Crappie and other panfish

Hey guys just curious...what are your favorite panfish baits and lures, I've caught crappie on trout worm, but what do u guys use

I have had my best luck on a Super Duper. I put my pole in a holder and just slow troll it. I have caught LMB and catfish on the lure while fishing for pan fish. Snap Beans and silver crappie jigs work as well. The bass in my avatar was on a jig on UL tackle.

Marabou jigs Micro in size is what I like. White our blues, size 1/80 are good just my 2 cents.

Slab Jiggies

They slay trout and crappie!!!

for crappie i use a 3/16 0z jig head from canyon plastics with either a canyon plastics mini jig in red /white or yellow /white


i have also had great luck using the

zoom mini tubes in red yellow and yellow
white

tjflyfisher

Jigs are hard to beat for crappie, like kelster said slow trolling is a great technique. Alot of times I will set up a rig with 2 marabou jigs and then troll just fast enough to keep the line vertical, sometimes you'll catch them two at a time.

This fly is tough to beat for bluegill. Fish still under a small cork with UL or fly gear.

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Hey just checked out your site very nice jigs bro

Trout Magnet tipped with "crappie nibble" or "power" maggot.

As JeffCPR said, 1/80oz marabou jig, based on the color of the baitfish in the waters you're at. Southern CA, best colors are green-tip and yellow body, or yellow-tip and blue-white body.

Aside from the crappie jig, you can use your own jig, and mimic the local shrimps/scuds in olive-brown or olive-orange, using 1/32oz or 1/16oz jigs during warmer days, or 1/80oz and 1/100oz for cold days for shy bites.

Beside from the jigs, go for broke with a nice fat segment of crawler for warmer days, and a nice active red wigglies for colder days.

Its been Tough going for me on the tube for crappie , I usually fish Lake Perris since i am so close to it .. anyone have any tips for catching Crappie from Perris on a tube ?

Even Bluegill and Redear are eluding me and i hear all these panfish are great to eat. BTW Whats a good size fish to keep ? I seem to catch very small Gills and Redear

Thanks for any reply's

Wes

For panfish, such as BGs, REs, and crappie, make sure to harvest them responsibly, to promote larger and better population. Unfortunately, not everyone will be responsible for the proper action to keep the water well maintained with ideal harvesting method. If you search around, Komori and LedHed, Natural Lefty, three of the many well known panfishermen taken very close eye on taking care of Lake Perris' panfish population with proper harvesting methods:

1. For REs, BGs, and crappie, harvest anything between the length of 6" to 9". Anything less, allow the larger bass, striper, and catfish to eat them. Anything larger than 9", allow them to live, so they can produce larger genetics for the future generation.

2. Don't release any injured fish. Keep them all. They're all good fish frys, regardless of their sizes.

3. Make sure to use circle hooks, sickle hooks, or even regular J-hooks, debarbed. Easier to remove, and much much less damage on the fish.

Approach in attacking the panfish:

a. Fly fishing flies. Yep..you got me right. Either be a slow sinker or a floater, fly fishing flies will nail them well.

b. Use 1/32oz to 1/64oz jigs during warm days. LedHed is infamous for his Auto-jig (chartreuse, olive, or reptile). You can tip it with a 1/4" segment of crawler, or a small worm for scent attractant. Don't use scent attractant. Won't work. Use crickets and mealworms to hammer BGs and REs. High color jigs with skirts will attract crappie. Jigs that create a lot of vibration will attract all panfish, including the larger species. I'm testing out LedHed infamous boilie jig of his design. I'm still new to his tying method, but I'm figuring things out bit by bit, and enhancing it as well as I study the ripple effects in the water when vibration is created by the rubber legs and propellers.

c. Use 1/80oz to 1/100oz jigs during cold days, tipped with waxworm, crickets, or crawler piece offering up to 1/2" and 3/4". Watch out for the bass, cat, and carp. They will attack that offering.

Thanks Leo , will try a little brighter colors and maybe grab some mealworms . Will be back out again on Thursday . Just trying to figure this whole jigging thing from a tube . to use a bobber or to not use a bobber ? just drifting the mealworm ? I am hardly a live bait guy.

I have read a ton of posts from you , natural lefty and a few others .

These darn Perris Crappie keep eluding me , I caught one last year on a super duper and it was like 4"

Also I practice catch and release a ton , all big units will always go back no questions asked .

WES

For Perris/Elsinore, if you're attacking the beds, bobber. Make sure to suspend the bait about 2 feet off the bottom between 5 to 8 feet of water. You can even suspend 2 feet from the surface, and they will still attack it near the beds.

If you're search along the drop-off zones, no need for bobber. Just make sure to suspend it about 4 feet off the bottom, between 10 to 16 feet of water. Most of them linger around 4 to 6 feet off the bottom. The water is clear enough for them to see the offering up to 10 feet off the bottom.

Went to Perris @ 6am  --- marabou jigs and slab daddy jigs in tow .. got  2 nice Redear and 3 Bluegills all released Safely from lots 11-12 ....  The crappie still remain elusive to me in there summer holding patterns , I just don't think my depth or area is correct .


