Please Help Me Understand Crappie Fishing

[Brendan Duffy]

I mean no offense, but I cannot fathom fishing for crappie when I could fish for bass. Most of the guys at my local reservoir fish for crappie and I cant figure it out!

[Dan:]

sometimes the crappie will bite when the bass won't. some people want a fish to pull on their line and they don't care what kind it is as long as it will bite.

also, some fisherman are more interested in the prize of catching fish and taking them home to eat. Crappie taste better than bass and you can catch dozens from one spot.

[JigMe]

Crappie is more easier to catch than Bass. My wife likes to fish crappie since she wont have to move around too often, and use 4-5 different setups. All we really need is 2-3 decent UL setup, slip bobber, sinker, number 8 hook, and 2 dozen of minnows. We will have a great time, and crappie taste pretty good.

[D4u2s0t]

I go for panfish mostly when the bass are not biting, early in the season, late in the season, or on that day where I just can't find the bass.  If you have an ultra lite pole, with small line, panfish can be just as fun as bigger fish.  Having a fish hammer your bait like panfish do, and then the rod bending in half, and pulling drag while bringing it in.

I caught a 1 1/2 lb perch last week, biggest i've ever seen in my life.  Nearly yanked the rod out of my hands, and gave me more of a fight on my ul than most bass do on a medium or higher pole.

[Grey Wolf]

I mean no offense, but I cannot fathom fishing for crappie when I could fish for bass. Most of the guys at my local reservoir fish for crappie and I cant figure it out!

FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brendan Duffy]

Thank you for your responses, very humbling actually

[Stasher1]

I go for panfish mostly when the bass are not biting, early in the season, late in the season, or on that day where I just can't find the bass. If you have an ultra lite pole, with small line, panfish can be just as fun as bigger fish.  Having a fish hammer your bait like panfish do, and then the rod bending in half, and pulling drag while bringing it in.

I caught a 1 1/2 lb perch last week, biggest i've ever seen in my life. Nearly yanked the rod out of my hands, and gave me more of a fight on my ul than most bass do on a medium or higher pole.

If green sunfish routinely reached 3-4 lbs, nobody would fish for bass.

[Matt Fly]

Prespawn in early March on lake Waco, we were on the crappie late in the evening with ultra lites.

   Normal crappie bite with bobbers and minnow and some jigs on other rods, lifting up and bam, 5lber just inhaled a nice crappie that was was on it.

    Good fight for my buddy with his 4lb test. 

Big bass love to hang with the crappie, easy meals.   

   Lots of fresh water fish taste good when cleaned and preped properly.    I just prefer fish that fillet easy and are easy to come by most times.

   

[farmpond1]

They are just fun to catch.  Although I generally target bass, if I find a school of crappie, I'm just as thrilled and may skip on the bass until the school stops biting or moves on.

[unageo09]

I just like to catch fish. We can usually find crappie easier than bass and if you find them you can usually catch a lot. On a slow day, its just fun to be catching anything.

[D4u2s0t]

when the bass aren't biting, and you can pull these out conistently, why bother going to look for bass, and not catch any fish?  When you can get these suckers left and right after you find them.

[new2BC4bass]

when the bass aren't biting, and you can pull these out conistently, why bother going to look for bass, and not catch any fish? When you can get these suckers left and right after you find them.

Beautiful fish. NICE. I enjoy catching crappies myself. Thanks for replying to my thread on what time of year I can start panfishing. I've been out of fishing for a good 23 years. I remember catching a lot of them, but not when we started fishing for them.

Weather looks a bit nasty that day.

[D4u2s0t]

when the bass aren't biting, and you can pull these out conistently, why bother going to look for bass, and not catch any fish? When you can get these suckers left and right after you find them.

Beautiful fish. NICE. I enjoy catching crappies myself. Thanks for replying to my thread on what time of year I can start panfishing. I've been out of fishing for a good 23 years. I remember catching a lot of them, but not when we started fishing for them.

Weather looks a bit nasty that day.

your welcome, and yea, it was very nasty.  Couldn't see too far at all, was hard finding our way back lol

[Leever]

The main reason to fish for crappie is FOOD!

[farmpond1]

The main reason to fish for crappie is FOOD!

and for fun! 

[RoLo]

Most of the guys at my local reservoir fish for crappie and I cant figure it out!

The story is the same in Florida, where the majority of boats on the water are crappie anglers. :

It's probably because crappie are much easier to catch, but whatever the reason,

let's hope the crappie fleets never find out that bass are just as delicious.

Roger

[Cire]

For me up in the north, panfish are the only thing open for a good month or so after ice out and the bass season opens.

Also, on ultralight gear a 1lb crappie fights pretty good plus it seems we usually catch a few bass along the way.

Eric

[D4u2s0t]

For me up in the north, panfish are the only thing open for a good month or so after ice out and the bass season opens.

Also, on ultralight gear a 1lb crappie fights pretty good plus it seems we usually catch a few bass along the way.

Eric

yep.  my area of jersey is a little different than the rest of the state, i'm on top of a mountain and the lake is fed by melting runnoff, so it stays frozen longer, and then stays cold longer.  I've caught 1 bass since ice out.  Panfish?  Can't even begin to think of how many hundreds i've caught.

[gravyfor3]

i love crappie fishing

[timothy_spain]

i shore fish mainly, so bass rates are 1-2 an hour, if i'm lucky.  so in my frustration -- i pan fish!  helps passes time  until those bass wanna bite again