Crappie Fishing Bait Tips

Many anglers enjoy going fishing for crappies. They are a great species because they offer fun and excitement for the beginner fisherman and for the experienced angler.

They can be caught during the day or when night fishing and it doesn't matter if you're fishing from a boat or the shoreline. As long as you have the right bait to use, and crappies are in the area, you should be able to reel them in.

You can use a fishfinder to help you locate schools of crappie so you can get started faster. Always start fishing from the edge of the school and work your way to the center. This way, you won't scare the fish away before you have time to get a nice catch.

The crappie is a resourceful species and they will eat a variety of different foods. The most common meals include worms, insects, crayfish and their favorite foods are minnows. One of the great things about fishing for crappie is that if one type of bait isn't working, you can always switch off to something else. This will usually get their attention and draw them in your direction.

Types of Baits to Use

You can use any of the foods they eat naturally to catch crappie. They will respond the best when you present them with bait they are familiar with so, take a little time to look at your surroundings and see what their natural food source consist of. In fact, if you plan to use live bait it's a good idea to catch them from the water where you plan to fish.

Live minnows seem to work in almost any situation and they are one of the best baits you can use. However, using live bait is not always an option.

If you prefer not to use live bait then jigs is your best bet. Three of the best artificial baits to use include Maribou jigs, curly-tail grubs and spinners. You will find that spinners work great even when fishing in weeds and around structures.

The crappie can be very picky sometimes and may ignore one color and constantly strike at another. It's for this reason that it's always a good idea to have a variety of different colors with you when you go fishing.

If one type of jig or color is not getting the results you want, try a different one. You never know for sure what will get their attention at any given time if you don't experiment a little. When choosing your bait try and match the size up with the size of fish you are trying to catch.

If the bait is too large the crappie will ignore it. If it's too small, then the larger fish will search for a more filling meal. Using the right size bait will make a difference and increase the number of crappies you can reel in.

Your presentation is very important if you want to go home with a nice catch. It's hard to know which presentation will work the best without trying different techniques. It's recommended that you start with a slow retrieval method.

Slowly speed up until you reach a speed that gets results. Always present your bait in a natural way regardless of what you use. The fish will avoid bait that is moving in an unnatural way.

Information about the Author:
Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Go to www.askcrappiefishing.com/editorials/3-crappie-bait-tips.html for more information on crappie fishing.