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Frequently Asked Questions
For those of you that are new to crappie fishing, or those that are 'seasoned' but still have a question or two, this section will try to address those questions that are most often asked.
If you have a question that you don't see the answer for here, e-mail me with it and I'll try to respond as soon as possible.
If the question is one that would be of interest to others, it'll be included in the next revision of the website.
Again, thanks for coming to my website and good fishin'.
Questions
Question - What's the best time of the year to fish for crappie?
Answer - Any time that you're not in the hospital. Just kidding.....almost. Most folks fish for crappie in the Spring time when the fish are up shallow and are at their easiest to catch. Of course, Spring is the most unstable of the months weather wise. Every time a front passes through, the fish will react to it, and generally in a negative manner. My favorite time is Summer and Fall. Fish are totally dependable in their locations, and are most willing to eat a jig. But, crappie can be caught all year long, if you know how to fish for them in the differing conditions.
Question - Do you only fish jigs, and why?
Answer - Yes.....cause I have a saying that goes, "I'd rather be taking a crappie off a jig than putting a minnow on a hook". Jig fishing for crappie is about as much fun as you can legally have. Advantages are; they don't die, you usually don't run out of them right in the middle of a hot bite, you don't have to worry about them either being too small or too big, and you can get back into the action quicker after landing that last fish. Don't get me wrong; there's nothing wrong with minnow fishing, cause probably the large majority of crappie that are caught annually, are caught on minnows. Just not by me.
Question - How do you pick a good jig weight and color?
Answer - I don't, but the crappie do. Always let the fish tell you what they want. When you start the day of fishing, put on your favorite color; it doesn't matter which. Fish it for about three minutes in a good area. If you don't get bit, change colors, and so on until you start to get bit.....and you will. They're telling you what color they want that day, and it'll probably work in all locations all over the lake. And by the way; I like anything with chartreuse in it. As for jig weight; I carry jigs in 1/32, 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4 oz, but here's the trick.....they're all the same size. I pour all my own jigs using a #4 Eagle Claw 570 bronze jig hook. It's just my personal opinion, but I think the #4 hook is the optimum size for crappie, and the Eagle Claw hook has never failed me. I can then apply plastic bodies, chenille bodies, whatever to them.....and yes, the crappie will tell me which one they want.
Question - What about jig presentation?
Answer - Much more important than color or weight, in my opinion. You can be fishing the world's best jig, and if you're fishing it wrong, you might as well be home mowing the yard. Presentation at a given depth is EVERYTHING. Put it at the right depth, and work it right, and you'll catch fish.
Question - But how do you 'work it right'?
Answer - Which brings me to another of my sayings, "slow down and catch up". You can't fish a jig too slow in my opinion. Most time, I never move my jigs, because I fish from a boat and the boat does all the moving of the jig that is necessary. Think about it. In nature, you usually don't see a bait fish jumping up and down, or in a constant jiggling motion. You'll see them move from time to time, but generally they won't attract more attention than necessary by moving. When you think you're fishing slow enough.....SLOW DOWN MORE. You'll catch more fish.
Question - What types of rods do I need to jig fish?
Answer - It depends on whether you're fishing from the bank, or from a boat. If I'm bank fishing or wading, I'm usually using one of my 10' - 12' rods. When in my boat, I carry two 5'2" rods and two 9' rods. The shorter rods are used for bridge fishing and dock shooting and the longer rods are used for vertical fishing condos and brushpiles. All rods are light to med light action and are graphite.
Question - Do you use hi-viz line and why?
Answer - Yes.....because I like to catch crappie. I honestly think that if you're not using hi-viz line, you can be missing up to 50% of your bites. First of all, crappie DO NOT SPOOK on hi-viz line. I have proved this beyond all doubt. Secondly, crappie have basically three different ways that they will bite a jig. First and best, is the "thump". They nail it, you feel it, and you react. Second is the "tick". It's that bite that you 'thought' you got, but weren't real sure. You don't respond, and you just missed him. Third is the line movement. The crappie takes the jig and you never feel it. But if you're watching your line, you'll see it jump or move to the side. If you can't see the line, you don't react, and same scenario as the tick.....no fish. Get yourself a good high quality hi-viz line and watch it every second it's in the water. You'll catch more crappie.
Question - What is a condo?
Answer - Condo is a term that my fishing partner, Ernest Paty, made popular here in North Texas, for manmade structures that take the place of a brushpile. They are generally made of PVC pipe, concrete blocks and maybe some wire, 2x4's and paint bucket parts. Sounds a little crazy, but boy does it work. We have dozens of condos set in several different lakes in North Texas, and all of them consistently produce crappie year round. And the great thing about them is that you don't get hung up in them like you do brushpiles. Condos are 'food chain' generators. The PVC will start to grow algae in about two weeks. That brings the smaller prey to eat the algae. The game fish then come to eat the prey. Believe me, they work.
