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Crappie Hookset Issues?
I've gone fishing for crappies on a few days this week and I had some real hookset issues. I wasn't setting the hook to hard. I was using little paddle tail swimbaits and crappie tubes with a slip float. I got lots of bites but only landed about half of them. Highly upsetting. Any ideas what could be wrong?
I modified the cane pole method taught to me by my dad and granddad.
The suggestion on a light pole is good. If you are using a boat near docks, especially fishing cover like the rubber tires floating as wave barriers (I catch many huge Crappie between the tires, you can keep the sunken Christmas Trees).
I took my fly fishing rod and put a Mitchel 300 spincast reel on it with 6lb line.
You can use either live bait or crappie jigs. I prefer live minnows when possible unless in a tournament. I fish by feel for Crappie (and even catfish). By that I mean either with a cane pole or the fly rod or other long and light rod, I jig the bait up and down every few seconds. Usually with the line no longer than the length of the rod. This allows me to pull the fish straight up quickly most times without reeling.
I just hold the rod with the line between or touching my fingers so I can feel the strike. For Crappie, You don't yank hard to set the hook like with a bass or Catfish. Someone here mentioned the tender mouth and tearing the hook out. That is true, if you snatch on a crappie, you're losing most of them because you ripped the hook through the mouth. With a Crappie, when you feel the strike, a good steady pull straight up out of the water will land it most times.
Here in Georgia, I've caught many large ones that may weigh 1-3 lbs. Even the bigger ones the hook will tear out. If you feel the bigger one on the line, keep the rod up to pull the fish away from the brush and let the rod tip wear down the crappie. As the fish gets weaker, then pull it up, just keep pressure on it to keep him on the hook but not tear it out.
Most crappie strikes occur as the bait or jig is falling. That's why about every minute or so, just lift the rod tip a few inches or feet while you find the depth. You'll catch most of them while the bait is in motion. This is true even with live minnows.
Pay close attention to your line as it sinks down. If you see it stop before hitting the bottom, a crappie has the bait or lure. I saw another suggestion about letting the crappie swim with the bait, especially using a slip float. This is a good tip also, but you have to be on your game. They will drop the bait if resistance is felt. And fish won't hold onto to something artificial for long. Most times the fake lures get spit out quickly.
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