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

I sure hope you guys are still reading these. Feel free to comment. Since I went to the sticky, nobody has said anything, and I promise, I welcome your comments and suggestions.This is for us all.Feel free to chime in.

GCF, i ALWAYS NITE FISH THE SAME WAY. 1 LANTERN WITH A SHEILD AND LIGHTED CORKS WITH NO WEIGHTS AND ABOUT 1-4FT OF LINE BELOW THE CORK. IT LETS THE MINNOWS SWIM NATURALLY AND SINCE CRAPPIE FEED UPWARDS, THEY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TOWARDS THE LIGHTED CORKS AND SEEING THE INJURED MINNOW SWIMMING AROUND! EVEN IN THE COLDEST OF NITES, I'VE CAUGHT CRAPPIE NEAR THE TOP OVER 20-30FT OF WATER! I ALSO CARRY A HANDFUL OF CORNMEAL AND THROW OUT JUST TO BRING IN OTHER BAITFISH! THANKS FOR YOUR DAILY TIPS!

Concerning trolling motors, my trolling motor gets more use than anything else I own including my truck. So, it's something that merits regular maintenance like keeping fishing line out from behind the prop, oiling the hinge points from time to time and inspecting for worn parts like switches ropes and cables. If you don't take care of it, it's gonna get ya someday!

One thing about crappie fishing I have learned, is that there is always another way to do it. Today I am speaking about "Flipping for Crappie". I use to do this alot while bass fishing, and I have watched the pros do this many times around tight cover, but until this last year when I fished with one of the members in the club, I had never seen anybody flipping for crappie. I was impressed with it, and so I thought I would share what I have learned. You can drop or place your jig anywhere you want to and the crappie can't resist it. Any angler can flip a jig under limbs and drop the lure into the heart of the meanest brush pile and pull out crappie."

Equipment is critical to this technique. I like to use the B&M pole designed by Russ Bailey which is extremely light and very sensitive. You can flip all day without the rod wearing out your wrist. Line is very important to the system. I prefer 6 pound test PLine. You don't need any fancy reel. I find that a pflueger microspin, or Zebco Triggerspin is ideal for flippin.

The advantage of this system is that you can cast a variety of jigs. For example is you want the jig to fall slowly through the strike zone at 6-8 feet, then use count-down method and the light jig will slowly fall into the crappie's strike zone and stay there for a few precious seconds. This is very important when the water is cold and the crappie are very sluggish.

Basically the flippin' technique is very simple. 1) With my triggerspin reels, I pull the release button, which releases the line. 2) I measure out enough line so that the jig and line is even with my wrist. 3) I keep the reel where it can release line if there is motion to pull it. 4) I raise the rod tip and take in line with my left hand. I do this by grasping the line between the reel and the bottom rod guide and pull the line away from the rod. 5) I swing the jig near my body. As the jig travels toward the brush, I release the line in my left hand. 6) I regulate the exact location where the jig falls with my rod hand. I can put the jig on the money by raising or lowering the rod.

The jig slowly swims back to the boat. If no crappie has taken my jig, then I instantly have the jig back in the water. The slightest strike by a crappie will be felt. I insure maximum sensitivity by holding my rod handle with my right and with my left hand I hold the line which will instantly telegraph a light strike. Since you are fishing closer to the crappie, you will be able to see line "ticks" better. Crappie will hit a jig very lightly during cold weather conditions and if you feel the strike it is too late. However, the instant you see the line "tick" you should flip your rod upward and the crappie will be there.

Todays Tip of the Day was flipping. Maybe someday you will try this method if you never have before. It's pretty fun and allows you to have your jig placed exactly where you want it and back in and back out again before you know it. Until next time, this is GCF saying, get out there and let's go fishing.:D

I have read every one of them, keep them coming.

