What do to ... What to do.... LOL
Here is what I would do:
- Take a couple dozen minnow just in case
- Jigs, I like the Southern Pro style in Chartruse. Any thing with chartsue
- Tip jig 1/32 oz to 1/16 0z with a Chartruse crappie nibble.
- Slow troll. By slow I mean going less than 0.5mph as recorded with a good gps unit. Crappie like the jig to be moving very slowly. You can do this by slow trolling or by casting out and reeling back in really slow.
- Tight line with the sinker below the jig or minnow about 12" to 18" using a sensitive rod and 6lb test fishing line that can help you straighten out a hook if you get snagged on some brush. I like the aberdine thin wire gold hooks as they will straighten out when pulled and then you can bend them back into shape and they will bring in a 3lb crappie too.
- Find a good spot and slow troll though it to establish if there are fish there and if they are actively feeding. If you find a good spot you can move to the side after throwing out a marker bouy and then anchor the boat to stay within casting distance. They you can use your slip bobber setups. You should have recorded the depth of the bottoma and the top of the brush pile or dropoff and know how deep to send the jig or minnow below the slip float.
- Get a good map of the lake and study the map before you go. Check the weather report and look at the weather trends for the week before you actually go fishing. Pay special attention to the wind directions the previous days before you start fishing and the wind direction the day you fish. Winds will push the warmer surface waters across the lake and where that water ends up it will be a few degrees warmer. Northern shorelines that are protected from harsh Northerly winds and that have shallow darker colored bottoms with wood are best. They are exposed to the southern sunlight longer and warm up first in the spring before the deeper waters do. Also if the winds are from the South they will blow the warmer water into a Northern Bay and that can really help produce if there are already other things that crappie like in that bay. Access to deep water close by and the shallow waters to prepare to spawn.
- Fish may be spawning if the water temps get into the 60's and if the water is in the low 50's they may be staging to spawn. Find the mouth of a spawning bay and slow troll across the mouth of the bay and check the points on each side. If there is a ditch or creek that runs though the bay be sure to slow troll along that also. Start at the mouth of the bay and work towards the shallower waters unless you find very warm water already in the back of the bay. It all depends on the water temperature and how much sun and rain you have had in the week before your trip and if the sun is shining or not. Water that is on a warmeing trend or stable weather will send the crappie into the shallower water to spawn. The muddier the water the shallower the crappie will go. Clear water may see the crappie spawing much deeper. Muddy water warms up much faster than clear water.
I hope this helps somewhat.
Remmber there are many ways to fish for crappie and there are many more ways to clean, cook and finally devour them. LOL
I am surprised that no one else has responded to your request for help.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TomC
Ok……I’m going to give crappie fishing a try for the first time this coming weekend. I have been reading quite a bit and it seems I’m becoming more confused with every article as there seems to be a million opinions on what to fish wish and how to fish for crappie. I could really use some advice on what would be best to fish with. Although minnows seem a favorite choice I would like to try jigs tipped with something just so I don’t have to go buy minnows every time I go out. Knowing what most of you veterans know now, if you were just getting started what setup would you use and more importantly how should I fish the setup. It seems 1/32 oz jigs are a good place to start but what should I tip them with (nibbles, grubs or what) and also what color jigs are best. I will be fishing with a couple of 6’6” rods with spinning reels on 6# test. My other main question is should I park the boat after I find some cover and fish on my fish finder, put down an anchor and fish stationery or should I just throw a couple of lines out and troll slowly with my trolling motor. And last but not least should I use a slip bobber or just throw the jigs out and slow retrieve. Sorry for all the questions but I’m sort of under the gun as my wife has paroled me for Friday afternoon and Saturday morning (very rare for this to happen) and I want to put together a setup and a method of fishing that gives me a decent shot at success on my first trip out. Also if it makes any difference I will be fishing on lake Oconee in Georgia which is fairly stained.
Also, if any of you out there ever fish a lot on Oconee and want to go, I’d love for a pro to show me the ropes. I’m just getting into serious fishing have a lot to learn. I have a pro bass guide taking me out the following week to give me tips on the finer points of bass fishing but also want to learn how to fish for crappie as I think it would be a lot of fun with more “action” so I can take my 6 year old son out. He’s got a few more years before he will have the patience to bass fish. Thanks for any pointers.
Tom