Another reason is because they are one of the easiest species to catch when you are first starting out learning how to fish. To become a successful crappie fisherman you need to learn as much as you can about them as a species. This will include their feeding habits, natural habitat and how the different seasons affect the crappie.
The mouth of the crappie is small and very fragile but they can still quickly suck up a minnow close by. It is very important that you learn how to set the hook without tearing the mouth of the crappie since they are so fragile. Not only will tearing their mouth cause you to lose the catch but it can also create unnecessary damage to the fish.
One thing that many new anglers don't realize is that crappies can see different colors very well. The colors are distorted by the different depths of the water and the amount of light shining through the water. Therefore, it does take some experimenting to determine which color works the best in different conditions.
All about Baits, Lures and Colors
When crappies are young they feed on insects but as they grow they add baitfish to their diet. Their favorite food is minnows but they will eat crustaceans, crickets, maggots, grasshoppers, worms and even smaller baitfish.
The artificial lures that work the best or jigs but spinnerbaits, streamers and small poppers can get you some great results as well. When using lures it is important to know a little about colors and how the crappies respond to them.
The crappie can also be a little unpredictable at times. They may not touch a particular color that they were all over earlier. This is why it is so important that you have a variety of lures and jigs with you each time you go out. It allows you to switch off and try something new when one thing is not working.
Understanding how the colors work as they go deeper into the water will help you determine which ones you should use depending on where and when you are fishing.
Water takes on a green color as it begins to get deep but the further down you go it starts to turn a more bluish color. It is for this reason that you should follow a certain pattern as you start going down into the depths of the water.
Start with red lures in shallow water followed by orange, yellow, green and blue or black as you get into the deepest water. White is normally a good neutral color that can be seen at most any depth.
Since you can't always tell the level of light present in the water one basic rule to follow is in bright light and clear water use the red, orange, green, blue and white colors.
In dark waters and when it is night or cloudy the pink, chartreuse, yellow, light blue and even black are the best choices.
There are two different kinds of Crappie, White Crappie and Black Crappie. There are not many differences between the two varieties except for color. White Crappie prefer faster moving areas and grow a little bit larger than Black Crappie.
Most of the fish you catch will be in the half to one pound size range. Trophy Crappie fishing is angling for two pound or greater fish.
Using the proper equipment will make Crappie fishing much more enjoyable. You can catch Crappie with a wide variety of equipment but the key is to make the effort as sporting as possible.
A light action fishing rod is the proper choice for Crappie fishing. Since you will be fishing with jigs a high quality rod with a high degree of feel will help you detect bites and catch fish that others will not.
If you use a longer rod of at least six feet you will be able to cast a long distance and enhance your catch ratio. I advise spending more on your rod and saving on other pieces of equipment.
You reel is not very important when Crappie fishing. You need a functional reel for sure but that is the extent of the requirement.
Crappie will not fight hard enough to require a well oiled drag nor do they require a reel with a high gear ratio or fast retrieve. Any functional spinning reel is more than adequate for the task when Crappie fishing.
Line selection is a crucial element of fishing for Crappie. Crappie are an extremely wary fish that has a keen eye for detecting line. You should not only use light line but use a high quality line as well. For Crappie I believe that four pound test line is the heaviest you will require.
Anything heavier than four pounds takes the sport out of the exercise and will cause you to miss fish you would have caught otherwise. This is where your expensive rod will come in handy. A high quality rod will provide you with enough fish fighting ability to compensate for the light line required to entice fish to bite.
You can catch Crappie with both live and artificial bait, quite often a combination of the two. For live bait your number one choice is a small lively minnow. This bait is so popular for Crappie it is referred to across the United States as Crappie Minnows.
You will hook them either once in the upper back or once through the lips for a more natural swimming motion and presentation. You can also use nitecrawlers and other insects like grasshoppers for bait. It is the small minnow however that provides your best chance for action.
The main artificial bait used for Crappie is the jig. For Crappie you will want a small jig head that is weighted to the head runs below the body of the jig. For colors there are tow that work best. Florescent pink is without a doubt the number one color for catching Crappie. The next color to use is chartreuse.