Crappie specific rod and reel combo

[Jim Hill]

I'm looking for a nice rod and reel set up for crappie and bluegill specifically.  This will be from docks and shore mainly. I wanted something good but not wallet breaking.  I have other rods and reels but I'd like one for this type of fishing the most.  Usually if not always it's bobber and minnow or really small rapala.  Also, line choice?

[bowhunter63]

Lews Wally Marshall 7ft rod and reel.Great set up for slip bobber and jigging.I got one built well and great setup.Rod is 49 and reel is 29.

[Rozebol]

Check out the 6'6" LF Avid. Great stick for crappie, gills and perch. And, a good time if you get into a bass! Pflueger Supreme 25 size reel with 4# YoZuri Hybrid.

[fishnkamp]

My wife and I own a bunch of expensive equipment, but if we just want to mess with bluegill, perch and rock bass we use two Berkley Cherrywood rods. We added a couple of small Abu Garcia reels and some small diameter braid. I think it was Suffix 832 6 pound test  ( equal to 2 pound mono)

[Robert Riley]

Lightest reel you want to pay for, I just bought a Shimano Nexave 1000 size since it was like 70% off. That Wally Marshall rod is legit. I'll be buying one with my next paycheck, it comes in 7' and 6'6", get which ever you prefer. I'm actually about to post a question about that rod.

[Jim Hill]

I saw two rod and reel combo listed a few different places.  One was like crappie slab hunter by lews and another zebco combo.  I believe both are on Wal-Mart's website.  Anyone know of these?  Also the suggestions sound good!

[Outdoor Zack]

I like to use spinning gear for panfish a lot, as well as fly fishing gear.  But this is my advice for a starter panfish setup:

 

Start with a decent rod.  UL or even L action, fast taper.  Get a length that's comfortable for you, I like a 5' 6", but that's just me.  For brand, I would argue that it doesn't have to be anything super special for panfish.  Ugly stik is still tough to beat. 

 

But dont cheap heap out on the reel.  Every company sells 10 - 15 dollar reels that are aimed at panfishing but in my experience, they're crap.  My daiwa was a headache to use and stopped working in a matter of weeks of moderate use (not knocking Daiwa, just those cheap little reels).  I would highly suggest that you pay a little more and get something in the 35 to 50 dollar range.  It will save a lot of time and nerve not having to deal with backlashes and overruns, especially on light line.  My go to is the Abu G cardinal, but pflueger also makes an awesome spinning reel.  

 

For line, I use 15 pound braid with a 8 pound leader.  I could probably go lighter but 6 pound and higher mono does not tangle as much as 4 and under.  The braid is also probably unnecessary, but it is good for working around nasty brushpiles and other snags.  

 

For lures, keep it simple because anything works to some degree.  You don't have to carry a lot, just a small box like a Plano 3500.  Here's my top 3 lures for spring and summer crappie/bluegill:

 

1.  Small jigs- light marabou jigs or jigheads tipped with plastic trailers are as good as or better than any other bait on some days.  Keep you selections down to 2-3 colors or you'll go broke and crazy trying to get them all.

 

2.  Small spinners- use beetle spins and 1/16 oz roostertails along cover/structure.  Beetle spins are harder to snag and cheaper to replace though.  I like black, gold, white individually for colors, but you can mix it up as much as you want.  1/16 to 1/8 oz is about as big as you'll usually wanna go. 

 

3.  Tiny plugs-  the little poppers, squarebills, and jerkbaits that rebel and other companies make are cool and effective.  Play around with these things and you'll learn that they catch fish pretty well.  My favorite is the rebel teeny wee r in brown craw.  They will also catch bass, so be sure to keep them in mind on tough days.  

 

Fly fishing in god a whole post in itself, but I basically like small poppers and topwaters, especially spiders.  Streamers in size 6 and 4 are good for bigger crappie too.  

 

Live bait is another way to go.  There are a ton of options, but I would suggest you start with minnows and go from there.  Crickets and grasshoppers (fresh caught, of course) are a staple too.  Just keep in mind that fish in pressured water will probably have see a lot of people fishing bait, so they may be more willing to take lures or flies.  If you are taking bait, try a top and bottom rig to increase your chances, if legal and possible. 

 

As far as spots, look for little pockets and out of the way holes, like current breaks and cutbanks.  In my experience, panfish, especially sunfish, like to sit out of the current, rather than in it.  Also remember to cast upstream, as that's the way fish will setup to ambush forage.  If you can find a small rock pile in shallow water, that's a good place to start.

