I grew up in the Midwest fishing for largemouth bass, catfish, and crappie.  I remember many outings to the lake to fish for crappie with family and friends that yielded more than our boat’s live well could hold.  I also remember a few trips that yielded absolutely no crappie.  There definitely is an art to catching this over-sized panfish, so lets look at some crappie fishing techniques and tips for bringing home your limit.

Characteristics Of Crappie

Crappie are a panfish that resemble a blue-gill, but can become very large.  There are two species of crappie, white and black.  Both are widely spread throughout the US, and are a freshwater species.  What makes these fish stand apart from others is the fact that they are active during the winter months.  Ice fisherman can target these fish when others remain dormant during the freeze over.

Adult crappie predominantly feed on smaller fish and minnows, and even feed on the young of their common predators (northern pike, muskie, largemouth bass, and walleye).  The fact that the adults, or bigger crappie, feed on minnows should clue you in to a tip for catching these over-sized panfish.  Small minnow lures, jigs, or baits are some of the best things to cast when fishing for crappie.  They will also feed on insects, so cricket and grasshoppers also make terrific baits when floated under a bobber.

There are certain times during the day when crappie are the most active.  They feed the most actively around dawn or dusk, moving either towards shore or out into open water.  During the day they are less active, and tend to congregate around submerged objects (logs, rocks, and other forms of shelter) and weed beds.

Spring Crappie Fishing Techniques

Spring crappie fishing techniques will revolve around the thaw, runoff, and the crappie spawning season.  Crappie spawn in the spring, which means they will be feeding less and protecting their nests more.  Jigs and flashy, noisy lures work great during this time because they will be protecting their nests, and any lure that poses a threat could incite a reactionary strike.

Summer Crappie Fishing Techniques

During the summer months, crappie get back to their heavy diets of fish and insects, often feeding on small crappie.  Summer crappie fishing is a great day to spend an afternoon on the lake, as you can catch your limit in as little as an hour if you find a feeding school.

Fall Crappie Fishing Techniques

Fall crappie fishing techniques are a little different than the other seasons.  They can sense the coming winter, which means less food available.  They will be very active in hunting terrestrials and other surface insects.

Winter Crappie Fishing Techniques

As mentioned above, crappie are active during the winter.  Winter crappie fishing techniques that will yield a full stringer depend on your ability to locate feeding schools of crappie.  Because they are active, they will be on the move under the ice.  If you can locate a school, you will have the best success.

Crappie fishing is a fun, often exciting fishing experience.  When you get into a school of feeding crappie, sometimes it seems like they would take an un-baited hook.  If you would like more tips or an instructional video for fishing crappie, look for some crappie fishing techniques videos.  Otherwise, get out there and fill your live well with crappie.

Happy fishing!

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