| Crappie are one of the most exciting panfish to | | | | to the surface. Some of the lakes that are |
| catch. While most panfish are fairly small and don't | | | | known for their incredible crappie fishing during the |
| put up a very good fight, crappie can reach the | | | | spawn are Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in |
| 12 to 15 inch range in many southern waters. | | | | Kentucky. |
| These fish will typically weigh 1 to 2 pounds. Any | | | | In the summer, fishing gets a lot tougher. Fish are |
| crappie over 12 inches is considered a very nice | | | | going to school up in deeper water and they can |
| fish. The size limit on many lakes is 10 inches, so | | | | be hard to find. Many fishing guides have brush |
| when you get above 12 inches, you're getting into | | | | piles that they've placed in their lakes that they |
| some nice-sized fish. The nice thing about these | | | | fish. They will set up brush piles in all different |
| fish is that they will put up a decent fight on light | | | | depths so when the fish do move deeper, fishing |
| tackle and many of them will have enough energy | | | | guides can still put their clients on the fish. Make |
| when they get to the boat that they will come up | | | | sure to use your electronics to find some |
| and give you a jump or two. Their jumps are | | | | structure and cover in that deeper water. When |
| much different that that of a largemouth or | | | | you find a school of crappie, you will see fish all |
| smallmouth bass, but they can be more exciting | | | | over the graph. A double jig rig works great for |
| to catch than bluegill and other sunfish. | | | | catching these deep water fish. Tie on one jig and |
| Crappie also taste very good. If you can catch | | | | leave yourself about 18 inches of line to tie |
| them in the 12 to 15 inch range, you will have | | | | another jig below the first one. When you are |
| plenty of meat for the frying pan. | | | | done tying the second jig, the jigs should be about |
| As far as catching crappie, the style of fishing will | | | | a foot apart. This setup will allow you to fish one |
| change drastically throughout the year. In the | | | | jig on the bottom and the other one just off of |
| spring, you can fish in very shallow water. I've | | | | the bottom to see where the better bite is |
| caught them in 1 to 5 feet of water in the spring | | | | coming from. |
| around many types of cover. Find some brush | | | | During the fall, fish will move shallower, but you |
| piles or other types of wood for cover and you | | | | probably won't be catching them as shallow as in |
| should be able to catch plenty of them. Small jigs | | | | the spring. As the water cools even more in late |
| under a small bobber work well. There are many | | | | fall through winter, you are going to find the fish |
| different kinds of crappie jigs that will work during | | | | holding in deeper water just like the summer. |
| the spawn. If the bite is slow, add a minnow to | | | | For more information, take a look at our crappie |
| your jig or try a minnow on a small hook with a | | | | fishing page. |
| small split shot to keep the minnow from coming | | | | |