Help me catch some Crappie friends.....

[AlabamaSpothunter]

So I'm fishing a lake that appears to be loaded with Crappie this year.      I'm not really looking to anchor and fish for them with jigs and off structure at this point.     I'd like to just take a single small Crappie rig with a few baits along with my Bass gear.  

 

Here's what's going on, every afternoon for hours on end, I watch what I'm almost positive are Crappie hitting on balls of tiny 1" long threadfins all over the lake.    You constantly are hearing the water slapping with what I believe are Crappie hitting these threadfins.    Just a month ago I was targeting these same bait balls being blown up on by schoolie sized Bass throwing scrouger heads into them and having great luck, but am clueless on what these Crappie will eat when in this mode.

 

I tried a little jig head with a spinner and put a Sassy Shad, and then small Curly Tail Grub on it.....made about 50 cast with it the other day and nada.   I think it got hit when I was trolling it a bit.  

 

Is there a bait that is perfect for throwing in and around balled up threadfins when the Crappie are hitting on them?   Caught one single Crappie on a roboworm the other day, and now I'm going down this stupid Crappie rabbit hole LOL  ?

[Team9nine]

If they’re feeding near the surface, make sure you are using a light enough jig head to keep your bait up there and still maintain a slow steady retrieve. I’d recommend something around 1/24 oz or lighter. I’d try 1 to 1-1/2 inch crappie tubes, twisters, or shad bodied baits (Bobby Garland). Play with colors depending on clarity, but chartreuses or shad patterns are usually good. Like bass, wait and target (and time) your casts right into the spot you are seeng the feeding activity (swirling). Use light line. You could even go fly rod and streamers if it truly is surface feeding crappie. We catch them like this usually post spawn and again right at dusk/dawn in summer. 

[PourMyOwn]

2" yellow Mister Twisters on a roundhead jig is my favorite crappie bait. I look for submerged wood and just let the fish tell me how to retrieve.  It usually results in a few bass too.

[JustJames]

If you see the boiling, bobbers rig might get you in strike zone longer, just keep moving/pause or steady slow retrieve. Baby Shad is a good choice also CB slider grub. I use baby Shad when fish deeper and slider grub shallower and slower. 
1/32 and 1/16oz roadrunner can catch both bass and crappie and one of the best search bait for me.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Excellent info guys, much appreciated.

 

Roadrunner was the name I couldn't remember when I was describing what I was throwing above.   I like the idea of bobbers and based on the replies already I think my jighead size was too big.   I like the idea of throwing a super light jighead under a bobber and just slowly reeling, and pausing I would assume.

 

[slonezp]

https://troutmagnet.com/crappie-magnet.html

On a 1/64 oz jig under a rocket bobber

 

[Eric 26]

I really like a 1/32-1/16 oz roadrunner plain head with the hook keeper,chartreuse head is my favorite with a 1” Berkeley gulp alive minnow. If I’m able to locate them I switch to a 1/64 - 1/16 ounce plain jig head with the same 1” gulp minnows under a wing it bobber.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Tomorrow is the day I hopefully cash all this excellent info in.   Think I need to get a few things based on the replies here though.   I like the idea of the gulp minnows, and I need better bobbers.

 

Thanks for the help, friends!

 

 

[gim]

33 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

and I need better bobbers

Thill makes a pretty good bobber too. Various sizes with a metal slide through so the line never gets hung up.

[DitchPanda]

1 hour ago, slonezp said:

https://troutmagnet.com/crappie-magnet.html

On a 1/64 oz jig under a rocket bobber

 

Been using rocket bobbers for 15+ years. They may be the best pan fishing invention ever.

[slonezp]

12 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Been using rocket bobbers for 15+ years. They may be the best pan fishing invention ever.

I would never buy another brand. And, I think they are cheaper than Thill bobbers.

 

The video speaks of casting distance. He failed to mention accuracy. They are like casting a lure. 

[DitchPanda]

40 minutes ago, slonezp said:

I would never buy another brand. And, I think they are cheaper than Thill bobbers.

 

The video speaks of casting distance. He failed to mention accuracy. They are like casting a lure. 

Another bug plus besides the bite detection and casting benefits is how great they are in wind. A traditional stand up bobber blows like crazy but these lay flat and are heavy so if you keep your line relatively tight they hold pretty good in breezy conditions.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Just wanted to update this thread for those kind enough to weigh in.

 

I tried the main advice here in regards to bobbers, and much lighter jig heads than I was throwing.   No dice, tried different colors, sizes, etc.    They just won't hit anything else when they are blowing these threadfins up it seems.  I get it though, it's hard to express how full this lake is with smaller threadfins right now.   

 

What I did find however is that you can catch them occasionally trolling a Chatterbait flashback, and then I think I found a place to catch them Yo Yoing the same bait over a big structure ball in deep water.   Caught the only one not trolling by doing this.

 

Who would have thought Crappie were such a formidable foe.  Think I'll wait until it cools down, and try to pick them off once they herd up on cover better. 

 

Thanks everyone for your help.     Learned some new stuff for sure because of it! 

