Combat Fishing For Crappie

My son, Von, with an nice mess of crappie caught in 40 minutes on a sunny Spring day.  We caught one fish every 5-6 minutes.  "Combat" fishing.

A nice mess of crappie.  The smaller ones measured 10" long, but the Hawgs "Slabs" measured 14-15" long.

Sarah with a nice "keepr" crappie.

A nice mess of fish for the frying pan caught in 1 hour.

Nice "Winter" Hawgs caught from Lake Wilson.  Lake Wilson is a very small lake, but look at what was there.

Nice big slab caught from the Tar River Reservoir.  This is about a 1.5 to 2 lb. fish. 

The pending North Carolina State Record White Crappie measuring 17 1/8 inches long, 15 inches in girth and, most important, weighed 3 pounds, 11 ounces, came from the Tar River Reservoir.  This place is 12 minutes from my house.

I am not going to claim that I am an expert at catching fish, but I've pulled in my fair share.  This article will focus on one particular species called Crappie.  This fish holds a seat as one of the best fresh water fish to eat....period.  I am passionate about catching them and will share my tips and techniques for "Combat" fishing.

Combat fishing is a term I picked up from my father-in-law, Capt. Ronnie Boyd.  We use this term when we have multiple hook ups while fishing for dolphin fish, kings mackerel, Wahoo, and Spanish mackerel in the ocean.  It's the excitement of having two to three fish on line and trying to get them into the boat...it is chaos with fish.

The name “Crappie” (pronounced CROP-ee) is derived from the French-Canadian word “crapet-soleil," meaning "sunfish." The genus name for both black and white crappie is Pomoxis, meaning “sharp gill cover."
Across the U.S., crappie have 25 or more regional or “nicknames”—probably more than any other fish. Among the more colorful names are slabs, papermouths, calico bass, specks, sac-a-lait (which roughly translates as "sack of milk"), lamplighter, timber perch and John Demon, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.  The funny thing is crappie are more closely related to bass than a sunfish, so they're really not sunfish at all.

Where to go:  The majority of waters throughout the U.S. will have crappie.  These fish are prolific in small ponds, rivers, and lakes.  I do not make a distinction and target both white and black crappie.

When to go:  For me the best time to fish for crappie is during the spawn, which is when the waters warm up in the Spring.  I've heard of people fishing for them year round, but I will pick my days.  If it is Winter, I will watch the weather and look for those few days when we have a warm front come through.  It seems to me that the fish are hungry and feeding during those short burst of warm weather.  Winter time has not been that productive for me.  I don't do the slow trolling or spider rigging.  When the water warms up into the mid-50's, you'll find me on the water targeting fish from 6'-1' deep.  Summer time is also a great time to target these fish in shallow waters.

What to use:  Use the lightest tackle possible.  5 lb. weight fly rod, cane pole, light action rod & reel with 4-6 lb. test.  My favorite tool to catch crappie is the 1/64 oz. jig hook with a wide variety of tube jigs, and an absolute must for me (my secret) Berkley Powerbait Crappie Nibbles.  It's always been said that big bait catch big fish.  This is true for crappie as well.  I've had success using large minnows fished under a cork, and this is one of my regular techniques.

The gear:  My go to rod and reel is going to be a light action rod, and small reel spooled with 4-6 lb. test.  I use a 7' rod because it allows me to cast farther with these little lures.  Crappie are small fish, and you want a sporting fight.  A crappie bite is very light and you will want a line that's as sensitive as possible to set the hook.  A light line also matches the sink rate of the 1/64 oz. jig.  Presentation is very important.

You can use a slip bobber to adjust the depth of the minnow.  I prefer a fixed bobber with a double hook crappie rig.  These can be bought at any bait and tackle and resemble a salt water surf fishing rig, but just a whole lot smaller.  You will be able to put two minnows at a time on a line with the rigs.

The technique:  One of the best ways to find out where the fish are out is to go out when the water is low and draw a map of the locations you see will hold fish.  This means noting down logs, tree stumps, and any other habitat that will hold the fish.  Don't forget ledges to main channels. 

When the waters are high, and the temperature is right...it's time to fish.  For me, I love to fish in the evening.  This is how I relax after work.  I will typically fish from 5:30 p.m. till it gets dark.  I've noticed that the bite turns on just 10 minutes before it gets dark.  I use the trolling motor, move, fan cast, in 5-6' of water.  Once I catch a crappie, I anchor up and start fishing the area.  I will use three poles, two live bait poles, and one jigging pole.

You will have to switch up as many colors as you can and figure out what the fish like.  Red/White, Red/Chartreuse/Black, Yellow/Green, are some of the colors that work in my area.  Always use the crappie nibbles on the end of the hook.  The scent attracts the fish, and it can mean the difference between going home with a mess of fish, or just a couple.

Have your live bait poles in the water.  Then slowly jig.  I will cast and then count one-thousand five times.  Once my line stops moving, I know the lure is on the bottom.  I gently raise my rod, a couple of turns on the reel, and let the lure gently drift back down again.  Repeat this until the lure is back to the boat....repeat.  If you see the line stop before hitting the bottom, a crappie has sucked it in.  They tend to strike while the lure is falling.  Set the hook gently, and be ready for a neat little fight.  The fish will run 3 or 4 times.  Maintain steady pressure, but not too much.  Always use the net on larger fish because we're only fishing with 4-6 lb. test.

Crappie are always looking up...remember that!  They will move from deep water to shallow in the evening.  These fish sense the slightest movement.  They use the sense of smell, and they bite gently....so set the hook gently.  They put up a great fight.

There has been many times that I will have two fish on at a time, or two poles with fish on them.  This is Combat fishing.  Be careful and work the fish because sometimes you will get a big catfish or bass that hit the minnow as well.

How to clean:  I use a very sharp and flexible fillet knife.  I wear gloves because the fish will be very slimy.  I start at the head, put the knife to the top of the rib cage and follow it all the way back, cutting on one side of the dorsal fin.  When I get past the ribs, I push the knife through to the bottom anal fin and work back to the tail in a sawing motion.  Flip the fillet back, keeping the skin to the tail.  Now run the knife between the fillet and the skin.  You should have a nice white boneless fillet.  Do the same on the other side.  There are some good videos on Youtube.com on how to do this.

Eat'n the darn thang:  I soak my crappie fillet in milk for 2 hours to a day.  Then I dredge the fillet through House Autrey Seafood Breader and pan fry in olive oil for 3-4 minutes per side on medium to medium high heat.  You will have a nice white flaky fish with a nice crunchy crust....it is absolutely heaven in every bite.  Chew slowly and enjoy your food.

I hope this writing will help those that love to crappie fish.