Crappie Fishing Tips

Schools of crappie were first found throughout the Eastern United States and into Canada. Thanks to stocking, Crappie can be found throughout the united states Crappie now thrive in rivers, lakes and streams. It doesn't take long for this prolific fish to over populate and crowd out bass and other species.

Fortunately The Crappie is one of the most popular sought after game fish so over population is kept to minimum with fishing pressure.The great thing about the crappie you can catch them at several different times during the day, and in all the seasons of the year. And believe it or not in just about in any weather conditions. It has been said that Crappie fisherman bind all anglers in America together. Maybe thats why there is so much information about crappie fishing available.

Well enough with the background on the crappie so lets get to the teeth of this article and that is to give you some valuable crappie fishing tips about proper crappie gear,and crappie baits. The key to catching crappie is know how. Here's a list of quick fishing tips that will help you when your fishing for crappie.

#1: Crappie Gear You may not believe this, but without the right gear you will not be successful at catching crappie. You need to have a good long crappie rod with a sensitive tip, a graphite pole over 8ft long is better, but an old bamboo pole will work also.You will need a spin cast reel that is rated for 4 to 6lb test line. It is very important to have a balanced crappie rig. If you have purchased a bamboo pole, it will have the need crappie rigging already attached for you.

#2:- Crappie Baits: There are two ways to go here. You either fish with live bait, or artificial baits, or both. Most crappie anglers use both. If you are a beginner you are better off starting with live bait because it is easier. You don't want to get frustrated early and not give the sport a chance. If you get hooked on the sport you can progress to artificial baits. Over time you will catch more fish and be more consistent by learning how to use artificial crappie baits, but in the beginning it can get a bit confusing at times.

Crappie fishing tips: If you are fishing stained low visibility water select a chartreuse color plastic tail attached to a 1/32oz to 1/8oz jig with a 8 to 12 inch trailer hook attached to the jig's hook. Use a number 6 to 8 hook. Put two spit shot about 18 inches above the hook. This allows the minnow to move freely, while be held stationary. Use a live crappie minnow by hooking them right behind the eyes in the back of the head. be careful not to go to deep or you will kill the minnow.

Tip#3: If you are fishing for crappie in moving water then you will want to to switch between live crappie baits and artificial crappie baits, depending on how active the fish are. Crappies are cold blooded and their body temperature is controlled by the water temperature. When there is moving water, the water temp will vary and so will the activity of the crappie. Find good hiding places where crappie my be preparing to ambush lazy bait fish... and put it right in from of there nose.

If crappie are sluggish , it is because they are uncomfortable. Kind of like your neighbor that doesn't have air conditioning or is still using a wood burning stove when things get cold. They just don't feel like doing anything until its right in their face!

Crappie Fishing Tips #4: Look for a ripple like effect across the top of shallow water, this is called a "crappie bubble" and it means there are a lot of crappie in the area on their beds laying eggs.

Tip#5: The crappie has a keen sense of smell so scenting your crappie jigs does make a difference. you can buy canned crappie scent at any tackle shop or purchase on-line. It's a proven fact that you will catch more fish by scenting your crappie baits.

Mark Fleagle Webmaster. 30+ Years Of Fishing Experience Expert Author At Ezinearticles.com. Click This Link To Find Out More About crappie fishing tips