 

 

 

hope this helps you out and remember to experiment and have a good time.  Good luck and God bless

 

 

[Jagg]

St Croix Panfish Series rods. Pflueger size 25 reel. 4# or 6# Trilene XL

[lonnie g]

I like the wally marshall , but 10' tho. easier to pic straight up and down in brush and weed holes. I do use 10lb spider mono with slip bobber and thin wire hook. this lets you straighten out hook when getting hung ,instead of  breaking off and retieing a lot. slider head jigs work well for casting, easier to work thru brush without getting snagged. good luck have fun!!

[Loomis13]

If casting distance is important and you are not running into a lot of snags, I would recommend suffix nanobraid or berkley nanofil. These are kind of pricey lines but they do not need to be changed like mono and you can also use a lot of cheap backing to minimize the amount of the good line you use. Nothing will out cast these two lines!!

[RoLo]

For a rod dedicated to panfish, I'd go with a 5.5 to 6-ft Ultralight Spinning Rod.

A good line choice would be 4-lb Trilene XL or 10-lb Trilene braid.

 

Roger

 

[bassh8er]

St. Croix Panfish Series; 6'9" UL with a size 20 Plueger President.  I really like the limited edition Presidents they came out with for 2016 and have 2 of those setups.

[Angry John]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Team-Diawa-Tierra-2000-Spinning-Reel-W-Box-Spare-Spool-Nice-Condition-/252814762081?hash=item3adcef2061:g:70MAAOSw2gxYybem

 

I would grab a reel like that listed above and a rod like this

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fenwick-HMG-7-Medium-Light-1-8-5-8-oz-Spinning-Rod-GS-70ML-MF-2-/282389912753?hash=item41bfc01cb1:g:2kEAAOSwfVpYwhjy

 

[Crestliner2008]

I do just about as much panfishing these days, as I do for bass, maybe even more! I've tried many different rods & reels and will give you what works for me.

 

I chose B n' M for the rod because they are true specialist with regards to crappie fishing. Their 7' Sam Heaton's Super Sensitive (often referred to as SHSS) is in a class by itself. Truly amazing rod at a very reasonable cost - around $50.00. Great sensitivity and enough backbone to land bass & northern pike, should you run into them. You will get the best buy on these rods from Grizzly Jig Company.

 

As far as reels go, you will be hard pressed to find a better reel than the Pflueger President. I have three in the #6920 size, which balances well with most rods that are designed for crappie fishing. Again, around the $50.00 mark, which I believe is not excessive for trouble free performance and value. Great drag too.

 

Not having much snaggy cover to contend with around here, I use 2#Fireline Crystal main line with a 4' length of 4# test fluorocarbon leader - connected to the main line with the Alberto knot. I would stay away from the lighter pound tests of Nanofil. Too many knot issues. The Fireline is much more reliable and yet maintains great castability.

 

Everyone has their favorites I'm sure. This is just what has worked for me over many, many seasons of constant use.

[Jim Hill]

I didn't realize there were so many replies, it never notified me.  So many suggestions for the rod and line but it almost seems for certain I will try and get a pflueger president.

 

Not sure if I mentioned it but it's all from a dock and casting distance does matter. There are weeds near the dock but virtually no snags.  Casting further usually nets the bigger ones.

 

With casting distance, no snags, using live minnows and bobber (or super small light rapala top water) would this change the rod or.line type?

[smr913]

I like a longer rod. My setup is a 7' St Croix LF, Shimano 1000, 10# braid w/ 4-6# mono or FC leader. If the water is stained I skip the leader. If you are going to be casting lures lighter than 1/16th I think a UL would be better. 

[Loomis13]

On 3/31/2017 at 4:39 PM, Jim Hill said:

I didn't realize there were so many replies, it never notified me.  So many suggestions for the rod and line but it almost seems for certain I will try and get a pflueger president.

 

Not sure if I mentioned it but it's all from a dock and casting distance does matter. There are weeds near the dock but virtually no snags.  Casting further usually nets the bigger ones.

 

With casting distance, no snags, using live minnows and bobber (or super small light rapala top water) would this change the rod or.line type?

With casting distance in mind I would look at a 7' rod. Also make it an UL if 1/8oz and under. I would also strongly consider sufix nanobraid or berkely nanofil if just in weeds. These lines cast phenomenally. Or maybe like the 5lb power pro? 

[Master Bait'r]

On 3/15/2017 at 1:57 AM, Jagg said:

St Croix Panfish Series rods. Pflueger size 25 reel. 4# or 6# Trilene XL

 

 

Came in to say the Trout series.  5'6" or 6', UL/F but definitely a one piece rod.  I'd lean 1000 size reel though, as those rods are super light and don't need much line capacity.  I would use either nanofil, gliss, light Smackdown braid etc- something ultra thin with no stretch.  It's just more communicative for me and it's what I prefer.  The reel almost doesn't matter that much so match your budget after ponying up for that rod ??