Crappies, the most popular?

[united jigsticker]

Sure, when the season for game fish close, everyone tries there hand at the panfish.
But how many of you target Crappies, and Gills for that matter, on the majority of your outings?

Furthermore, how many of you always have the Crappie rig along as a back up to the Walleyes, Bass...or whatever specie you're going after, just in case they don't cooperate?

I know sometimes I have targeted Walleyes, only to fall off that bandwagon and jump aboard the "papermouth train".

Seems every fish I see on the locator just might be a Crappie and I can't stand not knowing or leaving a spot without at least trying to find out.

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Good fishing,
UJ
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[Guest]

That's the same way I am. I target mostly crappies and gills during the hard water months. Although I focus on walleyes, pike, perch, and bass from time to time, I'm always eager to find a hot panfish bite.

I've spent most of my time on the ice in search of crappies and gills and I've got some pretty consistent patterns and methods of finding and catching them. Slab crappies are a blast and reeling in those bull gills is hard to beat when you get into a hungry school.

Another reason why I target panfish so much is that most lakes have a good population of crappies and gills and nice size fish too. A lot of anglers over look the chance of a lake producing some nice panfish just because the ones they catch are small. The larger ones are out there, they just have to be found. The challenge is also another reason why targeting panfish is so fun. Catching a ton if little potato chip gills is easy, but going out and finding the 8-10 inchers in the same lake where all the little potato chips were is challenging on a lot of lakes.

Don't get me wrong, I love catching walleyes and pike, and I take my fair share of larger gamefish outtings, but there is just something about finding a school of active panfish through the ice. And plus, a few panfish in the pan taste great! But let the larger ones go and keep the smaller ones to eat, that way we can have success in the future as well.

Good Fishin,
Matt

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Catch-N Tackle and Bio Bait
MarCum

[CrappieJohn]

Ah, yes....the "what is the number one fish question". Everybody seems to have a favorite fish to pursue. Myself, it is the crappie. The reasons are many, but as MJ alluded to, the challenge is primary for me. Few fish are likely to be as hard to pin down as the pannies during the hard water months and , as this past summer showed us, ice is not a boundary. Pannies are fish that can be seiously simple to catch at certain times of the year, but due to thier inborn talents for being persickity, they can be miserable denizens to catch at other times. And these "other times" may only be a day or less away at any given time. Often times it is a matter of only minutes. And in addition to the qualities just mentioned, there are few fish that can hold a candle to pannies on the table. Not only are the panfish and crappies number one with me, they are number one in the country.

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Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!
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[juggs]

I'm a year round crappie man, too. Nothing eats better, the size can get very respectable, and they can school like crazy. I catch 'em in all seasons.

[EBass]

Crappies are a back up plan for me.

My favs are; Bass, Cats, Walters, then the Craps. Toss in pike in there somewhere to.

I like to eat fish just don't like cleaning them except for the good ol rainbow trout from the stocked mine pits- YUMMY!!

[fishface5]

Crappies and sunnies perch and tullibies FUN FUN FUN FUN!!!!

[Lunker]

I can't really list favs, but crappies fall behind gills for me as far as fight, availability, and taste. But that doesnt mean they arent grreat!