Excited to learn Crappie - Why does this feel harder than Bass fishing?

[funsunfish]

I’ve been really enjoying crappie fishing with my kids and experimenting with different setups like slip bobbers, double jigs, and crappie rigs. I’m trying to figure out if there’s a rhyme or reason to choosing rods and techniques or if it’s just personal preference. I’d also love advice on managing setups, especially for deeper fish (15-25 ft) when using bobbers seems tricky. What are your preferred methods for crappie fishing, and do you have tips for keeping it kid-friendly while still being effective year-round?

[General Bassin']

Slip cork for kids. Depending on their age, I would get them a 5.5 or 6' pole with a trigger spincast reel or a small spincast. I use rubber bobber stops, a bead, a slip-cork, and a small split shot weight. That is if you are using minnows. If you are using plastics, then use a 1/16 or 1/32 oz. jighead. I like Bobby Garland Baby Shads. Fish the bait above the fish, crappie feed up. The deeper you fish, the heavier of a slit-shot weight I use. Not to heavy.

[funsunfish]

Slip cork for kids. Depending on their age, I would get them a 5.5 or 6' pole with a trigger spincast reel or a small spincast. I use rubber bobber stops, a bead, a slip-cork, and a small split shot weight. That is if you are using minnows. If you are using plastics, then use a 1/16 or 1/32 oz. jighead. I like Bobby Garland Baby Shads. Fish the bait above the fish, crappie feed up. The deeper you fish, the heavier of a slit-shot weight I use. Not to heavy.

[A Wood]

So I'm not sure how things work down south on crappie but in NH I absolutely crush them on a 2 inch paddle tail swimbait with an 1/8 oz head when the fish suspend out in that depth. Slow role it in that depth or drop it into a school and just wait for the bite. If you have big crappie a 2.75 keitech is my absolute go to. Was catching the crap out of them last weekend 18 ft down and 39 degree water.

[Les Young]

It’s definitely not easy to learn how to catch crappie if you’ve never fished for them. I’ve gotten into livescoping them & there was definite learning curve. I struggled to start with but catch them regularly now.

[mpdlou]

Just got into Crappie fishing myself after 40 years of strictly bass fishing. For me there was a learning curve. Depending on conditions I usually use a double jig set up to start, experimenting with 2 different colors until I have some success, then change to a single1/32 or 1/16 jig head with a small split shot weight. I use UL rods, 6-7ft with either 4 or 6lb p-line. I do have a couple of 8 and 9 ft rods for vertical jigging. FFS definitely helps lessen the curve. You can see if you are getting any type of reaction with what you are using once you locate the Crappie. It’s frustrating to see them follow the bait for 10-15 feet then turn away. I have not used the slip bobber technique yet, but do have the stuff to start this spring. Haven’t used live bait yet either. Hard to come by down on the lower end without driving 15 miles out of the way to get the minnows.

I have had success with what I’ve learned so far. Last week my buddy and I probably caught 25-30, with 8 keepers.

[Okie2]

With kids…use minnows & let the bait do all the work. The guides will tell you that when the crappie bite gets tough with plastics that minnows take up the slack. Assuming you don’t Livescope…all guides use now for a reason.

[SPOONMINNOW]

First off, there is no such thing as targeting crappie or learning how to fish for them alone. Fish are fish and bite the right lures presented the right way in the right spots. Here's a post I made that gives examples of different fish species caught on similar lures:
https://www.bbcboards.net/showthread...915&p=12474663

When it comes to kids, if they can cast a lure, basic is better, meaning, a short rod and spincast reel such as a Zebco 202 for $9 om Amazon. It casts light lures 40+feet and has a decent gear ratio and drag. Hey, were not talk'n saltwater fish.

When it comes to lures for panfish or any fish for that matter,
1. GO LIGHT OR GO HOME! The whole point of using light lures are many, one of which: they can't be retrieved fast to work. Smaller lures stay longer in the strike zone: a high-potential area close to a fish that has the best chance of provoking fish to strike.
(note: fish don't eat lures like we eat hot dogs; they bite them to stop the dang things that annoy their super-sensitive senses - IMO!)

2. Location, location, location. You gotta find fish to catch 'em! The more areas you search with - your - lures, the better the chances of finding fish to provoke. Sonar is nice, but sonar gives you general information where some fish are - not which ones will strike your lures.

3. Panfish and larger specie fish are no different when it comes to hitting smaller lures. Large lures not so much. I good set up for a child is: a 1/16 or 1/32 oz ball head jig and a curl tail grub with tail cut off. They cast it out and use slight turns of the reel handle with pauses. The rod tip can be used to twitch or pull the lure forward, but reel handle turns make the lure dart & glide slightly - just enough to really p.o. fish! After catching your first fish, you will have one of a thousand valuable techniques and lures to catch anything that swims.

(A bit of history for the above: a few years ago I was fishing a curl tail grub and got bit by a pickerel that bit off the tail. Being too lazy to switch lures, I cast out the lure's body and BANG! a small bass attacked it! That day I caught over a dozen on that 1" grub body minus the action tail.)