Some of the best crappie minnows you will want to use to catch crappies are 1 1/2 to 3 inch fathead minnows, shiners, and redbelly dace (rainbows).
Fathead minnows are one of the most common bait fish and they are used as
crappie live bait by my crappie anglers.The fathead minnow habitat includes
small lakes, ponds and sluggish creeks. They are found throughout most of North America.
The first ray of the dorsal fin is very short and the lateral band does not reach the eye.
The make is much darker then the female as the picture shows.
The lighter female is the preferred bait fish of many game fish.
You are probably familiar with the Rosy Red Fathead
Minnow Rosy red minnows are the commercially raised version
of the wild fathead minnow. They have the same looks except they are orange or pinkish in color. These crappie minnows are sold as rosy reds
at most all bait stores.
In some areas of the crappie's habitat range the Redbelly-Dace is used as crappie fishing live bait selection.
There are the northern redbelly dace and the southern redbelly dace and their habitat ranges an area west of the
Rockies, from the Hudson Bay to Oklahoma. They are fond mainly in boggy lakes and small to medium sized streams.
All Redbellies have a dark lateral band. they also have a reddish to yellowish belly.
As I stated above crappie like small shinners 1 1/2" to 3" long. What you need to be aware of, is that there are multiple
types of shinners and we think it is important to identify some of the more
common shinner sub-species .
The common shiner has a deep body and larger scales then most of the shiner species.
This shiner lives mainly in streams but also inhabits some clear water lakes.
They range from Southern Saskatchewan to Colorado and Eastward to the Atlantic Coast.
The emerald shiner has a blue green back and silver sides.
This shiner is found in Central Canada and the Eastern United States. It's habitat is large lakes ,
reservoirs, and rivers.159.75
The spottail shiner is found in large lakes in most of Canada and Northeastern United States.
The spottail is easily identified by the black spot found at the base of it's tail.
The back is pale olive and the sides are silvery. they are not commonly used as crappie live bait ,
but if you are fishing waters that are native to the spotted shiner you can use them to catch crappie.
The red shiner gets it name from the breeding male's redish head.
The red shiner has a deeper body then the common shiner.
They have a habitat area that covers from Southern United States and into Northeastern Mexico.
They live in small streams. The red shiner is a common shiner used as crappie live bait in the
sotuthern united states.
There are too types of shad that make great live bait one is the gizzard shad and the other is the threadfin shad.
The gizzard shad is much hardier of the two is the most common type bait fish used for fishing. If you have gizzard shad native
to your favorite crappie fishing hole you should use this type of shad as a seroius crappie live bait choice. You will not find any shad
in a bait shop, you will have to catch them yourself and use them as crappie as soon as they are caught. These bait fish will not last
long in a bait bucket.The gizzard shad has it's habitat in inland rivers and reservoirs throughout most
of the Midwest and Eastern United States. The gizzard shad has a dark silvery body with and a long ray at the rear
of the dorsal fin and a dark spot behind the head.
Many crappie anglers do not take advantage of the fact that the majority of the crappie species eats small crayfish daily as part of their daily diet.
There are more then 500 species of crayfish that a habitat that includes North American waters. Crayfish are fond in ponds, roadside ditches,
natural or man made lakes, fast flowing streams and sluggish rivers. Just about anywhere there is standing freshwater
you will find some kind of crayfish. When selecting crayfish to use as crappie live bait catch crayfish 2" and under to use as crappie bait.
Common Aquatic Insects Used For Live Bait
All freshwater gamefish habitats include many types of aquatic insects which are a important food source and a underused
live bait choice by most crappie fisherman. Actually if you Fly fisherman understand that gamefish feed on aquatic insects and
they try to exploit it. Journeyman fly fisherman match the hatch of these insects at different times of the year when they select
what flies to use. There is a great deal of difference between these insects but one thing that they all have in common is a very
long immature form or larva form that for some aquatic insects lasts for 6 months or more. We will identify the most popular of
the aquatic insects that can be used for crappie live bait.
Mayflies, Larva Shown In Picture Mayflies often are called wigglers in their nymph form and the wigglers make great live bait.
They live in the water at this stage of their lives. They have a large head and on their abdomen they have three long tail filaments
sticking out and a set of gills. On their main body closer to the head they have one set of what is called a wing pad.
The adult mayfly called a spinner have upright wings that are clear in color. We use the mayfly as an example of the
typical life cycle of aquatic insects. Although other aquatic life cycles are not identical, they are similar to the mayfly
and you can get a general understanding of aquatic insects. If you can find a mayfly hatch happening use your fly rod and get
some flies that look like a mayfly larva. If there is a mayfly hatch going on , chances are there are a number of
crappie gourging themselves on these insects. You will have the time of your life catching crappie with either live larve or
some imatations.. The mayfly's life cycle consists of four stages as identified below.
Stage 1 Adult mayflies male , and female mate in mid air while they are flying.
The female will then deposit her eggs in the water, where the eggs will stick to plants, rocks,and various debris on the bottom.
Stage 2 The eggs hatch in about 6 months and the hatch lings are called nymphs. The nymphs then burrow
deep into the mud or other debris on the bottom and feed on micro organisms for several more months. During this time they go
through many body changes that are called molts.
Stage 3 Once the nymphs are finished molting and they reach their adult forms they swim to the surface
and shed the skin of there nymph form and they fly off to let their wings dry. The are called a dun or subimago at this stage.
Stage 4 Within a couple of the days the mature dun molts into mature adult. They then fly off and mate
with other adults and lay their eggs. Within a couple a days after they lay the eggs they die.
Wax Worms
Wax worms measure between 1/2 to 1inch in length and are a common crappie live bait used for all types of panfish. They work great to add a live bait touch
when using crappie fishing jigs. Most all bait stores have a good supply of them.
The wax worm is the larva of the bee moth. Wax worms have a cream colored body divided into noticeable segments, and dark brown head.
