There are many ways to catch crappie but one of my favorite ways to is called bottom bouncing. During the summer, the fall and especially during the winter, you can catch crappies that are relating to deeper structure by bottom bouncing. Let’s get a little bit more specific as to how I do this.

There are more ways to rig up than I will be explaining, but this way works for me and it is very fast and easy to do. First off, I like to use 6 lb test line and I first thread two number 2 hooks up the line but for now leave them on there just loose. Then I take whatever weight I need to get me to the bottom and feel the cover and tie it on the end of my line. I usually use ½ ounce sinkers. Then I go up to the first hook I come to on the line and tie a loop knot about 18 inches or so above the sinker. This will create a short leader for the hook, then I go up about 12 inches or so above that and tie the other hook into a loop knot there as well. Both hooks are now on short leaders of only about 3 inches and the hooks are still loose in the loop knot. I had the privilege to tape a show with Russ Bailey in November using this method. I like to use minnows when I bottom bounce but you can use jigs if you prefer. Remember crappie will always feed up, never do they feed down so remember this when you are rigging this up and don’t get your hook leader lines too close to the bottom. This method is used for crappie when they are pretty much suspended very close to the bottom. They are the fish you are targeting, the crappie close to the bottom. They will see the minnows and swim up for them. Once you have perfected this method, you will be able to fish right in the cover and still keep from getting hung up real bad. You can use a small hook if you think it will help keep you from hooking up on so much of the bottoms structure that you are fishing.

Today’s tip of the day is to stay on the water when the spring is over and the spawn is done and the crappies have headed out away from the spawning shallows. Yes they can still be caught and yes they still eat and bottom bouncing is a good way to find them. Use the weight of the sinker to find structure and when you do leave it there till he can’t take it anymore and eats that minnow. Until next time, this is GCF saying give this method a try. It works for a lot of crappie anglers and it will work for you too. :D

I use to think that vertical jigging was only for the winter time. Boy was I wrong. The more folks that I have gotten to know that crappie fish, more and more have shown me they catch most of their fish by vertical jigging. Vertical jigging is just what you would think by the description.

There are several members right here in our very own crappie club that vertical jig and some do that just about all year around. They just change the depth and the conditions in which they do it. Here is how I have seen some of the more successful at this, accomplish it. First off, you use a very good quality rod, and I prefer to use the light version and not the medium lights and/or ultra lights. I hunt for crappie signals on the depth finder in around 15 to 20 feet of water. There are some guys in our club who sometimes will hold a rod in each hand and vertically jig their jig only raising and lowering from time to time to make sure they didn’t have one bite that didn’t move after biting. You may even tie on 2 jigs per line if you wish.

Vertical jigging is a fun way to catch crappie because you actually have the rod in hand and you feel the fish bite and then set the hook. I have found it to be very productive in catching larger crappie. Mostly from others who have brought in nice catches to weigh in and they was vertically jigging to get their catch.

Let’s close today by saying this. Vertical jigging is not for everybody but if you like to feel the fish bite, this style will definitely let you do that.You will not always get a big bite, but will more commonly feel a tick on the line or just resistance.If you feel resistance, set the hook cause he probably just eased up and in one motion swallowed your jig. You also generally will have the rod in hand while fishing this way and you can work a lot of water and cover. Until next time, this is GCF saying get out there and fish if it ever stops raining and snowing and see if you can catch some fish. And as always, be safe and have fun. :D

Today's Tip of the Day is about Crappie habits in the spring. You may have heard that spring crappie fishing is one of the easiest types of fishing you can ever do. However, in reality it can be rather frustrating if you don't know some techniques that can help you continue to catch crappie after the initial spawning days are over. The first thing that you need to do is understand that this is a busy time for crappie and so they are moving around a lot. You have to be willing to move around as well.

