How to Troll for Crappie

Trolling for crappie is one of the very best and easiest ways to catch these tasty fish all year long. A few simple steps can be easily modified for any lake where crappie live.

Steps

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You can do this by looking at your depth finder as you zig-zag slowly along. Crappie hang out in schools and will appear as Christmas Tree shapes or lots of streaks.
They are cheap and easy to rig up, and the tails make good swimming movements in the water. Start by tying two 1/16-ounce jigs to your line, about eighteen inches apart.
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Most people like to use a different color grub on each jig, and experiment until they discover what the crappie like best that day. Good colors to start with include chartreuse, green, black/green/blue, and yellow.
If the tip starts to twitch hard or the rod bends, pick up the rod and start reeling.
Don't horse the fish and use a net if it's a big one.
Crappie feed up, so it's better to be too shallow than too deep.
They attach directly to the line and can be used with any style rod. The are basically "directional bobbers" which can be used with any rod type. They are especially good when you need to cover a lot of water and when fish are spooky and shy away from the boat.

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How do I fish for crappies with jigs?
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Use ultra light gear (4 pound test and light rod) with a small jig head. The best plastic lure to use is a small crappie jigs. Good colors include red body with a chartreuse tail, brown black speckled body with a chartreuse tail, and red body with a white tail. Avoid bright, unnatural colors such as pink as they are very seldom effective. If the fish are on the bottom, let the jig sink to the bottom and bump it off the bottom at various speeds. If fish are more concentrated in mid-water or near the surface, let the jig sink to the desired depth and reel it in at a medium-slow place like you would with any other lure.
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Experiment by letting out more line or taking some in, or change colors to see what works best.
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Small crankbaits are good for crappie trolling, too.
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When you catch a fish or two, go back over that spot to see if you can get some more. Crappie usually school.
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