How to Catch Crappie: Spots, Baits and Simple Techniques

How to catch crappie? Find cover such as brush piles, sunken trees, cattails and weed edges, then fish a small jig (1/32 to 1/8 ounce) or a live minnow under a bobber slowly near that cover. Use light line and a light spinning rod, and set the hook gently because crappie have soft mouths.

This guide covers where crappie hold through the year, the baits and lures that work, simple techniques and gear. For timing, see our guide to the best time to fish for crappie.

Where to find crappie

The Minnesota DNR crappie guide says "Crappies like to be near cover." In spring they hold near "brush piles, sunken trees, cattail stands and other places near shore where predators don't have an easy path of attack."

Later in the year, the same guide notes that crappie "tend to stay in deeper water except during dawn and dusk when they move toward shore to feed," along underwater points, humps and deep weedlines.

How to catch crappie step by step

1. Start shallow in spring

In May and June, mature crappie move into shallow, dark-bottomed bays before spawning, so many fish gather in a small area. Check bays and shoreline cover first.

2. Fish right next to cover

Drop your bait beside brush, timber or weeds rather than in open water. Fish tucked into branches are hard to reach, but a careful cast into the gaps often pays off.

3. Choose a jig or a minnow

A minnow under a bobber and a small jig with a soft plastic body are the classic choices. Beetle spins and small hard baits also work.

4. Retrieve slowly

Let the jig sink toward the bottom, then reel slowly and add a small jigging motion now and then. The DNR describes small jigs as "perhaps the most common lure for catching crappie."

5. Set the hook gently

Crappie "have a very soft mouth," so the DNR advises that when you feel a bite you "set the hook with a slow and steady motion." A hard hook set tears free.

6. Stay on the school

Crappie travel in schools. Once you catch one, keep fishing the same depth and spot. Many anglers troll slowly along weed edges to locate fish, then anchor and cast.

What is the best bait for crappie?

• Live minnows under a slip bobber, set just above the fish.
• Small jigs (1/32, 1/16 or 1/8 ounce) with a soft plastic body.
• Beetle spins and small spinnerbaits for flash in shallow water.
• Small hard baits that imitate baitfish, especially for bigger crappie, which shift toward eating fish as they grow.

Why are crappie so hard to catch?

They move. The DNR notes "One day you'll find them in the bays and the next day they're gone." Crappie also suspend at a set depth, so a bait a few feet too high or low gets ignored. Change depth, cover and location until you find them, and check local regulations because some waters have special crappie limits.

Crappie gear for beginners

A light spinning rod and reel with light line lets small jigs cast well and helps you feel soft bites. Add a few bobbers, split shot, small hooks and a handful of jigs in different colors. If you are new to casting, read how to cast a fishing rod. Crappie share water with panfish, so tips from how to catch bluegill carry over.

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FAQ

What's the trick to catching crappie?

Fish slowly next to cover at the right depth, and set the hook gently. Once you find one crappie, keep fishing the same spot and depth.

What is the best bait for crappies?

A live minnow under a bobber or a small 1/32 to 1/8 ounce jig with a soft plastic body.

Why are crappie so hard to catch?

They move between shallow cover and deeper structure and often suspend at one depth. Adjust depth and location until you find the school.

What is the best time of day to fish for crappie?

Dawn and dusk are good, especially later in the year when crappie move toward shore to feed. See our full guide on the best time to fish for crappie.