Want to enjoy a crappie day on the water in Idaho? Here’s how to reel in the tasty fish
Our boat buzzed along, the faint hum of the motor barely audible above the steady waves of C.J. Strike Reservoir. Two rods subtly bounced in their respective holders as we trolled through the breeze.
“There’s a fish!” I said, grabbing a doubled-over rod and handing it to my three-year-old daughter, Quinn. “Crank him in!”
While Quinn reeled, I saw our other rod lurch forward. I grabbed it and quickly brought a 14-inch crappie to the net, which I then used to scoop Quinn’s catch, another nice crappie.
“Get ‘em back out!” I shouted, sending one lure back down while Quinn proudly carried the crappies to the livewell. I hadn’t even let out 30 feet of line when I felt the thrash of another slab crappie snapping up the crankbait.
I smiled. These moments of frantic catching are what having a crappie day is all about.
Schools in session
There’s a reason we hooked three crappies in rapid succession: Crappie live in massive schools, which they use as protection from predators as well as a means of rounding up prey. On a boat with a fish finder, schools of crappie appear as huge clouds on the screen. If you pass over one, odds are some bites are near at hand.
This schooling behavior makes crappie an ideal species to target with kids and beginners. Find one fish, and you’ll usually find a pile. As a bonus, crappies are great eating, with white, flaky flesh that crisps up perfectly in the frying pan.
Trolling along
In warm water, crappie often hang out within 20 feet of the surface. This makes them ideal targets for trolling with small crankbaits. Simply drive along at about 2 mph, keeping the boat in water at least a couple feet deeper than your lure’s diving depth. When a fish hits, reel it in steadily — and keep a sharp eye on your other rods!
Idaho has two species of crappie: black and white. White crappie have a longer, more slender build, with vertical bars on the sides. Black crappie are shorter and stouter with a checkerboard-type pattern and no bars. Most trolling catches are white crappie, which love eating smaller fish.
Trolling can be dynamite in summer and early fall (and can be done year-round with downriggers), but when colder water temps send crappie offshore, there’s often a better way to reach them …
Get jiggy with it
The most common way to catch crappie is with small panfish jigs, often tipped with a piece of worm or Power Bait. This will catch fish year-round, but it is most effective late fall through spring, when crappie schools are often found 30 to 50 feet below the surface.
For jigging, an ultralight spinning rod spooled with six-pound line is ideal. Crappie are subtle biters, and using lighter gear is helpful for feeling the take. I often fish with two jigs on my line, and catching “twins” (two fish at once) is possible when the bite is hot. Bonus fish, including bass, trout, catfish and perch are common bycatch for crappie anglers. And while a boat certainly helps, crappie jigs can be deployed from shore as well — usually under a slip bobber in areas where the water drops off quickly from the bank.
It has been a boom year for crappie at C.J. Strike. Other popular fisheries include Owyhee Reservoir (which is also loaded this year), Brownlee Reservoir and Crane Creek Reservoir. This time of year, the fish are likely transitioning to deeper water. With a handful of jigs or some slow-trolled crankbaits, chances are good you can enjoy a crappie day of your own. Tight lines!
Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures and questions with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com, or visit www.tightlines208.com for the latest local fishing reports and upcoming class offerings.
