big and small crappie

[FATDOG]

This was my third time out with my new Vex, finally I caught 2 Crappie. they were both about 7 inches long, caught them 26 feet down in 34 feet of water at the bottom of a dropoff. My question is do crappie school up with others of about the same size or do the big and little mix?

[AugustWest]

This time of year they will be mixed in, with the larger ones being a little more cautious. Have you ever tried to fish for them into the dark? That's when the Big Slabs will make their presence known.
I have iced well over 500 Crappie this year. It is my favorite fish to target because they can be real tricky to locate! I seem to have figured out how to locate them...I have put in A LOT of ice time learning their patterns. If you have any more ?'s, I will try to help. Send me a PM!

[oldfox]

I find the larger crappies (11" and up) usually alone or hanging out below the smaller ones.  Smaller are more aggressive, while the larger ones ponder,... "should I, or shouldn't I"   

[Buck762]

I usually find all my crappie mixed. usually find the bigger fish lower in school, notice this fishing perch, and crappie. Usually do my best fishing right after dark, bucket fish with a lanern and vex

[spartaman12]

I usually find all my crappie mixed. usually find the bigger fish lower in school, notice this fishing perch, and crappie. Usually do my best fishing right after dark, bucket fish with a lanern and vex

i notice a mix too.... i try and catch my first half of my limit for my guranteed freezer fish then i start going to the bottom of the school to try and catch the bigger ones... in the end if i dont have my limit i kno i can just go to the top of the school and catch a few more agressive ones

[iluvcrappie]

This time of year they will be mixed in, with the larger ones being a little more cautious. Have you ever tried to fish for them into the dark? That's when the Big Slabs will make their presence known.
I have iced well over 500 Crappie this year. It is my favorite fish to target because they can be real tricky to locate! I seem to have figured out how to locate them...I have put in A LOT of ice time learning their patterns. If you have any more ?'s, I will try to help. Send me a PM!

if you are so good with crappies then maybe you can help me out.............i fish on a small lake but it has a very very high concentration of crappies and walleyes.........i too love fishing the crappie because yes they are very hard to fish for but when you do find them they are very nice ones i got a few picks from this year out there i will send to you the one is real dark it was taken in the fish house but it was over 16" i have gotten a bunch this year that are close to that mark as well anyway here is my question for you.....i went out yesterday morning and found the school but left them alone and this morning i went out there and moved west about 20 yards from where i found the school i drilled my holes and got set-up and put my flasher in the hole and i was right on top of the school....they stayed under me until 730 and then moved on me...again.......but in that 3 1/2 hour time i never had one bite or for that matter even a nibble......not too sure what im doing wrong or what im not doing at all maybe you can help......ive tried minnows, waxies, freshwater shrimp and nothing works  i dont know what to do anymore.....i am not using a spring bobber so i went and picked one up today and im going to try it again in the morning to see what i can catch if anything at all.....take a look at the lake it on the mn dnr website.....grove lake in pope county..............th anks for the tips and help if you can give any.....good fishing 



this baby was over 16"

[McMish]

nice looking slab. too bad not in the tourny

[slipperybob]

I can never be sure of a pattern when they're in the mix.  Some days, I'll get the bigger of the bunch on metal spoons.  Other days, it's using fathead minnows instead of crappie minnows.  Some days, it's using the smallest of jigs - 1/80th or lighter.  Sometimes, it's with very aggressive jigging and sometimes it's a deadstick presentation.  It's seems that the big ones, want something different from the norm of what the small crappies will take.  I will not find many bigs ones either.

[wally-eye]

When they get picky tie on a #2 jigging rap.....  They love chasing those tiny little raps..

[icehousepsycho]

They do mix up, larger do seem to be deeper in winter for the most part.  However, I've seen them school with the same size sometime, too.  To answer iluvcrappie's question, I've noticed the same thing.  I'll have to try a ton of different baits and sizes and shapes.  I try different kinds of livebait, if that doesn't work, I use none at all, maybe a soft plastic of some kind(Gulp power maggot, etc.).  I also send down my aqua-vu to make sure the school on my flasher is crappie.  If they are be very aware of your presentation, lift/drop, pop, deadstick, drop shot.  Crappie feed above them, and will not chase a lure down to bottom.  All presentations have a time and a place.  Most importantly for me is how lure is riding on the line.  Be aware of line tie position.  A genz worm, for instance, must hang horizontal.  You may need to dab a dot of glue on the line tie.  If a horizontal lure isn't horizontal they won't bite it some days.  I have to adjust after every fish sometimes, but if I forget they won't bite.  Don't know why.  Some days opposite, they want a teardrop or other lure vertical, and won't hit horizontal.  If they are biting and shut off, chande the horizontal/vertical nature of your presentation, and the profile of your lure underwater.