The fish will be in the deeper water at the start of the spring season and they will slowly begin to work their way to the more shallow water as spring begins to set in and the water temperatures get warmer. The crappie will be in search of a place to spawn. Then, all of a sudden a few short days later, even before summer hits good they will be headed back out to the deeper water. Knowing this information will help you figure out where the best places to fish for crappie will be.

When the weather conditions are not favorable for crappie you need to make it easy for them to catch the bait you are fishing with. An example of this time would be early spring when it has been warm for a few days and then a sudden cold front moves in. This will affect the fish and they will try to return to the deeper water for comfort. It will also make them slow to bite. Therefore, if you use a technique that makes it easy for them to catch the bait during this confusing time you will catch more crappie.

Trolling is a crappie technique that you will find very useful for spring crappie fishing. With this technique you may utilize rod holders on your boat that you can keep rods in and bait up each one with either jigs or minnows. If you will be consistent and patient, you can catch a lot of fish with this method. However, you do need to check the regulations for trolling for where you fish before going out because the rules for where you fish may be different.

A technique that combines trolling and bottom bouncing, which I have already talked about bottom bouncing before on tip of the day, but doing this together is called "pushing" and it is good for catching spring crappie when they are located in the shallow water. It is a very simple technique that is accomplished by using live bait. All you need to get started are a few rods with lightweight reels positioned off the edge of the boat. Add a bell sinker and a couple hooks about a foot apart and you are ready to start fishing.It is the best method found to get the bait in positions where the biggest fish can get to it. It allows you to put the bait right where you want it and keep it there until the crappie become interested. Remember, you must always move very slowly to use this technique correctly or you will not get the response you are hoping for.

That is it for today folks. Hope you get a chance to get on the water soon and enjoy some crappie fishing. I know I am about to go crazy waiting for that day to come. Till next time, this is GCF saying, get out there, have some fun, fish safely, and take a kid with you sometime. They will never forget it.:D

It was early last year and it had been a while since I had been able to fish. I remember it like it was yesterday. I went out and had everything ready the evening before and planned a quick trip to the lake after I got home from church one spring Sunday afternoon. I had a friend with me and we made almost the whole 55 minute trip to the lake when I looked back at my boat and had a tire smoking very badly. I come to a stop and got out to check out what happened. It was my entire tire and wheel that had come off my boat axle due to bad bearings, and the tire had been holding the weight of my boat and the fender was rubbing the tire. I always keep a check on my wheel bearings, greasing them, etc, but for some reason, the cap and keeper come off and threw all the grease out of the wheel, then burned itself out and came apart. I was lucky that day, because I have an older boat that uses two different sized bearings and the automotive parts houses around, didn’t have the ones I needed but there just so happened to be a wal-mart close by so I checked there and the one I needed was not in the marine section, but was on the next isle over on clearance. I just was hoping for a miracle and found it on the clearance isle. I even got a good discounted price.

Since then, I have kept a spare set that travels with me now. I got very lucky that day finding what I needed. I don’t know what I would have had to do if I had not found them there so close. My fishing friend stayed back at the boat and trailer that afternoon watching it for me. I failed to tell you, but we were within a rocks throw of the boat ramp parking lot. Needless to say, once we got it fixed, we did not get a chance that afternoon to fish at all but I was able to get my boat home and safe again to where I could take and remove that hub that was old and damaged, and replace it with a new one that next week.

Today’s Tip of the Day you ask? It’s very simple. Make sure you have your equipment ready for traveling to the lake. Sometimes it’s good to do an inspection of your bearings and know what you have. Always make sure you have greased your wheel bearings with marine grease, not regular grease. There is a difference. With that said, this is GCF saying, check your equipment, keep your bearings greased proper and it may not hurt for you to know which size bearings you have incase you are in a pickle like I was and need to purchase them quickly.

Know Your Crappie

Let’s start with the most basic facts – when we say crappie we’re actually talking about two different species, both closely related members of the sunfish family. These two species are White and Black crappie. There is however a growing amount of what we call Black Nose Crappie in our lakes, but they are really part of the Black Crappie family.

