Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Crappie Trolling: Learn The Basics!

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Troll For Crappie: Double Your Catch In No Time Flat!

If you have a boat you can learn to troll for crappie on the open waters. You will be amazed how easy it is to find large schools of crappie using this method of fishing. Some fisherman get frustrated when they spend all day trolling for crappie and they may not catch a thing. What they don't realize is they are not set up properly to catch crappie using the trolling technique. I would like to identify a few tips in this article to help you correctly set up your boat to catch a good batch of crappie while trolling. Trust me if you master this method of crappie fishing you will be hooked for life.

Equipment you will need:

Boat

A trolling motor that will go as slow as physically possible.

Jigs that have a red head and a white or yellow body.

You need to have a variety of different weighted jig heads starting at 1/8oz and working up. The weight of the jig will determine how deep you are trolling. You will want to have a minimum of four crappie rigs set up to troll at different depths.

This setup is commonly known as a Shotgun Effect.

Where to Start Trolling:

Folks, crappie love structure. Depending on what body of water you are fishing on a good place to start your crappie fishing trolling is near rock points,Known stump areas,known sunken wreck areas,and artificial fish attractors. Think of any areas that crappies could hide while waiting to feed. I would start by identifying area's on a topographical map. This is a excellent way to create a game plan to start your fishing trip.

Initial Trolling For Crappie Set Up

I recommend when you start your first crappie fishing troll that you use live bait. Hook the minnow through the bottom and top of his mouth. (this will prevent the minnow from drowning) Use ½oz or 3/4oz weight on the end of the line.

Once you catch the first fish stop the boat!

Know the secret tip to identify exactly where that school is located.

You are going to use the crappie you just caught to find where the school of crappie is exactly located.

Step #1 You will want to place a hook through the back of the crappie. Make sure not to run it too deep. You do not want to harm the crappie. The crappie needs to be able to swim freely. The hook needs to be attached to about 10ft of line with a bobber on the other end of the line.

Step#2 Let your scout fish lead you to the main crappie school. Just follow the floating bobber.

Step#3 VERY IMPORTANT stay far enough behind your scout fish so you cannot be seen by the schooled crappie.

Step#4 When he gets back to his home and all his buddies in the school and probably his favorite structure area, cast your line into the area from a safe distance. (If you spook the fish you will have to start all over again in a different area.

Step#5 Keep fishing the general area until you fish it out. If you don't have enough fish, start the trolling for crappie exercise all over again at a different spot.

Step#6 You would be surprised how many fishermen never do step 6 and it is probably one of the most important step for future fishing trips. Mark the spot on your topographical map . If you have a GPS enter the coordinates immediately so you do not forget. Remember you want to learn from every fishing trip.

Step#7 If you want to get real technical put a dot for every fish that was caught at this location. And if you want to get even more technical record the weather conditions .

Store this tip in your crappie fishing arsenal , then the next time you go out fishing you can plan your trip using this trolling for crappie fish technique. GOOD FISHING AND GOOD LUCK!

 

Mark Fleagle Webmaster. 30+ Years Of Fishing Experience Expert Author At Ezinearticles.com. Click This Link To Find Out More About Crappie Fishing While Trolling

 

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