Raise your hand if you love Crappie fishing! For anglers living in Crappie-rich states like the upper Midwest, you might already know how great these small Panfish taste. Their filets are miniature but firm and delicious, especially when breaded and fried in oil. Of course, everyone has a favorite recipe and they’re also great baked, smoked, and more.
While Crappie are highly valued as table fare, the simple act of finding and catching them is also fun. It’s a game that calls for lightweight equipment, accurate presentations, and the ability to understand basic behaviors. And today we’re here to cover a bit of that. Read on to learn about the best Crappie lures, along with some of the best techniques to catch your limits of this tasty fish!
Why use lures to catch Crappie?
Crappie aren’t everyone’s primary target species but if you’re fishing with a lightweight rod, there’s a good chance you’ll target them incidentally. You might be chasing Bass or Pike when the fish finder locates a big school of suspended Crappie. In this case, you probably won’t have Crappie bait available but, by storing lures, you’ll be ready to fish!
Crappie are opportunistic feeders and they prey on insects, worms, minnows, and other fish. Anglers can use live and dead baits with great success, but lures also perform very well without the hassle of procuring and storing baits. Of course, they can also work in conjunction with baits.
Many lures are designed to imitate natural food sources. Some also focus on triggering a reaction or predatory strike response. Regardless, there are many excellent lures available to help you catch more Crappie.
Top Crappie Fishing Lures
The following lure categories will cover the vast majority of Crappie fishing situations. When targeting these fish, it’s important to understand they have small mouths. While you can, occasionally, catch Crappie on oversized lures, you generally want to keep things small.
Jigs
The simplicity and control of a well-placed jig makes them my personal favorite for catching Crappie. You can opt for fly-style jigs with marabou tails and chenille bodies, or jigs with injected molded soft plastics (I’ll cover more on plastic soft baits below).
The best thing about a jig is the ability to get right over the fish. Crappie travel in schools and they typically strike from below. Using a fish finder, you can determine the right depth to place your jig just over the school of fish. It’s a great way to catch your limit from a single location!
Jerkbaits
Both weighted and unweighted jerkbaits will catch Crappie – and some bigger specimens as well. It’s a more aggressive way of fishing and the lure action is especially valuable during a Crappie’s spawning cycle. The fish respond strongly to invaders while spawning and will absolutely demolish a jerkbait in their territory.
Size is an important factor here. Look for smaller lures in the 1/16-ounce range. They should be less than 2 inches long and fished with twitches and intermittent pausing. Be ready to set the hook when an extra large Crappie strikes.
Crankbaits
Like Jerkbaits, you’ll want to go small as you fish crankbaits with erratic movements and pauses. However, these are also great for trolling. If you find a productive spot or a suspended school of fish, troll through them and run laps until the school is properly worked over.
On the other hand, when the fish are more difficult to locate, consider trolling crankbaits across a larger area. It’s a searching technique that can help pinpoint where the fish are holding. Adjust your depths and experiment with lure colors until you find the best fit.
Softbaits
Soft plastic baits are strikingly similar in appearance and action to real minnows, crayfish, worms and other food sources. They’re also versatile and work with a variety of rigging methods. Adding a soft plastic to a jig hook is my favorite but you can use Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, or just a straight rig to a bait hook while suspending beneath a bobber. You can fish any type of water thoroughly with a very attractive soft Crappie lure. They’re easy to store and many have added scents for extra success.
Crappie Behavior by Season
Crappie are available throughout the year but the spawning season is a favorite time to target them for anglers. Their spawning behavior brings schools into shallow waters where they’re more accessible. Late spring and early summer are spawning seasons in most areas and you’ll be safe to pursue fish in the shallows starting in May.
That doesn’t mean it’s the only time you can catch Crappie, though. Not at all. Look for structure throughout the year to find fish. They love schooling around rock outcroppings, logs, and weedbeds. In the heat of summer, go deeper to seek out cooler water. As fall cools down, the fish will feed in shallower waters.
Winter Crappie move slowly but they will eat. Ice fishing can actually turn up some large fish! Spend the time finding schools and stay on top of them with jigs and slow-moving presentations. Your choice of Crappie lures becomes more important this time of year!
Crappie Fishing Lures FAQs
Are you ready to catch more Crappie?
Lures are a great way to catch Crappie in any lake or pond environment where they are prolific. Finding the school of fish is always the first priority. Once you’ve located them, you can experiment with different lures and presentations to find the best one for that day. Remember, the conditions can always change, so it pays to have a few lure options ready!
Are you a Crappie fanatic? We want to hear about your favorite lures and techniques. Chime in below!
