Crappies on a Fly?

[jschaffer]

I have some friends that get into the Crappie spawn here in Wyoming in the spring and they say it is a blast. Lots of flooded timber in the reservoirs that they fish. But I am wondering, can you catch them on a fly rod and has anyone every had any luck trying it? Suggestions for flies to use?

 

[Matt4.0]

Following. Thought about trying to catch some myself. I remember when spin fishing for them in my teens you just had to find a school and jig straight down to them. Perhaps try the same with a weighted fly?

 

[c web]

I have a good friend in Mississippi that slays them on the fly. I will send him this link and see if he has some pointers.

 

[jschaffer]

Thanks. I was thinking a small bead head streamer on a sinking line that mimics a grub or minnow might work.

 

[karstopo]

I fish in Texas and catch crappie using the fly rod. Balanced leeches are my favorite flies for crappie. Woolly buggers work too. I toss either into the shallows during the spawn and just strip and pause them in. Crappie hit on the pauses normally.

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[jschaffer]

Thanks for the info. The leech pattern may work well out here (I know guys who catch these on Berkley power baits that are in the shape of a leech).

 

[karstopo]

I do these leeches with Ice Dub or Arizona Simi Seal. I think the ice dub might be better for Crappie. Size 4 daiichi 90 degree jig hooks work best on Crappie for where I fish. Those daiichi hooks run pretty small


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[jschaffer]

I do these leeches with Ice Dub or Arizona Simi Seal. I think the ice dub might be better for Crappie. Size 4 daiichi 90 degree jig hooks work best on Crappie for where I fish. Those daiichi hooks run pretty small


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They look great. Thanks for the pics. We'll give them a try and post back later this spring/summer!

 

[Matt4.0]

They look great. Thanks for the pics. We'll give them a try and post back later this spring/summer!

Same here, thanks!

 

[kentuckysteve]

Following. Thought about trying to catch some myself. I remember when spin fishing for them in my teens you just had to find a school and jig straight down to them. Perhaps try the same with a weighted fly?

Almost caught my limit once using a hopper as my float and a bead head prince nymph below it.I tried other nymphs like a ptn or brassie but no luck.I think it was the white biot wings on the prince nymph that attracted them.

 

[sjkirkpa]

I catch a lot of them on small clousers other small streamers. In a local river, I have best luck with black sculpin patterns. I bays and inlets, chartreuse/white clousers size 8or 10 work great for me

 

[smoke33]

I know it’s not using a fly and I may get scolded for posting this but, my grandfather always killed em using a live minnow on the end of his fly rod.


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[jschaffer]

Good idea. Clouser minnows might work well out here.

 

[ia_trouter]

Last year was incredibly productive for crappie on the fly through much of the season. A lot of 50 fish days. In a more normal year it's the pre-spawn bite in VERY shallow water, or a surface bite just before dark during summer. When they are deeper, I use a bully spider most often. That game is much tougher and not much like fly fishing to me. But any slowly dropping fly has a chance when they are deep. The brighter the better in my water.

 

[100954]

I catch them off my dock here in Minnesota around Memorial Day. I tie a minnow pattern using Mylar (silver stuff). Works great but only for week or two until they move onto deeper water.

 

[weiliwen]

There is a little pond down the street from my house that I often fish after work. Starting in late March and lasting until perhaps the first week of May, I catch a handful of white crappie on Clousers or Muddler Minnows. After that, I never see another crappie until the following Spring. The pond is catch and release, and as far as I know there is no stocking, so I have no clue where they go. The rest of the year, it's bluegill and small bass only.

 

[Kyo]

Crappie ponds are great places to hone
one's fly fishing skills.

My local waters contain smaller fish so if
I don't catch any on the above mentioned
flies I'll tie on a smaller, single, bead head nymph
and strip it in. But let it sink a little fist.
The best way to fish for them is small poppers.
When they hit it, it's like a little fish with a
big attitude. -k-

 

[jschaffer]

Crappie ponds are great places to hone
one's fly fishing skills.

My local waters contain smaller fish so if
I don't catch any on the above mentioned
flies I'll tie on a smaller, single, bead head nymph
and strip it in. But let it sink a little fist.
The best way to fish for them is small poppers.
When they hit it, it's like a little fish with a
big attitude. -k-

Poppers sound interesting. I have used those for bluegills and sunfish back in MN, but never Crappies. Is that mainly for an evening bite when the come up to the surface more?

 

[huntschool]

I also have done well with small Clouser type stuff I tie. Use mostly light colors and size them down to about 2". Short rod with floating line but fluro furled leader with about 3' of tippet. Let the lead take them down a bit and start slow lift and strip and sink move. You have to find their depth. If they are in the timber I would suspect yhey are not going to be too deep.

I really suggest you tie some up and use some flash just to light the fly up a bit. As to eye weight, well, thats up to you.....

Perhaps one of the best eating fish out there. Battered in corn meal and deep fried its a taste extravaganza with some sliced onion.

Good luck

 

[jschaffer]

Perhaps one of the best eating fish out there. Battered in corn meal and deep fried its a taste extravaganza with some sliced onion.

Good luck

Couldn't agree more. They have a unique taste and it was nice to find some out here in the West. This place we fish has both Black and White Crappie in there, and many over 14". thought they would be fun on a fly rod.