Crappie may be one of the most abundant fishes in the United States, residing in the greatest number of lakes and rivers, but this doesn’t mean they are the easiest to catch. In fact, crappie can be quite elusive. That’s why it’s important to try different crappie fishing tactics to reel in the most fish in the most effective manner. Here are some tips to get you started so that you can make the most of your next fishing trip.

Crappie fishing tactics vary depending on the time of year, the depth of the crappie, and the area of the lake in which you’ll find your best catch. One of the crappie fishing tactics that works best when crappie are deep enough (at least 8-15 feet) is vertical fishing. At this range, they are more tolerant of a boat directly overhead, and you can drop jigs and slip-bobber rigs down the side of the boat. One of the most efficient vertical methods is to use a bottom-bumping rig.

Another one of many proven crappie fishing tactics is casting into shallows, much like bass fishing. Crappie prefer to remain in cover, so you’ll want to swim tiny jigs, spinners, and crank baits in shallow cover along the shores or in submerged cover, if you have a good deal of accuracy and can avoid snagging the line. You should cast beyond the point where you feel the crappie will be best caught and let your lure sink to the level you want, then begin a slow swim through the cover area. Keep in mind that a 1/16 ounce jig will sink at approximately one foot per second, so you want to count down to the level just above any stakes sticking up from the bottom (the cover), where the crappie are baited but your line doesn’t get stuck in the cover.

Trolling can be one of the most effective crappie fishing tactics as well. Trolling slowly with an electric motor or drifting can be a great way to find elusive crappie in open water. Try spider fishing using several rods over all sides of the boat so that you are more liking to get a bite. Some anglers using this method will set out over a dozen rods, trolling at different depths, in their attempt to find a school of crappie. Also, keep in mind that using fiberglass rods instead of graphite will make your life easier in this pursuit the fiberglass rods are more limber and will respond with a deeper, slower bend when crappie is caught in a jig.

Daniel Eggertsen
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/crappie-fishing-tactics-99834.html

couple rednex noodlin

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any websites with tips and or recipes for tying flies?

Size 10 black or peacock woolly bugger with a shorter than standard or sparse tail is the ticket.

This is one of the first flies tiers learn and is one of the best over all. I like to use blended dubbing in place of chenille for the body material.

Another fly to use is the Clouser Minnow. I can catch anything that swims with these two flies.

I plan on taking my family to Florida in May and I love to fish! Problem is, I fish Michigan fresh water species and know nothing about fishing saltwater. When you answer please remember that I am very familiar with fishing concepts, so you shouldn’t have to "dumb" things down too much. Thanks!

*looks around* Anyone? Anyone? Good, here we go, I’ll try to give you some good areas and advice, might be a few others who can add to it tips and technique-wise, but I bet I know spots that they don’t… neener-neener!!

~TRANSLATION: LONG RAMBLY ANSWER THAT MIGHT NOT GO ANYWHERE AHEAD! BEWARE OF ANSWERERS WITH A.D.D.!!~

First thing to ask really is how far you’re willing to travel from what spot, but I’m going to @ss-u-me that you’ll be centrally located M.I. and willing to travel a little bit at least, but I’ll focus it on M.I., Port Canaveral area and you should be good.

When you go over to M.I. from the mainland, you’ll be going over one of three bridges over the Indian River, S.R. 405, which goes through the south end of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and out to the space center (can’t fish from the shore around that one, so that’s the only mention it will get) S.R. 520, or S.R. 528 (both of which do have access points to fish from, so feel free… I haven’t fished these much, but my cousin swears by a little hole in the park on the west side of the I.R. if you’re on 520. You’ll see lots of places where people pull off the side of the road on the causeways, and the way I see it is people wouldn’t keep fishing a spot if they never caught anything, so there’s no harm trying anywhere you see a spot like this (If you’ve got Google Earth you can see what I mean by zooming in on the causeways, you can see where there’s dirt trails where people pull off to fish.)