Black crappie is white or grayish-white in color, with dark gray or black spots which cover their sides. White crappies are named for their lighter colors and have distinctive vertical bars which run down their sides.

The spots and bars on crappie are darker or lighter depending on the kind of water the fish live in and the time of year. In the spring when the fish spawn, male crappies are darker; most of its body may be jet black at this time of year. You can also distinguish the two species by their dorsal spines; white crappie will have 5 or 6 spines, black crappie 7 or 8.

Their appearance may be slightly different, but the two species have much else in common. All crappie have arrays of gill rakers used to strain plankton (a staple of their diet) from water. Crappie will eat nearly anything they can: insects, minnows, crustaceans, small fish and sometimes even prey their own size including threadfin and gizzard shad. Crappies have very healthy appetites, but do most of their feeding from dusk to dawn. They prefer to stay out of the sun and feed less frequently when water temperatures sink below 50 degrees.

Todays tip of the Day was basically to learn a little something about the fish we love. This tip was geared toward those who may be pretty new to crappie fishing. Always good to get back to the basics sometimes though. Until next time, this is GCF saying, get out there and go fishing, have some fun and never take home more than you need.If you leave them in the lake, you can always come back later and catch them. :D

I don’t know about you but I am one of those guys who just don’t buy very many preventative maintenance items, but there is one that I have learned the hard way to buy and it’s a must these days. I am talking about Gas treatment.

I have had two 150 hp engines fail on me and I thought both were premature failures. My mechanic has explained to me, it was very likely caused from not using a fuel treatment product. He said its the ethanol that is killing outboards. Both my engines was late 80's models but they had been rebuilt and was running very well prior to dying quickly. Ethanol being added to gasolines has become almost the norm now for every place that sells gasoline.Its almost unavoidable, so we have only the one choice. We have to buy it and deal with it properly.

Dealing with it properly as I mentioned, is not very hard. You can buy fuel treatment that will stop the problems caused by todays fuels. I have been using stabil, marine grade blue color, faithfully now for a year with my latest engine, 1993 model, and I feel it is every bit as strong today as it was a year ago. I am sure there are those who may read this and think, I have not used anything and my motor runs fine. Well I sure hope the good luck your having holds out for you. Mine sure didnt though.

I understand that gasoline that is allowed to sit for a period of time, the ethanol will allow the gasoline to separate from the ethanol and the fuel left untreated will draw in moisture and that moisture is what will damage your two stroke outboard. Its like you will say to a boat pulling up beside you checking on you, you will say, it acts like I got water in my gasoline. It will crank but goes dead quickly and dont have any power. Thats exactly whats happened, only you didn't buy bad gas, it became bad gas with time because of the ethanol in it has separated and drew moisture into your tank.

I seen an illustration one time and it was sort of like this. Picture a gas tank full of gasoline and know that it contains ethanol. With time the ethanol will separate itself from the gasoline and be like a separate layer above the gasoline.This separate layer acts sort of like a sponge and will draw moisture from the air into the tank and to itself. Dont take my word for it, you feel free to ask your mechanic. I bet he can tell you about how his business has increased in the last year or so from it.

Tip of the Day is simply this. Please take my advice or at least get the advice of your mechanic about using fuel treatments in your outboard. You need it to keep moisture out of your engine these days. I was hard headed and had two engines die too soon before I took my mechanics advice of please use it or lose it. Until next time, this is GCF saying get out there and fish if you get a chance and enjoy the water.

There are many ways to attach your live minnow to your hook. Nearly all crappie anglers have a particular way they think is best to hook them. While just about all ways can be deemed as acceptable, there are times when you need to know what your style of fishing is going to be that day, then you can know which will be the best way to do it.

There are days, especially in the spring, when you may go out to your favorite location on the lake and throw out an anchor, grab your rod with your cork on it and a hook. If you are planning on sitting still, you may want to hook your minnow through the center of the minnow, or through the minnow’s tail rather than in the front of him. This will let him pull your line while you sit relatively still and it will look like a natural motion to the crappie.

