Fishing for Big Crappie Using Goldfish
John E. Phillips 07.19.12
In less than 30 seconds, my quill sank. I brought a 1-1/2 pound crappie over the gunwales of my boat. For the next 20 minutes, I continued to take crappie. Although the minnows-in-a-glass-jar idea of my uncle’s was strange, I realized that renegade tactics could produce crappie when no other methods of fishing would. From that early boyhood experience, I started looking for renegades in the sport of crappie fishing – both men and women who broke with traditional tactics and utilized off-the-wall strategies to consistently catch crappie. I wanted to find those unusual individuals who used creative alternatives to take crappie.
Two of the strangest techniques I’ve ever seen for catching crappie I learned from Paul Johnson and Vernon Green, Sr. of Oklahoma. “We believe we catch bigger crappie on goldfish than we do on minnows,” Johnson reported. “The goldfish seem to live longer than minnows,” Green explained. “I also think crappie can see them easier than they can minnows.” These two anglers utilize quart bleach bottles with pieces of monofilament tied to the necks of the bleach bottles, shot leads attached to the line 2 to 4 feet below the surface and crappie hooks baited with goldfish on them. The jugs troll the goldfish across spawning bays where crappie hold during the spawn. Another method these anglers have used successfully is to allow their jugs to troll 1/24 or 1/32 ounce jigs instead of minnows. The jugs troll the jigs in the area where the crappie are holding, and the fishermen can have more baits in the water than if they cast and retrieve or troll rods out the backs of their boats.
“Yet another method we use is bush hooks for crappie when they’re on the bank spawning,” Johnson said. “We tie 6 pound test line on the ends of green bushes that hang out over the water and attach 1/24 or 1/32 ounce jigs to the ends of the lines hanging down in the water. We put our jigs from 6 inches to 2 feet below the surface. The trick to catching crappie using bush hooks is to fish on windy days. When the wind blows, the bush moves, which causes the jig to move and have a lifelike appearance. When the crappie see the jigs moving next to the bank, they’ll come in and take the jigs. The bushes set the hooks for you. Jug fishing and bush-hook fishing are ways we catch catfish that also produce crappie in the spring when they’re in shallow water and moving into spawning bays and coves. Before you utilize live goldfish, jugs or bush hooks for your crappie fishing, check your local fisheries regulations. These tactics are not permitted in all states for the taking of crappie.
Killing the Cork:
The weather was cold. The temperature had dropped 20 degrees overnight. I was convinced crappie were not going to bite. But my fishing partner said, “Cast this 1/24 ounce jig out to the sunken treetops, and let the cork sit still. After I watched my cork for about 1-1/2 minutes, the cork sank. I set the hook and reeled in a 1-1/2 pound crappie. When I asked Padgett why a crappie would hit when the cork was still, he explained that, “Even when you’re not retrieving the cork and causing the jig to move, the jig will have a lifelike appearance. When the cork appears to be sitting still in the water, the jig below it will be moving slightly due to the current under the water. This dead-cork tactic suspends a jig in a place where the crappie hold and means the crappie must exert little effort to inhale the jig.”
For more tips, tricks and unorthodox methods for catching crappie, check out my article on fishing for crappie in 100 degree heat.
To learn more about successful crappie fishing year-round, buy John E. Phillips’ book, “The Masters’ Secret of Crappie Fishing,” by going to www.nighthawkpublications.com/fishing/masterscrappie.htm.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