Keep google earth open while you’re there if you’ve got it, otherwise I’ll give directions, here we go:
528 (the Beachline or the BeeLine if you’re old-school like me, I refuse to give in to the new name) Eastbound: Take the S.R. 3 exit (courtenay pkwy), go North to Sea Ray Drive, continue east on Sea Ray, there’s a pull-off just before the bridge over Sykes Creek. This is one of those places where I never really have had time to stop or don’t have my gear on me, so I haven’t fished it, but again, if people are constantly fishing somewhere….

If you continue on Sea Ray eastbound, it ends at N. Banana River Drive… if you go north (left) there’s a little spot there… it’s iffy, I know people who have made some good catches at this spot, but the people who are typically there…… I can take ‘em or leave ‘em.

That’s 528 you’ve been parallelling, hop back on and continue east note pulloffs and random people fishing from the side of the road as you prepare to go over the Banana River.

That’s Port Canaveral up there ahead of you on the left, if you want I’m sure you can find a charter captain for some offshore fishing. Take the second exit into the port, do the loopty loop under 528 and make the first left, if you do it right, you’ll be on Dave Nisbet Dr., the first left is Mullet Dr., take it, follow it around, might want to stop at Fisherman’s World, they’re right there, can’t miss it, keep going and you’ll hit Port’s End Park… Flounder, mangrove snapper, reds, seatrout, oh lordy, I can’t name it all, ask the guys at F.W. what’s biting where and they’ll tell you… for fun, keep going on Mullet until you get to the Locks… you can’t fish the locks, but you sure can drool at all the snook and reds and mmmmmmm…. I can’t spend a lot of time at the locks, it makes me want to sneak out a handline…

Ready for lunch? There’s a great place right around the corner, go back out to Dave Nisbet and make a left, it’ll turn into Glenn Cheek Drive before it hits water… Grills is down there… *drools* Anyway

Continue on Glen Cheek and you’ll come to Jetty Park… not sure how much it costs to use the park nowdays, it’s been a while since I’ve been out there, but the fishing’s pretty good.

Think you can find your way back out to 528? Good. Keep going east, it’ll turn into A1A Southbound. All my life within half an hour of the place, and I’ve never fished Cocoa Beach… or the pier… I don’t care for that beach, too many people, too much development, let’s get to real Florida.

Going southbound on A1A, you’ll come to S.R. 520, go west.

Quick stop along the way: on the left on 520 just after you come off A1A is The Dinosaur Store, they just bought and remodeled a new building and I haven’t been in yet, but they used to be just a little storefront across the road and I could spend hours in there…

After you go over the Banana River, you’ll come to N. Banana River Drive. make a right. *points at various little water bodies ("I got a gator there, and there and there….")*

You’ll come to Sykes Creek Pkwy, the only way you can go is left, so make a left (mind you, you can go straight and miss your turn if you want, but I wouldn’t if I were you…) There’ll be a dirt road that comes out to Sykes Creek Pkwy, this is the entrance to Ulamay Wildlife Refuge, there’s supposed to be some niiiice mangrove snapper at the dock here…

Back on S.C.P., you’ll notice more pulloffs if you’re paying attention.

Ke

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! *kicks herself* *kicks Yahoo!Answers* *cries*

There was soooo much more I was wanting to say…. and it just cut me off!! Ok… back button and copy/paste…

Keep going, you’ll run back in to 520.

You want more real Florida? Good, you want cheaper lunch than what you would have had a Grills? Keep going west on 520, back to the mainland, ok, keep going you’re not there yet… once you’re in the middle of nowhere and you’re sure that there can’t be ~anything~ out here, there’s a bridge coming up over the St. John’s River and on the left ~Don’t Miss It, there’s the turn, right there, right there!!~ just before you go over the bridge is Lone Cabbage Fish Camp, eat some gator, eat some frog legs or some catfish or a burger or a hotdog or suprise, suprise, suprise, their tuna is actually quite good (not tuna salad… tuna steak), take an airboat ride if you want while you’re here, the guys know their stuff and they don’t talk too much b.s.

Ok, now go back east to I-95 and go north, we’re gonna go sightfish a bit for some reds.

