Thursday, February 6, 2014

Basic Crappie Fishing Techniques

By Aldrin Ricafort


Crappie are not hard to catch. The problem is that many fishermen believe that the only time you can catch them is during spawning. This is far from true. The following crappie fishing tips will help you extend your fishing time to the point where you can catch them the entire year.

All you need is a bobber and a cane pole that has 10ft or more in length with a line hook, these items will cost you under $25. Of course you can spend much more if you get to love this sport and you wish to go to the next level, but for crappie fishing the cane pole is all that you need.

Another crappie fishing method is a jig plastic tube, which is available in a wide range of colors. My favorite lake will produce well when I use a light color combination of pink/white. Another good color combination is chartreuse/black. The set-up consists of a jig heads in size 1/32 oz. or 1/16 oz., the choice of your tube color combination and a small float when fishing in shallow water. When fishing from a jig, use a loop knot for best results. It allows the jig to move more freely when casting and allows an enticing subtle movement when fished vertically.

There are two species of crappies: Promoxis nigromaculatus (or the black crappie) and Promoxis annularis (or the white crappie). Both of these species are from the sunfish household (Centrarchidae) which consists of largemouth bass, bluegills and other warm water game fish.

The fundamentals in crappie fishing will work on both these varieties. Here is a tip on how you can identify each type: white crappie are lighter in color and have a defined vertical pattern of spots, while black crappie are a bit darker with a irregular pattern of spots. Some other way to identify them is counting the number of splines on their dorsal fin; for example the white crappie should have between 5 and 6, while the black crappie between 7 and 8.

Also one more way that is unique between these two species is the fact that white crappie prefer slow moving rivers and large lakes, while the black crappie prefer colder, clear water. However the two species can be found comingled in some large lakes.

If all else fails, do not forget the worms. Many crappie anglers believe crappie will not strike at worms but crappie are a variety of sunfish and will hit on the common earthworms or red worms. Larvae that work on bream will also catch crappie.

Also you should know that is that if your bait is below them, they won%u2019t observe it, due to the fact that the crappies eyes do not allow them to look downward. So remember, when you are going to your crappie fishing, just keep in mind the basics and there is a good possibility that you will come home with a lot of good eating fish.




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