Small minnows are the best bait for springtime crappie fishing, according to veteran Clarks Hill crappie fisherman and fishing guide William Sasser.
“I always use small shiners on a No. 1 Aberdeen hook, with a No. 7 or No. 5 split shot. I normally use 8-pound-test line on 5- to 51/2-foot, open-faced spinning outfits. Ten-pound test line is okay and 6-pound line works fine if you are pulling jigs, but 8-pound test line is a good medium when you are fishing over brush.”
Although some fishermen prefer to hook the minnow through the lips or eye sockets, Sasser hooks them in the back.
“I don’t really think it determines whether you catch a fish or not, but that was how I was taught to do it,” he said.
But there is a more practical reason he uses this particular hooking method, especially if he is guiding clients for crappie.
“If the minnow is hooked through the lips or eyes it’s hard to tell if you still have a minnow on the hook when you pull up on the rod, but if it’s hooked in the back you can feel it when you pull,” he said.
Be the first to comment