Exit 220 off of 95 is Garden St, through Titusville, go east Need bait? Captain Hooks will be up just past U.S 1 on the right. I’d point you to the north end of the Titusville marina, but they just redid all the docks and I don’t know how the fishing is in there now, so just keep going east, go over the bridge, you’re now on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge… THE most diverse refuge in the country. Welcome. Take some time to explore and enjoy. All those side roads are available to you as long as they don’t have a "No unauthorized vehicles beyond this point" sign on them, and most of them loop back on themselves and spit you back out close to where you went in. See those silvery fish jumping all over the place? Those are mullet, don’t be alarmed and don’t go running to try to get a lure in front of them, because they won’t take it. You’re looking for what’s chasing them… When reds are feeding in shallow water you can see their tails http://images.google.com/images?sourceid… Have fun. Remember, one per person per day, 18 to 24 inches. (You can always pull over (if there’s a spot) and soak a live shrimp or finger mullet in the same area as feeding redfish, just more of a challenge getting one on an artificial. I personally keep live bait in the water and depending on my mood and activity level cast an artificial around as well.

Ok, so you’re back out on the main road now? Go on East until you reach S.R. 3 (Couldn’t we have come this way to begin with? Well, yes, if you were a NASA employee, which I don’t think you are… are you?)

Make a left on 3 and you’ll eventually come to a little bridge over the Haulover Canal. Be ready to catch some rocks and some mangrove snapper (hopefully) go over the bridge and to the left, follow that crappy road around until you get to that spot right over there next to the bridge so you can haul your gear over and hopefully no one’s already under the bridge. Now… which way is the tide going? Left to right or Right to left? Left to right will be incoming, and I’m sure you’ve got enough logic to figure the rest out, if the water’s not moving here, don’t waste your time (unless you want to wait around hoping to see some manatees or dolphins) I promise, you WILL catch rocks under this bridge, but there’s also a good chance of mangrove snapper, redfish, seatrout, sheepshead, and although I haven’t personally caught a snook right there, I have seen it happen… again, if the water isn’t moving here, it’s a waste of time, go spend the little bit of money to go out to the beach… now THIS is a beach, forget Cocoa…

Go back out to 406 (What Garden street really is but it’s only called that on the other side of the river) and go east, keep going until they make you stop and pay… I think it’s something like $3 per person or something measly like that… This is the longest stretch of undeveloped beach in Florida, I hope you brought snacks and some drinks, at least you don’t have to pay to come back in today. Go ahead and do some surf fishing if you want, whiting, pompano, (should I mention sharks or will that scare you off?) etc., etc. (don’t worry, I’ve never seen a decent sized shark caught off the beach here, and I can’t think of any attacks in a very very long time, it’s just that sometimes someone will catch a small shark and scare away all the scaredy cats.

I think I’ve discovered the maximum character limit for an answer thanks to my A.D.D… If you do any wadefishing

If you’ve done any bass fishing, then you’ll already know that it’s not as simple as just putting a line in the water and waiting for them to bite. One of the best things about bass fishing is that it requires skill and patience to be successful. So it’s important to put as many factors in your favor as possible, so that you have the best chance of catching a bass. Let’s take a look at a few tips for successful bass fishing.

The weather matters! In the cooler weather, such as early spring and fall, bass are much more responsive to top water lures. They’re also more likely to be found in shallow water, such as along the shoreline where there are overhanging trees. When it gets hotter, though, bass retreat to deeper, cooler holes, and you need a change of strategy. Basically you need to dredge the bottom, and use something like a plastic worm to get the bass to respond.

Time of day is also important, with dawn and dusk the best times to catch the biggest bass. Look for ambush spots where bass might be lurking in wait for baitfish. They like to pounce on their prey, and these bait fish are most active early morning or evening. This method works best when the water is warmer, above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, because a lot of baitfish aren’t active in cooler temperatures.

The quality of the water you’re fishing in makes a difference to your bass fishing tactics too. In muddy water, for example, bass use their sonar to locate food. So choose lures that vibrate well and perhaps make some noise. In clear water, though, bass are very cautious and wary of anything unusual. So you need light lines, and lures that closely resemble local food sources. Spinners can work, but you may find a black spinner blade will reduce the flash and be more successful.

