Crappies and Minnows

[Agronomist_at_IA]

A guy was telling me that crappies don't really eat minnows. He claimed that the reason people catch crappies on minnows is due to the fish being protective of it's terrritory. Claimed that the crappies attack and bite the minnows right behind the neck breaking it and killing the minnow due to it being in the crappie's territory. My brother and cousin we're starting to believe the guy a little. I still think he was full of SH@t in IMO. Has anyone heard of this before?

[FishGUY]

I have not heard of that, but I have caught many crappies with minnows inside them. He may be full of it.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

kind of what I thought.

[knoppers]

I don't believe crappies have a territory, they seem to roam in schools.

I have caught plenty of nice crappies on waxies, but I also have fished areas that they only will bite a minnow.

all fish are carnivors, they eat whats available. I have caught bluegills on minnows, I have caught crappies on crankbaits.

I think he is full of it

[CORL ICE CREW]

I also have watched many KROPPEYE!! be defeated by my minnowos down below my ice hole! Watching how the kroppeye bite helps you catch more correct? My watching has told me that they attack when hungry, and slowly suck in the minnow when timmid.

[Fishing_Rookie_123_]

I agree with knoppers when he says that they are not territorial. One time when I was a kid me and my grandpa found a school of crappies that would instantly hit every minnow that you cast into them. When we ran out of minnows, they would not bite anything else, so we ran to the store and got some more minnows. When we went back to the spot, all of the crappies were gone, so I doubt that they were just protecting their territory.

That was the hottest bite that I have ever seen, though. Pretty big crappies too.

[CORL ICE CREW]

We have a place on our lake we fish for crappie called the barge. A sunken boat that we consitantly catch KROPPEYE! at, it's 6 to 19 ft. deep. But we also catch bass and blue gill also, but not as much. I think territory has something to do with it.

[knoppers]

CORL ICE CREW

that has more to do with stucture than it does territory.

[CORL ICE CREW]

Yes i can agree with that! So what territorial thing comes into play?

[knoppers]

I guess I don't really know. I know this, crappie in open basins roam, so being territorial, makes no sense.

[CORL ICE CREW]

As long as we can catch and eat we like!!!!

[CORL ICE CREW]

I have been watching the weather up that way and am becoming very jealous of what you have. WE in Indiana have no ice and very little hope of ice this year. BUT FISH ON!!! I guess i will have to drive to fish this year.

[knoppers]

but you probally have snow. we are getting no snow, and my snowmobile is getting useless. I can't even use it to pull out my portable ice house.

[CORL ICE CREW]

We have no snow. I live in bremen {northern part} and we get mostly lake affect snow anymore. Years ago we would get lots of snow and cold. rem. when we would fish out in the open in -15 to -20 deg. a few times a year, but no more. I guess Elnino is to blame. Who knows, i just want to fish!!! It has been very warm here to long.

[knoppers]

well we finally got some very cold weather, I hope it heads your way. from what I see on the weather, you might be getting a ice storm, or its heading your way.

the good news is, you should be able to fish anywhere up here now with this cold snap. we got good ice in early december, then it got warm, rained, and anything to deteriate the ice we had, but we made it through.

[CORL ICE CREW]

Good deal knoppers!! One of my xmas treats was i got a new st. croix rod and reel, AND THE HOPES OF GOING UP NORTH, i hope she doesn't forget it. Forcast for us is junk ,1 or 2 days of 0 and -5, for a low. Not even a week of cold temps.

[tipupguy]

i know bass will attack fish not to eat but to kill but thats when there on the beds protecting the eggs so i dont believe that guy about crappies and like other people have said they school and move around and they do eat minnows and a 12" dump when it flares it's mouth open it can take a fairly large bait in

[robbor]

Ive had crappie, bluegill, bass ,trout in my fish tank and every one of them was few gold fish, they did not seem to care. But the crappie did eat more at night and when no one was around. Wild crappie eat alot of insects amd occasional fish. I think because they are slower they dont eat alot of minnows. The bass probably get most of them. But when there are minnows they will eat them.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Crappies seem to key on whatever feed is most abundant in the lake or area that they are feeding in.

Summer and winter feeding patterns can be greatly different.

And Yes, crappies DO eat lots of minnows!

Your source was full of it!

Crappies will protect their spawning beds though. At that time you could say that they are territorial.

Cliff

[JustinG]

This is really a funny post!!! I can honestly say that I have never caught a Crappie on a wax worm or anything like that. I catch them on crappie minnows exclusively and I have caught a rediculous number of them in the 25 years I have been fishing for them. Crappies love minnows!

Justin

[jphersh22]

I've seen schools of crappies chasing minnows and breaking the surface while eating them many times. Some of my favorite lakes have weedy bays that the crappies in summer almost nightly move into to feed. They suspend in the deep water during the day then in the evening they move in and you can almost track the school's movement in and out of the bay by watching them breaking the surface chasing minnows. This sure seems like feeding to me.

[CrappieAttitude]

The best luck I have had with minnows for craps have been in the spring/summer months. In the winter, I predominately fish with maggots and or plastics. I will continue to buy minnows to have along, but it seems like I more often than not end up dumping out the minnows as they die off.

There are definately the times/places where you should have minnows, but it is way easier using maggots or plastics. You will spend a lot more time catching fish, and a lot less time spent on re-baiting.

CA

[JP Z]

I agree with CrappieAttitude, I generally use minnows for Craps in the Spring and Summer...and into the Fall. Winter it tends to be early winter. But I usually bring them with if I am going. As then I set up a bobber rod while I am hole hopping in the area.

[john.wells]

I honestly can't believe that this thread has lasted for 3 whole pages

[Matt Johnson]

Crappies will indeed eat minnows, and oftentimes that's a huge part of their diet once they reach a certain size.

However, plankton and other micro-organisms and invertebrats will also make up a huge portion of a crappie's diet at certain calender periods. It really depends on the body of water, geographical location, as well as the available forage. A lot of things come into play really.

But to say crappies don't eat minnows would be a little far-fetched

In terms of my personal fishing, I haven't used a crappie minnow in about 4 years for crappie fishing. That doesn't mean that I think they don't eat them, it just means that I prefer a different approach in attracting and triggering my fish into striking. I feel that an artifical presentation can work instead of a live minnow... but I do like maggots