Crappie Fishing Mistakes

   We have all heard people say that patience pays when fishing. Unfortunately, that is not correct when fishing for crappie. Crappie are a schooling fish and it is important to find these schools. So when you're fishing for crappie, it is very important to be on the move constantly to find these crappie schools.

Mistake #2: Casting Un-sharpened Hooks!
   Have you ever set the hook and thought you had your crappie on for sure? The problem isn't your fishing technique, it probably is your hooks. It is important to replace your hooks about every 4th bite, or spend a few moments to sharpen your hook. You would be shocked to find out how much difference a sharpened hook makes. The best way to sharpen hooks is with a flat file, first filing the outside of the hook point. Next you will need a double-edged hook sharpening file that sharpens both sides of the point.

Mistake #3: Not Using a Topographical Map
   I am sure when you go any where on vacation you do some pre-planning with either road maps, MapQuest or a trip ticket. Well, it is the same when planning a fishing trip. If you have a map of the water you are going to fish, you can identify channel, brush and shallow areas of the water you are going to fish. This simple step can make or break a fishing trip. It amazes me how many fisherman never do this simple step. You can pick one of these maps up for about 3 bucks at any bait shop in the area you are going to fish.

Mistake #4: Stopping the boat when trolling
   It is best to have 2 people along when trolling for crappie. If you have multiple poles in the water when you get a fish on, you will want to keep as many poles trolling as you can. If you stop the boat, you lose the correct depth where the fish are and will have to go through the setup all over again. With a second person , one person can keep steering the boat while the other person re-baits the poles. You would be surprised how many people make this mistake when trolling.

Mistake #5: Getting too close to the fish.
   The first instinct is to get as close to the crappie as you can. But that is a big mistake. What happens is your boat makes a wake and can spook the fish if you get too close. The best thing to do is get a long cane pole or telescoping rod so you can reach out about 10 or 15 feet into the brush area you want to fish.