 

[fishhugger]

On 9/18/2022 at 7:26 PM, DitchPanda said:

Been using rocket bobbers for 15+ years. They may be the best pan fishing invention ever.

rocket bobber for panfish, 2 for $5.... thill pro series slip bobber, $2.50 for the smallest one, 1/2". i am using these.  at this point, i prefer slip bobbers, but not the clip on/slip bobbers.

i've actually been trying bobbers on bluegill that are doing the same thing (these are dimpling, but also splashing on the surface, schooling).  i've kind of given up. they must be going for insects, right? why would they go for whatever i got on the end of my bobber? i just feel the bobber is pretty intrusive.

but i'm just starting with these things. 

but if they're not biting on what you're tossing, do you switch to more naturalistic, or more 'out there?' i'd wondering naturalistic, really light, ultralight???? so bobbers might be too 'big'....?

[AlabamaSpothunter]

14 minutes ago, fishhugger said:

rocket bobber for panfish, 2 for $5.... thill pro series slip bobber, $2.50 for the smallest one, 1/2". i am using these.  at this point, i prefer slip bobbers, but not the clip on/slip bobbers.

i've actually been trying bobbers on bluegill that are doing the same thing (these are dimpling, but also splashing on the surface, schooling).  i've kind of given up. they must be going for insects, right? why would they go for whatever i got on the end of my bobber? i just feel the bobber is pretty intrusive.

but i'm just starting with these things. 

but if they're not biting on what you're tossing, do you switch to more naturalistic, or more 'out there?' i'd wondering naturalistic, really light, ultralight???? so bobbers might be too big....

You bring up a good point about insects.  While I don't know the Crappie's diet like I do a Bass's, I do know that insect activity plays a much bigger role in catching game fish than most anglers understand.     Whether the Crappie eat the insects, or more likely the Shad come to the surface to eat the insects, thus brings the Crappie and Bass to the Shad.

 

I believe this is the case for me, the insect activity has significantly increased at about the same rate as the Crappie have been blowing up Shad.

 

I also think Insects naturally detect important weather conditions that are coming that relate better to when Bass will actually be eating than a human expecting a big cold front to push through in a few days based on weather data.

[Eric 26]

Even though the crappie/bluegill may be eating the minnows which are eating the bugs, both species will also eat bugs on the surface. Although it’s been way too long one of my favorite ways to catch panfish especially in the summer months is a rubber legged spider or a small popper, both are sold wherever they sell fly fishing gear. I use my favorite ultralight rod and usually just add the smallest round clip on bobber I have (extremely small) about 6”-12” above although I believe they still sell the adjust-a-bubble which is clear as the bluegill get so aggressive they actually hit the bobber as well as the spider/popper. As a bonus at least for me is if carp are present they will feed alongside the panfish when the bugs are active and they put up one hell of a fight on ultralight/light gear.

[fishhugger]

i hadn't even thought of minnows eating insects --- idk, the dimples -- are minnows big enough to make those dimples... i'm going to bring my binoculars, next time.  

what i have noticed, it's when it gets darker that there's lots more activity on the surface...lots more dimpling. maybe some are trout - this is quite near the shore, tho. five to 15 feet away from the bank, but the water will be deeper at that point. 

and where are the bass in all this? at my lake, the bluegill (i think they're all bluegill) hang out in the shallows. i've just been fishing for them. not the lmb, etc.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 hour ago, Eric 26 said:

Even though the crappie/bluegill may be eating the minnows which are eating the bugs, both species will also eat bugs on the surface. Although it’s been way too long one of my favorite ways to catch panfish especially in the summer months is a rubber legged spider or a small popper, both are sold wherever they sell fly fishing gear. I use my favorite ultralight rod and usually just add the smallest round clip on bobber I have (extremely small) about 6”-12” above although I believe they still sell the adjust-a-bubble which is clear as the bluegill get so aggressive they actually hit the bobber as well as the spider/popper. As a bonus at least for me is if carp are present they will feed alongside the panfish when the bugs are active and they put up one hell of a fight on ultralight/light gear.

Oh yeah, I love catching some Carp.    Haven't caught them in a long time, but growing up I used to get into 5-10min fights with those big silver Grass Carp.   

 

I like the idea of using fly fishing ties 

[fishhugger]

a lot of activity tonight at my lake - at dusk. i'm going for bluegill - hopefully they are somewhat similar to crappie, except smaller. sitting on the bank, the fish i see are about 4" long, lmb, i think.   i used a 1" curly tail grub on a 1/64 oz jig head... got three bites, but the fish were so tiny ? but, at least i got bites, and i've never used the 1" curly tail. and a bright pink one at that

so eventually i decide to switch to a rapala, because my bites feel so tiny, the rapala 2" rainbow trout. a nice strike; missed him. then it got dark. 

i've been using a mini topwater, a rebel mini, but haven't gotten anything on it yet. didn't try it today.

[JustJames]

Bluegill fight way harder than crappie lb to lb. I’ll target them from time to time when I get sick of bass and can’t find crappie. Trout magnet is pretty effective with bluegill as well as 1” tube jigging along the bottom. If I feel too lazy I’ll just dropshot with 1” glup minnow.

Im really lucky my lake is full of 4-5lb bass, 12-14” crappie and palm size bluegill, if you know where to look for them.

 

[Will Ketchum]

This time of year the crappie school near a spot near the shore where I bank fish for them with a 1.5 inch panfish assassin pictured below on a light jig. A steady retrieve doesn't work but a sink-lift-sink retrieve does. Of course PA isn't Alabama.