5 Tips for Crappie Fishing in Arkansas

By: Daniel Eggertsen

Arkansas has an abundance of great crappie waters. And the climate is such, that they can be had all year long. You just need to know how. There are many tricks-of-the-trade involved in crappie fishing. Learning them can go a long way towards helping you fill your creel with slabs. Here are some of my best tips.

The first trick I use is a double-rig (also known as a fish-finder rig). It evolved from commercial Longliner fishermen in their search for Bluefin Tuna. Scaled down, it is a very efficient rig for crappie. Simply rig two # 4 Aberdeen hooks on dropper loops, 12"-18" apart, over a 1/8 oz. bell sinker, or several split shots. You can fish this under a slip-bobber, or anywhere from the bottom up, tight-lining (or vertical fishing, as it is sometimes called). You can also omit the sinker and hooks and use two 1/16 oz. marabou jigs under a slip-bobber.

You can also cast this rig upstream in tailraces or heavy current, and let it drift downstream. This is deadly for crappie in heavy cover. It is not uncommon to hook two crappie at a time with one of these rigs. I usually tie a white or yellow jig on above a chartreuse jig. Another trick is to omit the bobber, and tie a small crank-bait on under the jig. It gives the appearance of a small minnow chasing an even smaller one, an irresistible situation for any predator fish.

When minnow fishing slows down, try this trick. Take 6 or 7 minnows and place them in a 2 qt. or gal. glass jar with water in it. Punch a few small hole in the top to let water and smell circulate. Then tie it with a small rope so you can lower it into the water a few feet. Now fish near the jar. The crappie can smell the minnows, and see them, thinking it is a school of unwary baitfish.

In winter, when crappies are hitting very light, you can make a strike indicator out of an old guitar low E string. Simply tie on a 3" length of the guitar string onto the last section of your rod, with the ball-end even with the tip. Then bend the string up and away from the tip at a 45 degree angle. Run your line through the ball-end of the E string, then through the tip guide of your rod. You can now detect even the lightest of hits.


Author Resource:->  Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Get more information on crappie fishing here: http://www.askcrappiefishing.com/

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