Advice for a new try-hard

Okay so I've only been trying to really focus on catching crappie for the last month or so. I have a large selection of jigs and beetle spins, slip bobbers and such.

So far, I've managed to catch a grand total of four black crappie, but the fishing where I am here in south Louisiana has been very very tough for just about everyone for the last few weeks.

After another trip today where I got skunked, I had a sudden revelation... I have two gallons of small frozen shad in my freezer. There are literally no bait shops in my area that sell live shiners, and I figured since shad is the primary food source for crappies, that it would be a good idea to try to use them as bait.

Any thoughts?

Never heard of them hitting dead shad.

I separated the small ones...about 2-3" long and stored them in salty cornmeal in the freezer.

Dunno if that matters or not?

I wouldn't waste my time with dead shad unless you trying to catch some channel cats.

If you're not catching fish odds are you're not in the right areas

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Originally Posted by 20watt

I wouldn't waste my time with dead shad unless you trying to catch some channel cats.

If you're not catching fish odds are you're not in the right areas

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Maybe that IS my problem,I don't know.

I've caught 4 since I started trying to learn a month ago, but I still feel like it was just dumb luck.

Stick with it. I would find some brush pile, blow downs and focus there.

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

Stick with it. I would find some brush pile, blow downs and focus there.

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Being brand new to Crappie fishing,I'm reticent to say something that makes me look stupid lol...I'm accomplished at bass and bluegill fishing, and have no trouble catching either pretty much at will. Crappie fishing has always seemed much harder for some reason.

There's this ONE place I know where I can go catch small white crappie pretty much whenever I want...but they're always small...bluegill sized I don't count those. They always bite on chartreuse and white bobby garland baby shad rigged on a 1/16 beetlespin with a gold willow blade.

What I'm after are the big eating sized fish. I've caught 4. All on a black and white tube jig in 2-3ft of water under a slip cork.

I've no idea if it's ME...or if I'm just not fishing in the right spot, or if I keep catching the weather wrong or what.

I'm going out super early in my kayak tomorrow to the "test spot" to go try my shad idea. I'm bringing two ultralights: one with the afformentioned beetlespin/bobby garland combo to verify they're there...and one slip cork/neko hook setup to test the previously frozen shad.

I HAVE to be doing SOMETHING wrong bc I know how to fish otherwise lol...I can see em on my striker 4CV...just can't get em to bite.

Where in south Louisiana are u located ?


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Originally Posted by CajunBoy75

Where in south Louisiana are u located ?


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Baton Rouge area. Places where's I've been are 1-2 hours away though.

You’re in one of best places in the state…..avoid da gar holes and focus on productive bodies of water…..Verret, Pigeon, Old River, Tchefuncte….etc….


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Originally Posted by MO Slab

You’re in one of best places in the state…..avoid da gar holes and focus on productive bodies of water…..Verret, Pigeon, Old River, Tchefuncte….etc….


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I didn't realize....I mean...I catch loads of bass in n the places you listed
..zero crappie.

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Originally Posted by CrashVector

I didn't realize....I mean...I catch loads of bass in n the places you listed
..zero crappie.

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Might do a search for posts from Jig Rig. Seems like some of those are where he fishes, and nearly always has a bunch of crappie. I'm not from the area, and truthfully haven't been fishing enough this year to know where to look myself where I live. Best of luck to you on your search. I know when the water cools, they typically head deep. Usually the flotilla of boats in the channels are a sign of when to try there. :)

Here's a recent one from him.
https://www.crappie.com/crappie/loui...efuncte-river/

Fishnut is pretty much on track... with these cooler days and nights Crappie start a holding pattern on the edges of creeks before they move to deeper water