Crappie love live bait. They are not a scavenger fish like catfish or some other types of scum suckers. Live food generally means more protein and more energy and with crappie if it they can fit it in their mouth they will generally eat it. When it comes to live baits there lots of types like insects and their larvae, reptiles, invertebrates, amphibians and of course the obvious one: other fish.
Of course I am one of those guys that if I can get it on a hook I'll give it a shot, just think about how it might look in the water. Not that I'm suggesting anything but even the cotton from a cigarette butt works from time to time. Also I'm not a biologist so I will group some types of live bait into a category that I think work but not necessarily a category they belong in.
Insects are those creepy crawly bugs that are big enough that you wander if you step on it, it might push back, this includes spiders although they don't like to go onto a hook and don't always work out so well. If you choose a spider pick one that doesn't bite.
For the most part I use large winged insects on small hooks. This can be tricky as well because most of these insects have a couple of problems. First you got to catch them, get them on the hook and lastly they come off the hook easy so be ready. Mealworms and maggots work great to tip a jig with or ice fishing.
Small lizards and snakes are not common in many bait stores but can work magic in the right location. These squirmy creatures can provide lots of action and when hooked properly seem to live a long time, not to be super cruel but these guys do need air from time to time.
Invertebrates like worms and leeches work really well in dark to clear waters but beware leeches are not allowed in many bodies of water. This is for good reason. If the waters to not already have a balanced system that can support leeches introducing them can decimate the entire eco system.
This goes for all live baits be sure and check that you can use them where you are fishing or the next thing you know you will be fishing for goldfish instead of crappie. Worms provide lots of protein for fish and will act lively for long periods. Hook a leech through the mouth but hook a worm in a way it won't get stolen without a bite on the hook.
Frogs and toads also work really well because they are often a source of food for crappie already. Tadpoles as well as young critters work well. I find that once they are bigger than a quarter or a 50 cent piece they start to attract other fish.
I will start with problems that affect even perfectly plumbed tanks and go from there.
COMMON PROBLEMS
If you have a fully plumbed, top of the line bait tank, then you are well ahead of the game but will still have fish dying. If the tank becomes overcrowded fish will start to die.
Remember the bigger the baits the less will survive in your tank. Baits so big they can't freely swim around the tank will have a high mortality rate. Once fish have died make sure to remove them from the tank as it will affect the remaining survivors.
When you are catching bait make sure to handle them as little as possible. If possible catch bait with long shank hooks then hold the shank of the hook and shake the bait off and straight into the tank. That way you never touch the fish.
ALTERNATIVE TANKS
If you don't have an inbuilt tank, or room for this, the next best thing is to use an esky. In a good sized tinnie I have even plumbed a good quality esky with great results, the next best thing to an esky is the good old fashioned ?kill box? the ones commercial fishos use for storing their catch.
Eskies work very well as bait tanks because one major problem for keeping fish alive is change in water temperature. Not only are fish very sensitive to temperature change but when water warms up it loses its dissolved oxygen killing the fish.
A 50 litre tank of water in summer warms up very quickly, this is very important to remember when you don't have any circulation in your tank. The temperature problem also relates to colour, try and use white tanks so they don't attract more heat.
FRESH WATER
Without having the tank plumbed you will have to use a bucket to constantly refresh the water in the tank, its hard work but often worth it. You can also purchase small bait pumps that will help but I've found that you still need to use the bucket but just not as often.
When you pour water into your tank don't try to be gentle, this is a mistake, it is best to do it from a good height and create a lot of foam, this is oxygen mixing with the water and benefits your baits.
OXYGEN
Another key point is the shape of the tank. Ideally a high surface area is great which again is why most eskies work well and so do ?kill boxes?.
The higher the surface area the more oxygen can dissolve into the water, this is also why little kiddy wading pools are perfect when fishing from the shore.
THE BASKET CASE
One last useful tip for boat fishos is to have a laundry basket that is deep and narrow in shape. Put some weight in the bottom of the basket and flotation around the top of the basket.
When you are at anchor simply put this in the water and tie it of to the side of the boat. Transfer your livebaits from your tank into the basket while fishing at anchor and they will stay healthier than in any livebait tank. Always have a small net for transferring the baits so as not to damage your baits.
Remember the better you handle your livebaits the better baits they're going to be.
Daniel Burgess has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fishing. DAN BURGESS is keen angler, writer, video producer and a graduate of the Marine Sciences school of Sydney University. His latest project is the 2Dans Fishing video. It's all about how to catch kingfish around his native waters in Australia, and features e. Daniel Burgess's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.