One of my most favorite places to be...

[greenheadgrimreaper]

Shoot, that boy ain't got no fish on his poles!

I know it's an act of congress to have a fellow pass you some minners when you're both spider rigging.

[MSDawg870]

They're heatin up at Sardis. My dad and another fella got 18 with 6 of em goin over 2lbs. These corp lakes need water some kinda bad.

[Drake2]

Are y'all tying two jigs on each line? If so, how far apart? When tripping with jigs, how deep and what are you looking for on the fish finder? Wind pushing you or trolling motor? Thanks for any tips.

[Drake2]

Trolling*

[greenheadgrimreaper]

2 jigs and or minnows. I go 18 inches apart. Keep it consistent on all lines. Just a general knowledge of crappie and thier habits at certain times of the year is where you start. That's the beauty of trolling, you can find out what there doing and how deep they're doin it. Trolling motor is pushing me, but I have been known to use the wind. Whatever it takes.

This one time i was fishing not really catching anything so I was turning around to readjust to make another run down this creek channel. When I was going in reverse I caught a fish. So I said well...lets try that.

I commenced to catching 25 winter slabs going in reverse. If I wasn't in reverse I wasn't catching them. I looked like an idiot, but oh well...if you ain't holdin' your mouth right you gotta do what you gotta do.

[Drake2]

Thanks. Bass fished all my life and now trying to pick up crappie fishing. Got a 16ft war eagle I got to get setup for crappie. Anyone feel free to pm me with any tricks that they have learned throughout the years to help a newbie.

[greenheadgrimreaper]

1-rod tip
2-barrel swivel
3-hook
3-hook
4-snap swivel
5-egg weight

1--------2-----------3-----------3-----------4/5

18 inches between everything. I loop knot my hooks off the line to get them away from the main line. When I am running minnows I overhand knot the loop knot a couple times to keep the line rigid and the hook sticking out straight from the main line. I also use heavier line tied to the barrel swivel from the reel. This way when I get hung up the line breaks below the barrel and I can tie on a pre-made setup-saves alot of time. Everyone runs something a little different. I like the egg weight on the terminal end because I love to bottom bounce when nothing else works. The key is consistency. If one rod is catching fish while others aren't reel up and make sure you aren't off too much between hooks, weights, etc. I have been on the Tenn-Tom and had to change egg weights and started catching fish.


Just trial and error. I caught gobs of fish on a homemade trolling rig. Just make sure you use the same oz. egg weight on all lines. Pay attention, nothing annoys me more than being in the boat with people who don't pay attention to their lines. Your lines tell you everything- if you're hung up, on the bottom, slanted too much means you're moving to fast. After awhile you learn to watch the depth finder, rod tips, and operate the trolling motor while giving the right presentation. Once you get use to it, if you're paying attention, you'll know when one of those rods just "ain't actin' right". The difference between one fellow catchin fish and the other not, is PAYING ATTENTION.

I usually tie a snap swivel to the terminal end of my line in order to convienently change egg weights. I like to go as light as possible for sensitivity reasons. I can quickly change if the wind picks up or the fish are wanting it fast. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need tons of 10-18 foot rods for trolling. I use regular 10 and 12 foot jigging rods. I like em close to the boat because I'm fishing closer to what my depth finder is reading. When you're trolling fish aren't usually too spooky, partly because they are usually deep or in muddy water. The exception is if the water is clear. If it's that clear pushing baits isn't an effective technique anyway, not usually. Also don't fall into the trap of thinking you need dozens and dozens of jig colors. Chartreuse, black/chart, pink/chart, black, white, yellow are the only jigs you need in MS. Hell half the time bare minnows as small as I can get them work better than anything. It's not rocket science and for the most part, crappie are very catchable fish. Stay home on the clear blue bird days after a front. I went a few days ago just wanting to fish when it was warm and sucked out. First time that's happened in awhile. I should have waited until the next day when it was cloudy and a front was coming in. Same concept with bass. Good luck.

[Drake2]

Thanks a lot reaper! Now when you say hook, do you mean a bare hook you can put plastic jigs on or could you use the hair jigs that are weighted already? What size hooks are recommended in a setup like described above? And what's your most used size in egg weights?

[greenheadgrimreaper]

Any type hook you prefer. I like the Wally Marshal Cam hooks, but Eagle Claw works just as well. I usually tie a very short loop knot with jigs. If they're biting light I will tie right to the line. I usually use 3/8 to 3/4 oz weights. I have some 1 oz weights I use when pushing cranks at higher speeds. If it's calm and they aren't wanting it super fast, I will go with 1/4 oz weights. 3/8 to 1/2 oz. is probably the most used though.

[MSDawg870]

I got some poles rigged up like greenhead with a two hooks then the weight and some like this.

Only difference is I don't use a 3 way swivel and its usually a 2/0 aberdeen crooked hook with a straight minnow.

Caught fish off of both rigs but I like the effect of having your hook easin along the bottom.

[Drake2]

Good stuff. Keep it coming and maybe I will catch a few. How much line are you running off the three way? (To both hooks) also, what's beat way to hook your minnows while trolling? Thanks

[greenheadgrimreaper]

I hook mine through the eyes. They seem to stay alive longer as opposed to crushing through their skull and piercing their brain

Some guys hook em through the lips, the back, the tail, the head. You can see from MsDawg870 that everyone does things a little different. Try some different setups and see what you like best. The main thing is whatever you're confident using. If you don't think your going to catch fish, you usually won't.

[MSDawg870]

I'd guess about 18" to 2ft from the knot where the top leader begins. Hookin minners is a personal preference I go through the bottom jaw through the head or down the other way.

I got to post a pic of some beaded jig contraption my Dad showed me today. A coworker of his told em he ought to try. It looks hokie but you never know, may catch fish. You always gotta be willin to learn.

Glad we got some fishin discussion goin on now.

[Seymore]

I use the premade crappie rigs with the stainless steel spreader arms. Costs a little more than rigging them up with barrel and three way swivels but I'm a novice at this so the spreader arms seem to help keep me from getting tangled. I only fish 3 poles because I'm still new and three is all I can handle now.

[quackheadbp]

I too am new at Crappie fishing, but once you get the hang of it and start catching a few the frustration of watching some old dude in the boat 20 yards from ya slang a cooler full in before you catch one will start to fade.