Then your partner who is driving the boat decides that maybe he wants to slow troll. He lifts anchor and your off. Think about it, if you don’t change the way you have your minnow hooked, he is getting pulled through the water all sideways and back first, or totally backwards. This will look totally unnatural. While trolling, or slowly moving in your boat, the better choice during this time is to hook your minnow starting underneath his bottom lip area, if you will, and out the top of his head. This will keep your minnow looking more natural as you pull him through the water. It also will keep his mouth shut so he won’t drown. If you are one who just has more faith if the hook is toward the back of the minnow, you can tie on a tandem hook to your line and hook him back there as well. I don’t suggest this as it will cause your minnow to be restricted more and to die quicker. Dead or sluggish minnows are not as attractive to crappie as one that looks like it's trying to get away.

Today’s tip of the day is this. Keep in mind how that minnow will look to the fish while it’s in a fishing position and with a pulling motion on the line as well, such as when you are trolling. These simple things is what the guys who always catch a bunch of crappie always keep in mind while others come in with a few fish but not a limit. Until next time, this is GCF saying go fishing. Maybe you can someday try some of my tips and if you feel I have helped you, please feel free to drop me a line or a pm. I sometimes wonder if anybody is even reading these anymore. GCF. :D

Most of my crappie fishing has been done during daylight hours as with probably most of you, however the night bite for crappie is one of the more over looked times for some good crappie fishing.

I wrote the other day about just how crappie feed well from dusk till dawn. This is not to say they won't feed during the day because as we all know, they will. It's just a well known fact though, about crappie, that they become more and more lethargic as the daylight hours wear on and the sun gets up higher and higher. However many crappie are caught during daylight hours. Even though the crappie may feed more at night, as far as we are concerned, it is just a little tougher to catch fish at night, especially if you are not set up properly for it. Whether you fish days, or nights, point is, crappie will bite in the night time too.

I have some really good close friends who have already begun night fishing this year a few weeks ago, and as you know, we are still in February. They have been very successful so far this year fishing at night and here, in a few minutes, we will talk just a little bit about how they do it.

First off, I would like to say, one of the biggest mistakes a lot of us crappie anglers make while night fishing is we make too much noise, and we do too many things that let’s the fish know we are there. During the night time the weather is usually extremely calm and pleasantly quiet and we have to be really mindful of being quieter. Most night time anglers try and add a large amount of lights to the water but sometimes I just don’t think this is completely necessary. If you are one who puts out 6 lights and runs a generator and it works for you, I think that is fantastic. All I am saying is, a lot of lighting has never worked for me. Here is what has worked though.

I told you we would talk about how my buddies who are already night fishing do it, so lets get back to that. They fish for crappie at night and the numbers are astounding as to how many they are catching. I posted this a while back on this same MTCC forum but in case you didn’t see it, here is the set up used.

You are fishing at night, so it’s always a good thing to know the water you are fishing, and if you can, get there before it gets dark. Go ahead and get yourself into position and you will be ahead of the game. Assuming you know where to fish, the tip here is only to just use lighted floats and live minnows that have about 3 foot of line under it without any sinker. The best floats seem to be the ones with the little rattles in them and pitch them out to where the crappies are and hang on. I think the small amount of light keeps the spooking down, and also the rattle helps get the curiosity up from the fish. Try this and see if it works for you.

Today’s Tip of the Day is give night fishing a try sometime. Don’t think you have to illuminate up the whole cove because I just don’t feel it necessary. Success is all in the eyes of the beholder, and if you want to be holding a lot of fish, get out there and try fishing for crappie at night. Its quiet, its relaxing, its fun, and when fishing with a friend or two, it’s pretty safe as well. This is GCF saying, go out there and give the night bite a try and please be careful as with any fishing trip. :D