Trolling for crappie

[BassMassey]

I was back in a creek on Chickamauga yesterday and marked schools of crappie and tons of bait right in the channel which was about 20' deep. I tied a 1/16 jig with a 1/8 oz jig about 2 foot below and trolled 4 poles like that. I had to let a lot of line out to get them down it seemed at 1mph. I ended up adding a couple small split shots and would let the line out until I could see it tapping the bottom then I would reel it up just so it wasn't bumping the bottom. I caught about a dozen fish like this ( some were yellow or white bass) in a few hours, and had a lot of bites that didn't hook up.

This technique is pretty new to me, I guess I am looking for advice for what I may be doing wrong or what I may try if the bite is slow. Does trolling out the back like this work year round as long as you can find the fish? Do you mess around with different boat speeds? Different grubs or curly tails work better...would trolling crappie minnows work better? I'm looking for any and all advice from you crappie guys, I need to make some sandwiches!

 

[M GO BLUE]

...try drifting a a slip bobber with a BG shad on 1/16 or 3/32 oz head about a foot above where you're marking them at. Remember they'll feed up, but not usually down.

 

[BassMassey]

10/4 alright cool I will look into that. And Go Blue!! im also a lifelong Maize & Blue fan even though kinda rough to admit right now looks like the entire team needs to be fired haha

what kind of boat speed would you pull a slip float? that seems like a slower presentation than trolling jigs?

 

[M GO BLUE]

1.5mph is what I recall drift speed being last time I used the tactic. Was a steady breeze and the bite can be hard to detect. Recall 1 time the bobber stopped moving and sank about 2 inches in the water and just stayed there, never fully submerging. Other times, it'd just go "flat". I have killed them with this technique but never troll for them.

GO BLUE!

...although it's QUITE embarrassing at the moment for sure. I'll never jump wagons to any other team, but WE SUCK. Time for Harbaugh to GO. Have no idea who we'd get but at this point, doesn't really matter. Bad enough to never beat OSU or win a bowl game, but a loss to Indiana??? I came THISDADGUMCLOSE to peeling every sticker off my truck

 

[BassMassey]

Hellyeah I hear that, true Blue until I die! I dint know, they are plagued with injuries and dont k ow how to win. I grew up in the 90s when we went 8-4 about every year but beat ohio states @ss....can we just go back to doing that? Haha

 

[rsimms]

Longline trolling is sort of my specialty. I only guide crappie trips when the trolling bite is hot. It's extremely user-friendly. Little kids and inexperienced fishermen can catch fish even if they've never touched a fishing rod before. And even for experienced folks, in late winter and early spring, it's definitely the best technique for putting filets in the freezer. By varying locations, lures and other variables, it can work year-round. But it is definitely THE best technique February through mid-April.

I've posted numerous videos... this one is REALLY old, but might be the most "educational" video of all: https://youtu.be/tY_hcp6B4Qo

But here's a bunch of others that will provide info and demonstrate various aspects as well.

https://youtu.be/X7gHD1g6Bf4

https://youtu.be/gVK4EWl2CPA

https://youtu.be/CtDdQLIAGVs

https://youtu.be/ZTNuVBVzZBI

https://youtu.be/E4uwZQT3qlM

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

Two ways I use:</p>

1. Beetle Spin with curl tail grub & 1/16 oz ball head jig slowly trolled </p>

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2. float & jig with soft plastic lure moved by a breeze blown boat. Depth of lure near mid depth.</p>

</p>

 

[BassMassey]

Awesome, great replies! I will definitely watch those video links when I get some free time. I appreciate the help

 

[digitalcb]

M GO BLUE - 11/18/2020 7:26 PM ...try drifting a a slip bobber with a BG shad on 1/16 or 3/32 oz head about a foot above where you're marking them at. Remember they'll feed up, but not usually down.

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Slip bobbers are great, wouldn't fish without them.
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