Single Pole Techniques Can Put More Crappie in the Boat
Many people only fish for crappie during the spring spawn when fish congregate in larger schools and females swell to great size with roe.
However, the fall can also deliver excellent crappie action, often with considerably less competition from other anglers. Many people forget about crappie after the spring spawning season ends, but fish must eat all year long. In addition, many sportsmen concentrate on hunting in the fall.
“I love fishing in the fall,” says Gerald Overstreet, a professional crappie angler. “The fall can be a great time to catch fish. In the spring, the main thing on a crappie’s mind is spawning. In the fall, the main thing on a crappie’s mind is eating.”
In the fall, crappie gorge themselves on protein-rich shad to prepare for the coming winter. Find the baitfish and anglers will find the crappie. The voracious fish won’t stray far from their groceries.
As water temperatures drop, crappie commonly hold tighter to cover, such as stumps, fallen trees and other objects. In cooler water, they won’t chase baits fast or far so anglers almost need to hit them on the head to make them bite.
Many crappie anglers use multiple poles to locate fish, but others prefer to battle fish one on one. To reach crappie lurking in the thickest cover, try a single-pole rig. With a single line holding one lure or live minnow, an angler can more efficiently probe the tightest cover.
“With a single pole, I can work a bait through really thick stuff all the way down into cover,” Overstreet says. “I like to use a 1/16- or 1/8-ounce jighead. In really strong current, I go up to a 1/4-ounce jighead to hold the bait in the strike zone.”
In the fall, deeper creek channels and river backwaters can hold good numbers of big crappie. Frequently, old stumps, cypress knees, branches, fallen trees or other cover dot the shorelines. These all make excellent crappie hiding places. Drop a live minnow or a crappie lure next to cover.
Steve Danna, a professional crappie angler who designed his own pole, a B’n’M Tree Thumper, works such shorelines and woody structures with a pole in each hand. He pushes his boat forward slowly with the trolling motor while hitting every piece of cover he can reach from every angle.
“My favorite way to fish structure is with a single pole,” he states “I love feeling that thump. When I’m single poling, I fish a jig straight up and down. I keep the line vertical while just barely moving my boat. I don’t move the jig at all. I do not believe in jerking a jig up and down. In a strong wind, I peg a 1/4-ounce slip sinker about six to eight inches above the jighead with a split-shot sinker to keep the jig vertical.”
Danna tips his line with a 1/16- or 1/8-ounce jighead. He sweetens the jighead with a two- to 2.5-inch soft-plastic minnow imitation. He uses six-pound-test high-visibility line. In cooler water, watch the line to detect even the slightest movement that could indicate a subtle strike.
Practically every freshwater system in Mississippi holds abundant crappie. In the fall, anglers might find themselves alone at the best fishing spots with nothing, but a bunch of fish to keep them company!
