FS Digest

Am I making bad choices, or is it poor technique? Crappie is what I'm after!

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by ducksareflappyanddum

FS Digest

Those are all great choices for crappie. One of the best things I can tell you is to go on YouTube. Lookup crappie fishing techniques. You don’t need the exact equipment they have. Just pay attention to the technique they use and practice it

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by theres-no-usernames-

FS Digest

Thank you! I'll check it out. One thing I've learned in my first summer of fishing is that it can be super complicated, or as simple as a minnow on a bobber.

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by ducksareflappyanddum

FS Digest

As you grow into your waders, those complicated things become easier, making it easy(what used to be complicated) and easier(bait and bobber)

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by DR4LUC0N

FS Digest

Seems like good choices, what kind of terminal tackle are you using? And do you get fish following the lures at least?

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by Johnbackwaters

FS Digest

Several times I've seen them follow it, but I've never gotten them to bite. They swim right up, then they zoom off like they know it's fake. I've even tried crappie nibbles to add sent. Also I'm so new I honestly don't know what you mean, I have a generic Walmart fishing rod with 5lb mono if that answers your first question.

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by ducksareflappyanddum

FS Digest

That must be frustrating, but you will catch soon. Terminal tackle is any stuff you use to make a rig, stuff to attach your lure to the line. Swivels, sinkers stuff like that.

Im asking because maybe your line is thick or visible braid. But 5lb mono is fine. Do you use any swivels? And is the water you fish clear? If its very clear water using a little bit of fluocarbon on the end of the line might work.

What kind of way do you retrieve the lure?

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by Johnbackwaters

FS Digest

Several times I've seen them follow it, but I've never gotten them to bite. They swim right up, then they zoom off like they know it's fake. I've even tried crappie nibbles to add sent. Also I'm so new I honestly don't know what you mean, I have a generic Walmart fishing rod with 5lb mono if that answers your first question.

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by ducksareflappyanddum

FS Digest

Those are jigs, and they require a bit of nuance learning to work them.

I highly, highly recommend finding some shallow water where you can see the fish and practicing there. It's super helpful to be able to see how they react to what you're doing. I learned standing on the entrance to marina docks, horizontally crossing into the channel over shallow water.

A good choice other than jigs might be a small crankbait - I always recommend the small Crawfish lure from Rebel(might require a small sinker for casting distance, they're light). Crankbaits are nice when starting because the only variables you really control are the speed and where you cast to.

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by RandomPantsAppear

FS Digest

Those small little twisty tail grubs and ones a little bigger are deadly on bass in my pond, a slow steady retrieve has been catching bass, crappie and bream all summer.

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by jasper181

FS Digest

What I would recommend for catching crappie with these jigs is to get yourself a sliding bobber and learn how to rig it. Get one that has a weight rating for the weight of the jig heads. Fish it anywhere from 1ft off the bottom to about halfway to the bottom (depending on where they are holding). You can adjust the depth using a sliding bobber stop (usually sold with sliding bobbers). You cast it and you might see the bobber is slack. Move the bobber stop closer to the bobber and cast at your spot again. Keep doing this until the bobber stands up... now you know you are just off the bottom. The advantage of a sliding bobber is it allows the jig to be worked up and down in the exact depth without the need to move the tackle much so you don't have to cast as often. The other advantage is that crappie hold in schools so if you catch one at a specific depth you will more than likely catch more at the same depth. The bobber stop will allow you to consistently target that same depth.

Next is to learn to finesse the rod tip and make the jig dance. Try different jig patterns like jig up once - stop - jig up once - stop. Or jig it up and then shake the rod tip as it falls. Or the deadly shake of the rod tip twitch which isn't much movement on the jig at all, just more of a twitch. Try all kinds of patterns but remember what pattern you are doing so that if you trigger a bite you can repeat the action.

Fish shallow cover (stick piles, grass, lily pads, etc) in the early mornings and fish deep cover (rock croppings, downed trees, pylons, etc) as you enter midday.

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by eXaer

bugeye Loc: North of the gnat line in Georgia

Bridge pilings might be a good spot to put some fish on the stringer and build your confidence.

Anyhow, don't quit trying.

Joey L

Excellent choice. They will definitely hit them start with a very slow steady retrieve. A tight line is key. Any bow or slack will delay your hook set. They are not going to pounce on the jig . They inhale it buy opening their mouth and sucking it in. You will feel a tiny tick on your line..... set the hook. If you miss the hook set loosen up your drag a quarter of a turn. They mouth your bait and spit it if they feel any resistance.

JimRed Loc: Coastal New Jersey, Belmar area

I used to catch them on a deer hair bucktail. I'd let it sink to the bottom, and retrieve in one-two inch twitches. Many times they'd follow it up almost to the surface then gently slurp it in.

clowe86

what is the best lure for trout and bass