I was just wondering wat the best type of bait is to catch crappie?

Crappies are fish-eaters. They like minnows. Both species, the White, and Black Crappies exist almost exclusively on fish. The particular type that works best may depend on where you are, and the local environment. The best minnows for bait are those that are seined from the water you are fishing in (where legal). The crappies are used to them, and they will be close to the right size, for the most part. There are over one hundred species of minnows (Cyprinidae) in the US. There are also other fish that crappie eat, such as small gamefish like baby bass, trout, sunfish, perch, and shad. In most larger lakes, impoundments and reservoirs, shad make up the majority of forage fish. Shad are members of the Herring family (Actinopterygii). There are two main species in freshwater in the US that are important as baitfish. The Gizzard Shad, and Threadfin Shad. They are similar in appearance, with the main difference that the Gizzard Shad has a protruding upper jaw. Both are equally effective as bait for crappie. These are the only two species of shad available commercially. There are a few other species, such as the Skipjack, and Hickory Shad, but none are important as baitfish. There are only a few minnow species available commerically. Of these, the most common are the Fathead Chub, Emerald Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Creek Chub, and Goldfish. The various species of Dace are effective for crappie as well. The most important thing to remember about crappie minnows is to think small. Crappie will ignore minnows larger than around 2″ most of the time. Happy fishing.