| Crappies are one of the best tasting fish I have ever | | | | nests and often see the crappie in and near them. |
| eaten, I like them better then trout. The meat is pure | | | | Once you spot one of the nests, casting your bait near |
| white and is firm and full of good mellow flavour. | | | | it will usually produce a quick strike.In the summer or |
| Crappies are a panfish, similar to bluegill and sunfish. | | | | warmer months, they often hang around stumps, trees, |
| When I was a young man, a lot of local fishermen | | | | and other debris areas and underwater structures for |
| called crappie, ' calico bass '. Luckily for us fishermen | | | | shading and protection. Casting near these areas in the |
| they are considered a panfish and are not restricted in | | | | summer and warmer months will often be very |
| most areas, like other bass are when it comes to | | | | productive for catching a mess of crappie. In the fall |
| fishing laws. Here in Pennsylvania we are allowed to | | | | time of the year, they move towards the shores and |
| catch 50 crappies a day with no size | | | | become more aggressive again in their feeding and |
| limitations.Crappies are 'little hellions,' they are full of | | | | biting. This aggressive feeding and biting continues |
| energy and despite their small size they can make a | | | | throughout the cold winter months, which makes |
| normal fishing rod bend to the breaking point and | | | | crappie a great fish to catch while ice fishing in the |
| cause a reels drag to become active, the energy and | | | | winter.The best time to catch crappies is during the |
| taste are two reasons why crappies are such a great | | | | daylight hours, with early morning after sunrise and in |
| fish to catch.Crappies come in two types or varieties, | | | | the late afternoon towards early evening hours being |
| there are black crappies and white crappies. Crappies | | | | the best times. Crappies love minnows with a passion, |
| live throughout the U.S in many ponds, lakes and | | | | and when it comes to live baits there is no better |
| streams, I guess if other panfish or even bass can | | | | choice than a small minnow. If you don't have or |
| thrive in the water, then crappie can also. Crappie look | | | | cannot get live minnows, then use jigs or any such lure |
| similar in size and shape to other panfish, except they | | | | that looks as realistic as possible to a live minnow. But |
| are a lot more silver colored, with black spots, and they | | | | when you use an artificial minnow make sure you |
| have upturned noses. They are actually a very nice | | | | keep the lure pretty active, so it simulates a live |
| looking fish, and the silver or shiny color shimmers in | | | | minnow as much as possible, if the fake minnow just |
| the sunlight.Crappies can be caught year around. In the | | | | sits still, crappie have been known to look and then just |
| spring and fall months they move near the shore | | | | pass by, they seem to prefer live minnows and bait |
| areas, and in the summer they move out in more | | | | instead of dead ones. Crappies have a abnormally |
| deeper and cooler water. They are probably the most | | | | soft mouth, so be aware that if you jerk your rod too |
| active in the early spring months when they move | | | | hard, to set the hook, you can rip it right out of the |
| towards the shores to spawn, they become very | | | | crappies mouth, resulting in losing the fish.There is |
| aggressive and tend to bite and attack anything that is | | | | Computer Software that is made for crappie fishing |
| cast or moves near them or the nest, making it pretty | | | | as well as catching any type of fish. After keeping a |
| easy to get a stringer full of crappies in a short time in | | | | few past records of fishing trips, this software will help |
| the spring season. The nests look like hollowed out | | | | you to easily calculate what days will be a great fishing |
| depressions or dishes in the mud or gravel on the | | | | day! The software is called: 'Fishing Buddy,' you can |
| bottoms of the ponds and lakes. If you walk slowly | | | | download and try the software for free from this |
| around the edges of the water, you can see these | | | | website address: Robert W. |