Do you crappie feed up or down?

Crappie tend to feed upward, so present your baits just above them in the water column, and use that slow fall rate to keep the bait fluttering back into their strike zone. Look for access to deep water to find fall crappie from shore.

Do crappies feed on the bottom?

“With that, you're able to not only fish shallow, but also cast out to some of the deeper water,” he said. He works his jigs along the bottom, especially in places with long “flats.” That's a bit outside conventional thinking. Many anglers believe crappies only feed by looking up.

How do you feed crappie?

Crappie Food

When they become large enough to eat fish, crappie will eat young bluegill as well. Stocking fathead minnows into a new pond may give crappie a single-season boost in growth, but fatheads usually disappear after a year or two of predation by bass or crappie. Don't stock other prey fish, like gizzard shad.

How far off the bottom should you fish for crappie?

Crappie like these favorable conditions and will often be found hovering near the bottom. You'll want to present your lure or bait within one to ten feet of the bottom to get the most action. In shallow, dishpan lakes (<25 ft) you'll want to aim closer to one foot.

What time of day are crappie most active?

In the case of crappie, the best time to catch them is during their feeding time, which is most frequently between the hours of midnight and 2 am. Additionally, during dawn and dusk can be good times to catch them, with many of them also feeding during these twilight hours.

Crappie Fishing Secret (DON’T SHARE!) Are You Missing EASY Fish?

How deep is too deep for crappie?

The depth that they spawn will depend on the water clarity. If there is stained or muddy water, the crappie will likely spawn in shallow water areas of 1 to 2 feet. In clear water, the crappie may be in deeper water areas of 20 feet or more.

How many crappie should I put in my pond?

Crappie are sight feeders and will not do well in muddy water. Stock 15 adult black crappie per acre in either an established pond with balanced numbers of bass and bluegill or in one that is bass-crowded. Catch and remove all bass longer than 15 inches. Never harvest smaller bass.

How do you feed pond crappie?

Once grown, crappie prefers a diet that consists of smaller fish, including young bluegill. Their preferred fish is minnows, making them some of the best food to feed crappie in a pond.

What is crappie favorite food?

Mature crappie prey on shad and minnows of all kinds, but insects, crustaceans like crawfish, and small amphibians like frogs are definitely on the menu. You may have heard that crappie “feed up,” and while that's largely true, they're not going to pass up an easy meal on the bottom if they can find one.

How do you catch big crappie instead of the little ones?

What is the best month to catch crappie?

The best time of year to catch crappie is during the spawning season which takes place from February-May. During the spawn, both male and female crappie move from deep locations into shallow and concentrated spawning areas. This makes them very easy to target, as they are actively feeding and defending their nests.

What colors do crappie see best?

In stained water (coffee color or with tannic acid) with bright-light conditions, my four predominate crappie catching colors are: green, chartreuse, lime and orange. Lures that contrast two of these colors, or matching them with brown or white are great. Orange-white is good at times, but all-white is not so good.

Do crappie like shallow or deep water?

Crappie like to spawn in areas of shallow water, usually around 2-to-4 feet deep, with cover such as brush, flooded timber or weeds, and with easy access to deeper water. In areas with murky water and thick cover, I have sometimes found them nearly on the bank.

Where do crappie go in shallow lakes?

Crappie can amaze you, in shallow lakes they will stay in the same exact spot year round until the water drops. I have caught crappie around docks and latters and pads that they spawned on earlier and I will catch them on a 100 degree july day (but there are less amounts shallow then deep.)

Where do crappie hide in ponds?

Crappie in ponds tend to hunker down in deeper water with cover. What is this? If you can locate suitable water within easy casting range of the bank, you will find fish here. These drop-off locations will attract baitfish like minnows and shiners because of the cooler water with shade.

Will black crappie take over a pond?

Black crappie are used exclusively for stocking in smaller lakes or ponds, above two acres, as they are less prolific than the white crappie, but still have great reproductive potential. That being said they too need to be harvested somewhat heavily to keep from overpopulating.

How old is a 10 inch crappie?

You can expect a size range of around 9 to 10 inches at the end of the third year.

How old is a 12 inch crappie?

Now I tend to keep them between 10'' and 12". In PA, a 12 inch crappie is usually about 8 years old but a 14+" fish is nearly 20 years old. A 10-12 inch fish makes a good fillet but it takes far less time to replace that fish.

How do you tell if your pond is overstocked?

An overstocked pond leads to smaller, undernourished bass. Latona maintains that if your pond is producing a lot of 10-14 inch “skinny bass” with bucket mouths your pond is most likely “bass/predator crowded” and is out-of-balance.