Question - How do you fish a condo?
Answer - Just like you would a brushpile.....vertically. You can fish near the bottom of it, inside it, above it, etc. The crappie will hold in different areas of the condo at different times.
Question - What does a condo look like on a graph?
Answer - Generally just like a brushpile, depending upon how tall (short) you make them. Our condos are about 10' in diameter and about 6-8' tall. So they show up real well.
Question - I've heard of 'shooting' a jig or a dock. What does that mean?
Answer - Well first of all, it doesn't involve a gun. "Shooting" a jig at a dock or anything else is a form of casting a jig, without casting overhand. It is much more accurate, you do not have to worry about anything that might be overhead, and you can get your jig about as far under a dock as you want using that method of cast. A good 'shooter' can place a 1/16 oz jig between the dock and the water (that may not be more than 12" apart), back up under the dock some 20'. Believe me; that's where the big crappie live. Learn to 'shoot' and you'll be a much better crappie fisherman. In a future update of my website, I'll try to have pictures of just what dock shooting is all about.
Question - How do you fish bridges?
Answer - The columns on any bridge are year round crappie hangouts. Most of the bridges in North Texas have concrete columns. Those columns are generally supported by concrete cross members that connect the columns. I will generally pull up to a bridge column and let my jig down to find out the depth of the cross member. Now here's secret, so don't tell anyone.....I'll then mark my line with a Marks-A-Lot just in front of my reel. Crappie will generally hold either just above or just below the cross member. Now each time I let my jig down, I know that I'm fishing exactly where the crappie are. On the column itself, crappie can be holding at any depth. And another tip; fish both ends of the bridge out about four or five column sets before going to the middle. Seems that's where most of the action is.
Question - Do you use a GPS for crappie fishing?
Answer - Wouldn't leave home without it. I have a Lowrance GPS and two Lowrance graphs on my boat, and use both in conjunction with the other to locate those previous 'hot spots'. Aside from possibly my rod/reels, these are the two most important pieces of equipment that I own. My success as a guide is based as much on these two units, as anything in/on my boat. If you don't have one, get one and LEARN TO USE IT. All too often I see guys with a $400 GPS on their boat, without a clue as to how to incorporate it in to the fishing plan. If you have one or both of these items and don't know how to use them, hire a guide for a day and tell him that's your main goal. It will be well worth the guide trip expense.
Question - My graph has a fish ID/alarm setting on it. Should I turn it on to tell me when I locate fish?
Answer - In my opinion, the fish ID setting on graphs is the biggest misconception that there is. And that goes double for the "fish alarm". When you turn this setting on, everything that your signal intercepts above the bottom will be shown to you as a fish. That includes tree branches, bait fish, alligators or scuba divers. And as for the fish alarm; I think I'd rather be sitting next to a buoy with a bell on it than to listen to that alarm. You simply don't need the fish ID or the alarm. Learning to use your graph in the normal mode setting is much more desirable. In this setting, you can see fish, bait fish, trees, tree branches, grass, thermoclines, etc. If you don't know what you're looking at in this setting, it is well worth the time and expense to hire a guide and tell him that you want to be taught to read your graph. Because once you become proficient at it, you'll be catching more crappie.
Question - How would you suggest that I start my son/daughter off crappie fishing?
Answer - I would not suggest that you start your child off crappie fishing until you have taken them fishing several times with a bobber and a can of worms. My first recollection of fishing was on a creek bank with a bamboo pole and a can of worms. I caught fish. It didn't matter what fish, because I was catching fish, and that was all that mattered. Crappie fishing can at times, be very difficult and frustrating....even for adults. So get your son or daughter started off right. It doesn't matter whether they're on a creek bank or in a boat. What does matter is that they catch fish. After that, then take them crappie fishing, but take minnows. In other words, work your way up to the jig fishing. Build that kids love for fishing, and when he or she is ready, challenge them with the jig. Believe me, doing it any other way is something that you will regret for many years to come.
Question - How do I pick a good guide to take me crappie fishing?
Answer - Boy.....loaded question.
Seriously, not by the luck of the draw or by price alone.
When you want to book a guided trip, consider that you'll be spending the majority of the day in a very confined space (boat) with probably a complete stranger.
So use other people's experience to guide you.
When considering a guide, ask for references.
If he won't give you any; go somewhere else.
Ask for pictures or testimonials of his clients.
Ask what kind of boat you'll be in, and the age/condition of the boat/motor.
Ask him what experience he has on the lake you're interested in fishing.
Ask him how long he has been guiding and fishing for crappie.
If you have any special needs or requirements, ask him if he can comply.
Remember, crappie fishing is fun, and barring that fickled force of nature called weather; your guide should do everything he can to make it fun and memorable.
I hope this answers some of your questions for now. If it doesn't, remember to send in any that you may have and they'll get answered. I hope that we can fish together some day, and until then..........good fishin'.
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