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Crappie may not get super huge, but if you can find one of them, you can usually find dozens more. This is no truer than during the spring spawning season, where for a couple of months crappie gather in huge numbers in the shallows. This is when you want to go fishing for crappie.
Of course, you do need the right gear and bait for the job, and in terms of crappie fishing, the rod you have is very vital to your success. Did you know that crappie fishing rods can be up to 16 feet in length?
Sure, it might look and sound ridiculous, but there is a good reason for it. Let’s talk about crappie fishing, go over some tips, and figure out why crappie rods are so long.
A Good Fishing Rod Length For Crappies
Did you know that crappie rods are super long? Yes, it is true, crappie rods are indeed very long, averaging anywhere from 10 to 16 feet in length. As you might recognize, when it comes to fishing rods, this is about as long as it gets.
No, the reason why crappie fishing rods are so long is not just because bigger is always better, well, not always. There are actually a few different reasons why you want to use a really long rod when crappie fishing, up to 16 feet long. This may sound like a bit of overkill, but there is a good reason for it.
Why Does A Long Rod Help For Crappie Fishing
So, as you probably know by now, different types of fishing require different fishing rod lengths. There are a few different factors which will determine what kind of fishing rod you use, mainly in terms of the length.
Factors like the type and size of fish, the cover or area you are fishing from, the time of year, and the behavior and location of the fish you are going for all work towards determining the length of your rod.
There are many good reasons why you will want to use a super long rod for crappie fishing. Sure, your reach has something to do with it, but there is a lot more to why using a long rod for crappie fishing is the best way to go.
So, what are the benefits and drawbacks of the long rod? Why are crappie rods so long?
1. A Quiet Approach
The first reason why crappie rods are so long is so you can make a quiet approach. This is especially important if you are fishing from a kayak or boat. During the spring when crappie spawn, they can be quite skittish, and they also love to hangout in shallow waters that are heavily planted.
When you are on a kayak, it can be hard to get really close to crappies without scaring them away. They have good hearing and they can feel you coming, so the farther away from the fish you can be when casting your rod, the better.
At the same time, if you are fishing from the shore, you don’t have to get your feet wet if you have a long rod. The point here is that a longer rod allows for a much quieter approach to your targets.
2. A Long Reach
Another big benefit that you get from using a super long rod when crappie fishing is that your reach is much longer. Casting a short rod takes quite a bit or muscles, it requires a lot of movement, and it makes quite a bit of noise too.
All of these things will scare crappie away from you, thus making it much more difficult to catch them. However, with a long rod, you don’t have to cast as hard, thus reducing movement and noise, ultimately leading to crappies which might not swim away from you right away.
Moreover, a line and bait that comes flying in real fast and plunks into the water is going to scare crappie away as well. With a super long rod, you can more or less hold the tip of the rod over the area where you want to fish and let the line and bait just drop directly down into the water from a limited height.
This will reduce noise, movement, and the plunking of the bait hitting the water. It just makes it much easier to catch these elusive fish.
3. No Snagging The Line
Finally, the other reason why crappie rods are so long is due to line snagging. As we mentioned before, crappie are most active just before and during the spawning season. During these times, they love to be in shallow water with lots of rocks, stumps, weeds, and other obstacles.
If you cast your bait and reel it back it, chances are it is going to get snagged on something, probably snapping the line.
However, with a really long rod, just like we mentioned above, you can just drop the line and bait in right on top of the crappies. You don’t really have to cast at all, just hold the tip over the fishing area and let your line and bait slowly go down into the water.
This means that you can also pull it back up vertically, instead of in a horizontal manner, thus reducing the chances of a snag occurring.
We have covered how to use Crappie Jig properly over at this article.
Doodlesocking – The Long Pole Crappie Fishing Technique
Yes, of course, doodlesocking is a hilarious and ridiculous name for a fishing technique, but boy is it ever effective when it comes to fishing for crappies, especially in the springtime spawning seasons. We already talked about doodlesocking above, but we did not call it by its name.
The doodlesocking fishing technique is where instead of casting your rod, you simply let the tip of the rod hang over the exact area where you want to fish and the let the bait and line go vertically down into the water. As we mentioned before, a quiet approach and a lack of line snagging is the main goal of the doodlesocking fishing technique.
Of course, there are a couple of drawbacks to using a 10 or 16 foot long fishing pole. One drawback is a decisive lack of portability. Yes, these things are big and they can be fairly heavy, so getting them into your car and onto your kayak can be a problem.
However, there is a solution to this and it comes in the form of a telescopic fishing rod. A telescopic fishing rod can be 6 or 7 feet long, but if you buy the right one, it can extend to 14 feet, thus solving this issue (we have covered our top 10 here if you need help).
Other Crappie Fishing Tips
- When it comes to crappie fishing, using a live bait is usually considered best. Crappie love to eat minnows, so using minnows or other such live bait is preferable.
- Using an 8 or 10 pound test line is usually more than enough for crappies. The line should definitely be super invisible and light so crappies cannot see it coming.
- In terms of your tackle, using a neutral or sinking hook or bait is usually best. Crappie do like to be in the shallows during spawning season, but they might not always come up to the surface to eat, so you do need something that can sink down a little bit.
Related;
- Can you buy Crappie from the store?
Conclusion
At the end of the day, in the case of crappie fishing, bigger and longer is better, at least in terms of your fishing rod. Remember guys, crappies scare easily and they like to be in places where lines can easily get snagged. Using a super long fishing rod for crappie fishing during the springtime spawning season is by far the best way to go.
