Crappie fly fishing

[swampsinger 0]

I target crappies at a specific time of year every year. They follow the spawning baitfish into the shallow warming water or current areas to feed on them. Generally 2 to 3 weeks before our trout season opens. Its a nice warm up for casting etc. and I keep a lot for the table. I use weighted and unweighted versions of philly's fly and keep it simple.

[Flicted 0]

Old post but since it's my favorite warm water species on the fly, I thought I'd chime in. Most people catch crappie on minnow imitations because that's what most people use. It really depends on the location and time of year. Best rule of thumb is always, "What are they eating?". Crappie (even up to 10-14") eat what they have available to include aquatic insects. My favorite local lake in early spring and late fall is teeming with midges. When the water is still, you can see where large schools of crappie and some bluegill are feeding just under the surface. When you look into these feeding schools, you don't see schools of baitfish as expected but emerging migdes. I have seen several times where the crappies would eat flies 10:1 vs live minnows. Although some of my favorites could imitate a very small minnow, the most productive in very early spring and very late fall are small, gray nymphs (you have to try "The Gimp). Late Spring and summer, I catch more on damsel nymphs and bucktail minnow patterns such as the Black Nosed Dace.

[DarrellP 0]

Now you got me thinking... I live on a Good crappie lake, but have not targeted them.

[Flicted 0]

They can be caught year-round of course, but they are easier to reach with a fly in the spring and late fall.

[RickZieger 0]

Got two today using a black marabou leech on a 1/8 oz jig head.

This was in a 5 acre pond.

 

Rick

[tjm 0]

off topic just a bit, but the standard-buy-anywhere-on sale cheap marabou crappie jig is my top smb & goggle eye fly, white, yellow or black are my best colors, usually-and will take any crappie in the creek also. (over 1/16oz need to trim the heads down and tight loops are hazardous)

[Flicted 0]

My favorite flies this year have been "The Gimp" and also a very small beaded wooly bugger in black with a few strands of red crystal flash added. On the smaller size buggers, I use the fluff from saddle hackles as marabou and I use black ice dub for the body. I also rib the dubbing with red crystal flash. If I was half the photographer as you folks on here, I'd throw in some pictures.

[mikechell 0]

We don't care if the pictures are perfect ... we just like to see pictures !!! Post 'em up, Flicted !!! Please?

[Flicted 0]

This is the micro Wooly Bugger in size 12

 

This is the Gimp in size 12

 

Not sure how they'll turn out. Loading pictures is a pain in the butt. Guess I should try it more often so I remember how.

[mikechell 0]

Pictures look fine ... and the flies look like fish catchers.

[tjm 0]

qimp looks really fishy, I need to make some of those.

[Flicted 0]

At the base of each Amherst Pheasant Tippet is the "Gimp Feather". Looks like they were stripped from this picture. Two feathers are used for each fly. I attached a PDF file that gives a history and description.

Lacey-Gees-Gimp---Winter-2008.pdf

[tjm 0]

thanks for that pdf file, I own that little green book; but, it's been a long time since I looked at it.

[Flicted 0]

Im not sure where I got it. Long time ago.