In normal water quality, with some algae and plankton to filter out sunlight, most types of lures can be used. It’s often a good idea to set up three outfits, using a different lure for each one, to see which one is working the best. For example, you could use a deep diver on one, a surface lure on the next, and a plastic worm on the third.

A large survey of bass fishing enthusiasts found that the plastic worm was considered the most effective lure by a big margin, so when in doubt, try a plastic worm and see what happens. It’s also good to talk to local fishermen if you’re not familiar with the area, and ask them what they recommend. Most bass fishing enthusiasts are happy to find another enthusiast to swap stories with.

Stephen Dolan
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/how-do-i-catch-bass-88378.html

Heading up to the Little Red River this weekend but I have never been trout fishing. Most of the tips I have seen online are for fly fishing but I wont be doing that. Does anyone have any good advice on some good bait and lures and maybe even locations?

use orange dough bait thats what use when i go trout fishing they come in small jars u can get them @ walmart or bait store 4$- $5 or use a white rubber worm ive caught a few on those they also make that orange dough bait in pre balled up they also come in the same jars oh yeah i forgot your supposed to use treble hooks they are gold they have three points on them good luck hope u catch a whopper have fun

I am planning a camping trip for my kids this spring, and where we are going is a prime trout fishing area, and know absolutely nothing about trout fishing. I would like to get some know how before hand, because my kids get bored easily if they don’t catch something.

We will be fishing on the White River near Bull Shoals lake in North Arkansas. The website for the state park has a brocure, but it keeps saying its damaged, and when i ask the park for an alternate form, they tell me its my version of pdf. , even thought i have updated it.

Any tips/info on how to catch trout with rod/reel would be greatly appreciated, because i am going into this blindly.

I have fished all my life, but this is the first time for trout.

My best suggestion would to use Berkley power bait, power eggs & make some garlic cheese. ( I’ve had my best luck using yellow, orange & salmon peach power bait. Bubble gum, white, green & sunrise power eggs.)To make the garlic cheese use kraft velveeta & 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt for every 1/4 pound of cheese. ( Do not substitue garlic powder for garlic salt.) Heat cheese to mix in salt, after mixing together use wax paper to keep in freezer until ready to use. I’ve always had my best results using a #8 single or # 10 treble hook ( make sure you check that trebles are legal where you’re fishing). When using the berkley power bait set your sinkers ( small split shot) about 18 inches from the hook, this will keep the bait out of the weeds or other debris on the bottom of the pond. ( Both the power bait & power eggs float). When using the cheese bait try to fish the bottom or use a float. You will have to experiment with depths for all baits listed, trout will never stay at the same depths everyday. As for the rod & reel I’d suggest ultra-light With 4lb. test that is clear, the color of the line can spook the fish. Also use some slip sinkers behind the split shot if you need extra weight on the line. If you are fishing from a boat I’d try some small 1/4 ounce rooster tails, white, black, yellow & green work well most of the time, I’d also use some silver or gold small super dupers, each of these can be fished by cast & retreive or pulled along while trolling. These lures can be used from the bank as well to keep the kids occupied while fishing is slow but also may get the trout stirred up enough to start biting. The best times of the day for me have always been at dawn & 2hrs. from dusk until sunset. I hope this helps & that you have a good fishing trip.

We often help our guide customers with their fly casting, but we need to do it quickly as we can so we can help them get on with the business of catching fish. Most of the tips we offer everyday are simple and don’t require any practice, just a little bit of thought. These tips will improve most fly fishers’ cast very quickly.

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Lucky Craft Pro Gerald Swindle talks about wintertime fishing on the Alabama’s Coosa River. This is part 1 of 2 from Lucky Craft’s Classic Pattern archives.

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Go catfishing with Jeff Williams and the fellas from Team Catfish Tackle as they tackle lots of huge hard pulling wintertime bluecats on Lake Tawakoni in Texas.

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