The Crappies seem to be fairly thick around the lily pads in my lake. Is there any special technique I can use to catch them?

According to the experts, you’ll have to sneak up on the crappie, especially if the water is really clear.  You’ll want to start by easing up to the lily pads and try something like a 12-foot pole with 8-pound test.  Couple it with a ¼-ounce jighead, and you’ve got your rig. 

Now, the crappie are lying in wait, just under the lily pads because they are expecting a visit from minnows that they intend to ambush.  What you have to do is swim your jig right under the pad – using the ¼-ounce jig will help carry you down in the hole between the lily pads with such a long pole (which is used to give you the power and leverage to yank that crappie right out of the water as soon as it bites).

Remember that a hole may have more than one crappie, and the faster you can yank one out of the water without a real disturbance, the better, since you’ll then be more likely to have the opportunity to grab more from the same hole.  If there’s no struggle on the crappie’s part, his friends will simply think he’s been abducted by aliens rather than caught for the next fish fry and won’t be so spooked and likely to turn tail and run (pun intended).

Use this same technique and go from one patch to the next until you’ve caught your share, get tired, and want to go home.  Realize that there is always a chance of catching nothing but, well, lily pads, but this is unlikely if you migrate from one hole to another, tagging them all throughout the day.

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