Might need to learn how to fish for crappie. Or, I can always chase blue gill I guess.
My recent reply to the same desire expressed to catch certain fish species:
I love chasing panfish of all types. Who am I kidding I chase all types of fish and usually am fishing for what ever I can beg to bite.
You said it all right there! The right lures used the proper way in the right location(s) always have the potential of catching whater has gills and fins from 4lb suckers to the smallest fish you ever caught. The more fish of any one species in a body of water, the more of them you are likely to catch.
LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION - #1 That's what
patterns are all about and they can vary from week to week, seasonally and from one water to another.
examples of two
location patterns:
lake #1
fish were found in the channels and off the edges of large, dying lily pads. Depth 6-7'. Open water - forget it.
lake#2
fish were found mostly in
open water in 7-8', half way down (nothing special about the bottom). Trolled to a spot and anchored when fish were caught in a certain direction. Picked up anchor and repeat when fish were found again.
Depth per the sonar and direction of the rod fighting a fish in open water on a windy day no less!:
What lures were used: the same ones I cast
all year long? :
soft plastics on light jigheads.
How presented:
slow with pauses
Fish caught: 3 species of sunfish, a few crapppie, small bass, y. and w. perch and one large pickerel. Total catch since last week between the two waters/ two outings?
59 fish per my counter.
The only way to target fish is by using lures that either fit in their mouths or don't. If I wanted to target bass, the lures would be on the large or heavier side; if I (like you) want to catch
any size fish that can be provoked into striking, small to medium size lures get it done.
Lure design is
very important regardless of water temperature. My aim is to
use whatever lure has the most action on the slowest retrieve. These little buggers and many like them were chomped on by different fish species.
Crappie Magnet tails:
Another lure had some tube tails attached:
Both tail shapes
quivered with least action applied or movement.
These and other lures with the same finesse action sometimes got struck
3 x on the
same retrieve.
Hope the above helps in some way or another.