"Every crappie fisherman has had his good and bad days. The trick is to avoid the common mistakes all crappie fisherman make so you can always increase your chances of a good catch. Let's face it , to most us our fishing time is precious. Most of us work full time jobs and when we go fishing, it is our release on the constant stresses of life. I did some extensive research about crappie fishing and came up with the following 'common crappie fishing mistakes'."



Mistake #1: Patience Doesn't Pay With Crappie
We have all heard people say that patience pays when fishing. Unfortunately, that is not correct when fishing for crappie. Crappie are a schooling fish and it is important to find these schools. So when you're fishing for crappie, it is very important to be on the move constantly to find these crappie schools.

Mistake #2: Casting Un-sharpened Hooks!
Have you ever set the hook and thought you had your crappie on for sure? The problem isn't your fishing technique, it probably is your hooks. It is important to replace your hooks about every 4th bite, or spend a few moments to sharpen your hook. You would be shocked to find out how much difference a sharpened hook makes. The best way to sharpen hooks is with a flat file, first filing the outside of the hook point. Next you will need a double-edged hook sharpening file that sharpens both sides of the point.

Mistake #3: Not Using a Topographical Map
I am sure when you go any where on vacation you do some pre-planning with either road maps, MapQuest or a trip ticket. Well, it is the same when planning a fishing trip. If you have a map of the water you are going to fish, you can identify channel, brush and shallow areas of the water you are going to fish. This simple step can make or break a fishing trip. It amazes me how many fisherman never do this simple step. You can pick one of these maps up for about 3 bucks at any bait shop in the area you are going to fish.

Mistake #4: Stopping the boat when trolling
It is best to have 2 people along when trolling for crappie. If you have multiple poles in the water when you get a fish on, you will want to keep as many poles trolling as you can. If you stop the boat, you lose the correct depth where the fish are and will have to go through the setup all over again. With a second person , one person can keep steering the boat while the other person re-baits the poles. You would be surprised how many people make this mistake when trolling.

Mistake #5: Getting too close to the fish.
The first instinct is to get as close to the crappie as you can. But that is a big mistake. What happens is your boat makes a wake and can spook the fish if you get too close. The best thing to do is get a long cane pole or telescoping rod so you can reach out about 10 or 15 feet into the brush area you want to fish. :rolleyes:

Crappie USA

If you are fishing with minnows, you’ll want to use a #2 light wire Aberdeen hook, so as not to kill the minnow and allow it some freedom of movement. This is especially important when you are slow trolling with minnows. The only time I down-size to a #4 or a #6 is when I'm dunking minnows into brush piles to lessen the chances of getting hung up.


If you are fishing a jig with a minnow, I still recommend a jig with a #2 hook. For jigs with a waxworm or spikes, use one with a #4 or #6 hook. For Roadrunners, I prefer a 1/8 oz. if baited with a minnow, and 1/16 with tubes, grubs, etc...



When you are choosing which hook to use, remember that the hook size is not nearly as important as the hook gap. If you use a live bait hook such as a Cabelas #117447, you can use a smaller hook, maybe down to a size 6, because of the wider gap. The smaller hook is easier on your bait. Also, crappie have a soft mouth that tears easy. Smaller hooks lessen the chance of loosing a fish by pulling his lips off. If you plan on releasing your fish, then the smaller hook does less damage and gives the fish a better chance to survive.



For French type spinners such as a Mepps or a Roostertail, the OO sizes work well, but you can go up to a size 0 or 1 if the crappie in your area tend to run to the ‘ barn-door’ sizes. A 1/8 oz. Roostertail or Panther Martin is plenty small enough, but they hit them all the way up to 1/4 oz. size as well.



A size 0 Daredevil is about right for crappie. Crankbaits should be the ultra-light size like the ones made by Heddon and Rapala. A 1/8 size Lazy Ike is deadly on crappie.



For Fly Fishing, size 8-12 Crappie Candy and Clouser Minnow flies are about as good as it gets. Tie them on a straight-eye streamer hook.

Keep em coming. I am just wondering when you are going to run out.