What is a foolproof crappie rig? I found a lake that has them supposedly, but i suck at catching them. I used a little jighead with a little minnow looking soft plastic, but it just kept getting snagged. Small lake, and it definitely has bass or pickerel. I used a top water frog over the lilly pads and it got slammed, so i will try to catch bass or pickerel in there. But i also want to focus on crappie, it will be on the shoreline if that makes a difference. The spot is pressured, so they might be a little hesitant to bite

Shiners, weight, hook, & cork!

Try adding a bobber to your current setup.

I usually only BFS ned rig, or float and fly for them...  

Light jig with plastic under a slip bobber.

Beatle Spin ?

 

 

3 hours ago, Catt said:

Beatle Spin ?

 

 

I will definitely try this. Seems to work pretty well

 

5 hours ago, Jig Man said:

Try adding a bobber to your current setup.

I never understand how to use bobbers with a jig, hos do you know where to set the bobber?? I have little trout magnet strike indicators, those should work right?

If crappie are shallow, use a small pear shape float on the line. Adjust the depth as needed. As Catt posted above, a Beetlespin or similar small spinner can work well. Try to find the correct depth, and count it down each cast.  Usually, where you catch one crappie there will be more.

I like the small weighted floats made by Comal tackle.

YouTube search slip bobber fishing 

Agreed on the slip bobber to easily adjust the depth at which the bait will be. Something I like using under a float is a 2.5" Gulp Minnow and slowly reel it back to you, watching for any movement in the bobber. 

my brother is a crappie fiend.  he uses a weighted bobber so he can cast further.  

 

then he just lets a tiny crappie jig dangle beneath this bobber.  i am not sure what a weighted bobber is.  

7 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

my brother is a crappie fiend.  he uses a weighted bobber so he can cast further.  

 

then he just lets a tiny crappie jig dangle beneath this bobber.  i am not sure what a weighted bobber is.  

Normally they are foam floats with a small ring of lead around the very bottom. Allows for longer casts but I still find a slip bobber better for casting because it slides down to the end of the line and the lure or hook stops it.  They cast great and you can adjust the depth super easy using a rubber bobber stop. A slip bobber is just a bobber with a hole through it that slides on the line until it hits the stopper. 

9 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

Normally they are foam floats with a small ring of lead around the very bottom. Allows for longer casts but I still find a slip bobber better for casting because it slides down to the end of the line and the lure or hook stops it.  They cast great and you can adjust the depth super easy using a rubber bobber stop. A slip bobber is just a bobber with a hole through it that slides on the line until it hits the stopper. 

Best of both worlds - Thill weighted slip bobber

Beatle spins obviously work and Blakemore horse head 1/16 oz underspend works for crappie or simple ball crappie jigs w/meal worm under a slip bobber as suggested.

Thill offers more bobber types then anyone can conceive and specific models for crappie.

Tom

If you are fishing from shore, you have 2 options for crappie.  Casting for them or using a float setup.  We spend a fair amount of time every fall after the first frost catching crappie for the freezer.  My preferred setup is a spinning rod with 6lb test and a bobber stop, a slip float, a 1/16th oz jighead rigged with a small tube.  The bobberstop allows me to set the depth where the tube will be 6 to 8 inches off the bottom.  It also reels up into my rod guides so that I can cast it.  If I am just casting for them, I use the same jighead without the bobberstop or float and I downsize to 4lb test. And don’t forget your Crappie Bites and Smelly Jelly.

From shore I target fishing over brush piles. I use a rocket bobber with a 1\64oz head and a tiny tube or straight tail plastic in white or a minnow color.

How do you know what depth?

When I go after crappie with a slip-rig from shore - I start around 4', fan cast the area...if not even nibbles, add 2' and try again.

 

Some places I fish, I'm down to 10'-12' before I find them

2 minutes ago, Gregorym38 said:

How do you know what depth?

Minus electronics, when you cast a slip float and it doesn’t stand up from not pulling the line to the bobber stop, you just keep shortening it by moving the bobber stop until the float stands up.  You then can set it for however high off the bottom you want your bait suspended. 

Gregorym38, once you catch a mess, you'll have to fillet them. Hands down some of the best tasting fish around.

2 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

Gregorym38, once you catch a mess, you'll have to fillet them. Hands down some of the best tasting fish around.

I have caught some crappie before, usually when going for other panfish, just not the most consistent bite for me. Caught them on spoons or spinners, but never actually eaten them. I cant imagine there is much meat? And its white meat, similar to like a sea bass? Not the biggest fan of plain meat, i like salmon

Look up double crappie down rig. You can do it either with jigs, minnows or one of each. I prefer jigs. Last time I tried, and it was last Friday, here's what I used. I put a 1/2 oz. bullet weight on my line. I then put a bobber stop on (the rubber kind, like for flipping) and then tied a jig on. So it was basically a C-rig with a jig. I moved the bobber stop up about 1' above the jig. I did this on 2 rods and slow trolled (paddled very slowly). 

 

Getting hung up is just part of the game with crappie. I can tell you though that crappie are not usually "in" the brush as much as around it. I think the brush attracts minnows, which attracts crappie, which attracts fishermen. But crappie can often be caught away from brush, either close to bottom or suspended. If you have electronics you can spot the schools. If not, you can just slow troll down rigs until you find the fish.

 

They're usually near the bottom. So dropping down to the bottom and reeling up a few turns of the handle is a good idea. You can raise them more if you get no bites, but know the fish are there. I've been told crappie will rise to get a bait but won't dive for one. Not sure if that's true.

I feel like a little dropshot could work? 

5 minutes ago, Gregorym38 said:

I feel like a little dropshot could work? 

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/mr-crappie-troll-tech-double-drop-rigs?ds_e=MICROSOFT&ds_c=BPS|Shopping|Smart|CatchAll|General|NAud|High|NMT&msclkid=72a3f510a7051390f41d964927de92d5&gclsrc=ds

12 minutes ago, Gregorym38 said:

I have caught some crappie before, usually when going for other panfish, just not the most consistent bite for me. Caught them on spoons or spinners, but never actually eaten them. I cant imagine there is much meat? And its white meat, similar to like a sea bass? Not the biggest fan of plain meat, i like salmon

The only reason to catch crappie is to eat them!

Tom