Central Pennsylvania Fishing

Few fishermen would deny that live minnows are one of the best baits to use when fishing for old mister crappie. Minnows are my go to bait when the bite gets scarce or I’m looking to catch some nice sized slabs for dinner or fun. There are many ways to fish a minnow but in the spirit of keeping it simple I’ll focus on bobber fishing. Rigging a minnow for bobber fishing only requires three simple components; a hook, weight, and the bobber. Simple, yes…effective, certainly.

Hooks

There are a variety of hook that could be used for this application but I really like using a simple 1/32 oz. jig head. Depending on the size of the minnows I’m using I could go to a 1/16 oz. or down to a 1/64 oz. There are two advantages to using a jig head when fishing minnows under a bobber. First, the weight helps keep the minnow down in the strike zone. Second, if I decide to switch over to twister tail grub I can just change the minnow out for a grub.

Weights
I like to use a split shot several inches up from the hook when bobber fishing. This is done for two reasons. First, it helps add weight for a little longer cast. Second, minnows that are hooked have a tendency to surface. In particular, when their being chased by a school of crappie! A split shot placed several inches above the bait will help keep it at the depth the fish are holding.

Bobbers
There are probably more styles of bobbers on the market than an individual could use in a life time of fishing; bobbers that glow, bobbers with batteries, bobbers that make noises, even bobbers that look like your favorite cartoon character. Hey, I didn’t make this up. It can get a little confusing, but remember, I said we would keep things simple. Slip bobbers are “number one” on the list. They are extremely versatile and can help you get the bait where you want it. Most have some type of “stopper” that can be adjusted very easily while fishing This is important because, as most crappie fisherman know, depth is a key element in locating crappie.

Rigging
Before tying on a hook or placing weight on the line you will need to rig the slip bobber. There are typically instructions on the back of the packs when you buy them. I have included a picture below that will help illustrate what the finished rig will look like.

After tying on the hook, I place the weight about 6-8 inches above. I try to use a BB shot unless conditions dictate otherwise. For example if I’m fishing with larger minnows it may take more weight to keep them down or if I need to make longer casts additional weight may be necessary.

Crappie sized minnows are a little on the delicate side and can die easily when hooked. Minnows can be hooked through the back, through the tail, or lip hooked. Experience has taught me that minnows live longer if lip hooked. They also swim more naturally which I believe helps increase the catch. To make sure I’m not hooking anything extremely important to the survival of the minnow I hook the fish up through the upper lip with my hook point coming out one of the nostrils. This is fairly secure and the minnow will stay lively for quite some time.

Fishing
Crappie are schooling fish so when you find one there are almost certainly others close by. Key fishing targets are around submerged brush piles, blow downs, and rock points. When you cast to a likely spot let the bait sit and do the work. This is a particularly good approach on windy days when the water has a slight chop to it. The chop actually helps add action to your bait. Many times I will plan my cast so the wind helps move my bait through the area where the fish are holding.

On days when the wind is calm and the water is flat I like to reel the bait in a few inches very slowly then let is sit for a minute or so. I will repeat this until I’ve moved the bait out of the location where the fish are holding or, of course, until I get a bite!

There you have it; all the basic necessities for rigging and fishing live minnows for crappie. Now just add the crappie!

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