Here are 10 tips I picked up from Crappie Fishing Class with guide Steve Danna last week at the Union Parish Library. This is the final part of a series on that class (tips 1-5 were featured yesterday):
6. Fishing shallow (during the spawn), I fish the structure hard. If I am fishing a cypress tree, I am going to fish every side and every angle of that tree. If you fish a boat dock, do the same thing. You don’t need to fish the same exact spot over and over, but try different angles and different locations under or around the same structure. It will pay off.
7. Trolling motor – you need a good strong trolling motor. I don’t care what size motor you have on the back of your boat, you need a good trolling motor to keep you slowly moving all the time. If you have ever seen me fish, you know I don’t stay still. That’s because the fish don’t stay still. Don’t underpower the front of your boat. Also, during the spring, there is usually a lot of wind. Over the course of a long day, you need that strong trolling motor.
8. I don’t want to make anybody mad at me, but a lot of times you see a dozen boats right in the same place. When people don’t know what else to do, they tend to go where other fishermen are. One day I saw 20 boats north of the Hwy. 33 bridge and none south. I can promise you this. If there are fish suspended 15 feet deep in 30 feet of water on the north end, they are in the same type place on the south end. That applies for anywhere in the lake. You don’t have to just go where you see everybody else. That’s a growing trend, but it is not necessary to catch fish.
9. Tackle – match it to the depth and the conditions. As I said, I like red hooks and I want to remind you to downsize your jig heads when in shallow water or when in clearer water. I never use a crappie pole that’s more than 11-feet long and while I don’t have anything against spider rigs, I fish with only one or two poles at a time. There’s nothing worse than having eight poles out and a yellow bass grab the jig and tie a knot in all your lines that takes a week to get out.
10. You don’t need every color jig in the rainbow to catch fish. That’s all mental. If you have confidence in your lure and the fish are biting, once you locate them, you can catch them. Some of the favorites on D’Arbonne are ice blue, electric chicken, cajun cricket, black & pink and pumpkinseed.
THANKS, STEVE! I hope you enjoyed his comments and tips as much as I did.
To get in touch with Steve for more information or to book a trip, call 318-245-6398 or email him at lacrappieman@aol.com
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