Surprise !! Big game crappies !!

[roscoe]

Went to a tiny (60 acre) lake tonight. Been there many times. Its always good for a few nice bluegills, some 7-8" crappie, and a few lgmth bass. Well tonight, I was casting spinnerbaits and crankbaits along the shore. Was throwing a 3" Rattlin Rapala occasionally to the deeper water, and well I'll be if I didn't start picking up some nice slab crappies in the 12.5 to 14" range.<br />I never knew the big ones were in the lake, and never caught a crappie on a chunky crankbait before.<br /><br />Released most of them, but<br />I just made a latenight snack out of the two I kept , mmmmmm.

 

[TwoWatt]

Re: Surprise !! Big game crappies !!

Good deal. <br />I just started throwing artificials for panfish last couple weeks. Who woulda thunk you could catch gills this way <br />Anways, my last outing I was using a fish-n-spin spinner & I caught 3 nice crappie. I've been struggling to catch any crappie this year with live bait... and here they are slamming a little spinner. <br />I'm going to pickup a nice ultralite casting setup today. Fishing tommorow. (work today )

 

[roscoe]

Re: Surprise !! Big game crappies !!

 

[detailer]

Re: Surprise !! Big game crappies !!

I've been using a 16th oz. jig head with a tri-color micro tube slipped over the jig so it hides the metal head and "white" berkley crappie nibblits. Ive been slaying the crappie every time out! I tie my jigs on using a "spider hitch" knot, saw it done on the outdoor channel and it works GREAT! If youre in the market for a nice ultra light, I love mine! It's a berkley cherrywood 5' ultra light rod and a quantum snapshot ss1 spinning reel with 4lb trilene mono... keep the drag loose, you never know <br /><br />Good Luck with those crappie!

 

[NathanY]

Re: Surprise !! Big game crappies !!

HotnTots (sp?) are one of the best crank baits made for Crappie. I mostly use tubes and minnows.

 

[oddjob]

Re: Surprise !! Big game crappies !!

The biggst Bluegill I ever caught was by accident. I was fishin for cat fish in my dads residential pond. Bottom fishin of course. While I was searchin for another big crawler my baitless pole that was resting over the side of the boat with a bare silver hook a foot or two in the water. All of a sudden to pole began to dance almost out of the boat until i grabbed it and pulled it with the fish out of the water. I couldnt believe a bluegill would be in the middle of a deep water pond feeding. And that he went for a bare hook. Very exciting though