Spring into Crappie

John McKean

"Excuse me, sir. I can't help but notice those big crappies you've been taking on that unusual outfit. How are you doing it? We haven't even had a bite!"

I explained to the pleasant young man about launching a small jig and plastic grub combo well out into the deep channel leading into Lake Erie from the rocky pier on which we both stood. I went on to show him how my jig was rigged to drop straight downward below a long pencil-shaped float.

"Aren't you fishing your lure awfully shallow?" he queried.

Chuckling, I pointed out that I attach my slip float to have line free slide through its bottom ring, resting right on top of the jig on line's end, separated only by a tiny plastic bead to prevent binding. This way, the jig is free to start sinking upon touchdown at the water's surface, yet keeps all casting weight together. There's no bobber and leader to twirl clumsily in midair, but a whole unit that allows very good, accurate casting distance.

"Well, how deep does your lure go?" he asked.

I mentioned that the little jig sinks quite slowly, maybe even more gently than usual due to the small bit of line drag as mono feeds through the slip float. In effect, it works evey inch from surface to bottom. Crappies during early season, and well into summer, tend to suspend somewhere in the water column. That "somewhere" must carefully be sought out, and a very slow-dropping jig is your best fishfinder.

"But how do you know," came yet another question, "when the bait finally arrives on bottom?"

So I cast out the weird looking close clump of jig, bead and bobber and instructed my eager student to carefully eyeball the brightly colored tip of the upright 6" pencil-shaped piece of plastic after it landed. True to form, my elongated bobber nodded back and forth like a minature metronome to indicate line was spilling through and the jig was dancing into the depths. When the nod stops and the floats springs up an inch or so, bottom is achieved.

"Wow, that was really quick," my observer exclaimed through squinting eyes. "I thought this channel was at least 20 feet deep!"

Realizing instantly that my nonstop blabbing had interfered with concentration, I immediately cranked FAST on my reel handle. Another nice crappie for the stringer!

Especially during springtime, vast hordes of hungry crappies suspend within various pockets of water, greedily picking off any and every minnow that ambles close by. Locate just one and you'll soon load the boat. But their take of lure or bait is rather unusual - they attack UPWARD, loosening rather than tightening a line, which allows even a stealthy angler no indication of a strike. However, with a well balanced, uprighted bobber, the instant a crappie latches on you can easily see a "lift-bite." That is, the float pops up an inch or two, almost as if something was pushing it up from below. This is especially noticeable if you'd been focused on the nod, which, of course, stops.

Higly sophisticated floats have long been refined in England for similar purposes to my "nodding" technique. Called "loaded floats," due to delicate bottom weighting to assure they hold upright at the water's surface, they are also known as "missles" or "darts" because of the aerodynamic way they sail through air when cast. In the U.S., we can achieve the same effect with a simple 6-9" porcupine quill, or any plastic pencil bobber, by attaching a duolock snap to the base (for slipping) and attach a small split shot for "loading."

As noted above, my "missles" take a tiny jig way beyond its normal casting distances. And I can place a little 1/32 oz maribou leadhead quite accurately out there behind the thrusting springs of any 7 or 8 coil spinning, spin cast or fly Emmrod model. Personally, I'm rather partial to the extra springy little StreamMaster, due to the superb manner it handles and protects skinny 4# test mono.

If a crappie doesn't "lift" and bottom is reached, simply reel the float in a few feet and work the drop again and again. A jig is usually at its best during its sinking phase, and the nodding technique has you working the drop exclusively. If you think about it, this procedure, concentrating on the vertical movement of your lure, has you FISHING far more water than a straight retrieve ever could.

One note of caution: it's very stimulating to witness a lift-bite; adrenaline fuels us to yank back too hard and too fast. DON'T! Instead, just wind down on the handle, perhaps a bit on the fast side, until you feel good "meat" on the other end. Then just play the crappie as normal, erring a bit on the delicate side due to the tenderness of ole "papermouth." I'm beginning to believe, by the way, that only an Emmrod, with its controlled "rigidity with give," is sufficient for this all-important "reel-set."

Another thing, just because you may be really anxious to experience a sneaky crappie lift-bite, don't ignore any other sideways or jiggling motion of your float! Crappies may not be the only ones to munch on your appetite-wetting, slowly descending small jig!! So, if your stringer becomes burdened with extra bass, trout, walleyes or channel cats, try not to get too upset (send all such complaints to Duane, Emmrod's president, along with PHOTOS!)!!