Basic Tactics for Crappie Fishing

Using jigs is quite possibly one of the best if not the most common tools for crappie fishing or at least one that goes on the end of the line. Most crappie fishing areas follow one of two profiles a river or a lake. While rivers certainly have their opportunities for crappie but let me focus on lakes for now. Unquestionably the best tactic for crappie fishing is hitting the water in the spring during the spawning season. Of course crappie fishing during the spawn does not guarantee a good catch but this is the best time to test out new gear and new tricks. Crappie have spent the winter months down in the deeper waters of the lake or river and, as waters are warming up, start to move to shallow waters where there is cover such as brush or other complex structures to provide some shelter. Crappie are extremely aggressive during the spawning season for many reasons. First they are really hungry and breeding takes lots of energy and the males will eat to protect the spawn. Take advantage of these facts and fish accordingly. Work your jig along the ledges of the lake or river where waters are somewhat calm and there are structures for shelter. One trick I have used for many years was sinking Christmas trees in water that is about 8 to 12 foot deep but was very close to a deeper channel of water. This method provides food for smaller bait fish through the braking down of the fresh plant material and through this will provide food for the wonderful crappie. Take advantage of this knowledge, you may not have sunken trees but you can find similar structures. Crappie are voracious eaters, especially during the spring, so take advantage of this when purchasing your jigs. Think about what they are eating in the area. Often simple jigs that look like minnows work very well in almost every situation. Minnows are a very large source of food for crappie but at the same time they are also a large predator for the fresh spawn. This fact makes them a huge target and gives us something to emulate. Think about how the minnow will dart in and out of the brush or even occasionally just cruse along the outer edges of the brush or sheltered areas. There are two common methods for working a jig. Simply pull it in a smooth method or working it. Working the jig is probably the most common and often provides good results but so does simple dragging of the jig. But to work your jig look at how it is weighted, most are weighted at the head, where the line is attached, this will provide direction to your jig during a restful drop. Bait fish move in a variety of ways and your goal is to emulate them but still stand out enough to be the good food.

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