Will try again ,  Tight Lines all 

Sorry to say misfitdog, but you're not going to find crappie along the sand beds from the east side (Parking lots 11&12) to the west side (the marina and beaches). You will find them in the weed beds near the dam, all over the eastern side, and all over the southern side. They've learned based on the fishing pressures from the past. You have to use the float tube or boat. They are between 4ft to 12ft of water, suspended. They move from point-to-point based on water temperature, and water rises. However, the trend is the same. They will station near heavy submerged weed beds, and under the overhanging structures, such as trees, submerged logs, etc.. This is where a fishfinder with DSI will be very very useful. A few masters of the lake will know exactly where these hotspots are. It took me a few times to map out all of these hidden jewels, but there are always more being created constantly. I'll provide you a few common places, and I'll leave the rest for you to search and enjoy on your own..can't give you too much spoils:

GPS: 33.8611, -117.1949
GPS: 33.86405, -117.18360
GPS: 33.87321, -117.15604
GPS: 33.86635, -117.15992
GPS: 33.86249, -117.16977
GPS: 33.86026, -117.15597
GPS: 33.86331, -117.15704


These are the common hunting ground. However, they migrate like crazy based on the fishing pressure.

TheAsianGuy , I would like to thank you for all the knowledge you share to everyone .. I am very close to the Fish it seems on my tube , I never fish the sandy beach . Always kicking my self way down the eat end . The weeds are insane !

I know there are crappie in the lake , but the only place i have ever caught one was in the launch area on the tube and it went a whole 3-4" maybe

This is why i love fishing a new species to myself  . its not about always about the catching its that feeling once you get the targeted fish your after!

After this it will be Cats on the tube another first lol

Glad to share the knowledge with fellow anglers.

Suggestion for you, if you haven't play around with fly jigs yet, look up online for LedHed's Auto Jig pattern. That jig is a freaking killer when it comes to panfish (bluegill or crappie). He also makes patterns for his propeller boolie, and belly spinners, as well as chubs. Us panfishermen are mimicking his ties right now. The ones over in the east coasts are hammering the panfishes using the jig patterns. We are blessed to have him shared his knowledge on the jigs. He's local, and famous at the Lake Perris.

Cats are very very easy to chase after. They're lurking in the shallow right now. Bullheads are everywhere. They will chase after any lure that creates tons of vibration in the water. This is where spinners come into play, with a nice crawler's offering. Bullheads don't care if the bait is dead or alive. Just make a lot of vibration. Channel cats, with a fat live crawler, will be the most enticing offering. However, a plastic 4" to 6" using a shakey head will nail them quite quickly. You just have to find them. You will not miss them on a fishfinder. The 20 to 40lbs will fill that fishfinder's screen. I discover quite few of them myself. Scared and excited the hell out of me at the same time.

Thanks Leo ,

 I will be out @ Perris on 6-21-13  ... I hope to get onto some fish  ..  Still not sure where i will launch as most of  the shallow water is just full of weeds  , especially on the east end  .. if i do launch there i will head to the south end

Indeed, try to launch from the Bernasconi side. Your best hope will be there as you hug the weedline during the early/late hours. Kick hard to get to tire reef near the south side of the island. They are all over the southern areas. You will probably see empty beds being filled back up with late spawning bluegills. Just nearby, you'll see overhanging structures (trees/shrubs/broken branches/rocks/tall weeds), and there will be plenty of crappie lurking between the depths of 4' to 18'.

Like I said, before you head out, try to mimic a few auto-jigs and spinner boilies. The best offerings with those jigs will be crickets and small 1/2" segment of crawlers as scent attractant.

Good luck, and report back.

Leo is the Man!

LOL 6AM is when the gate opens. Don't risk it by parking your car outside of the parking area, and hike in (too far). Pay $10, and have a peace of mind.

Oh, just a top note though, you might want to keep you eyes and ears out for Lake Elsinore if you're chasing crappies. It's a hot zone right now. I wish they improve the bluegills over there.

I have been to bernasconi side many of times , but never really kicked to the  backside of the island (hope its not a pain)  just its going to be a long kick over there as I am sure that most of the bank access is very overgrown .. Plus this time of yr the freaking rattlers are moving I see them around my house  evening and early morning. 


Elsinore you say ? been by it many of times but never fished it .. is it Shore and boat only ? or can you get tube access as well ?   anyhow If i hit that lake I would make sure that I was with someone or I would be very lost there lol 

 
had to replace 4 tires on 2 cars this last week and it set me back $600 .. and my fish finder is dead atm  , need  payday to come asap I am blind on the water

It's not too much of a pain. I've kicked along the southern shore plenty of time, and cut across to get to the island many times over. Of course, I just don't kick just to get there. I fish all along the southern areas. The fun part is when you hit that tire reef and the weed areas near the tire reef. Things lit up like a Christmas tree early in the morning. I normally use a beaten path to get to the island quickly as well. Like you said, it's overgrown with plants now, and rattlers, gopher snakes, and poisonous spiders are all out and about. Not fun to trek through there.

Elsinore is tube-able. Check in at ramp as part of the boating quagga-check procedure. Once checked in, kick to the southwest end, close to, but not into, the aquaculture preservation area. Fish between 6 to 22ft of water. Just make sure to keep your eyes peel for fast boaters that enter near shore, as well as your rods. Make sure your leaders are set at 18" of flouro of lead line, two hooks, split shot at least 8" above the hooks, OR, dropshot methods with 2 hooks, where the first hook is 14" above the sinker, and the net hook is 8" above the first hook. Offering should be a crawler on a bright colored feathered jig (chartreuse-yellow/olive-black crappie jig) for attractant.

You definitely need that fishfinder. Once you spot the panfish school, or bait ball, be ready for some rod bending.