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How to Catch Crappie All Year, Even When They're Playing Hard to Get

Season-by-season tactics, tackle tips, and top gear picks to help you catch more crappie wherever you fish.

June 21, 2025

Whether you’re a bank beater with a bucket of jigs or a sonar-savvy angler with a trolling setup, crappie fishing never goes out of season. These freshwater panfish are aggressive, tasty, and more strategic than you might think—especially when weather and water temps shift. In this guide, we’ll break down exactly where crappie go throughout the year, how to find them, and the proven techniques that get results in spring, summer, fall, and even deep winter. From live bait basics to casting finesse jigs with light tackle, this is your all-seasons roadmap to crappie success.

10 Best Crappie Rod and Reel Combos

With the right gear, fishing for crappie can be exhilarating as hooking into a monster striped bass or 50+ pound tarpon. Check out the best crappie fishing combos on the market reviewed right here!

Feature

How to Catch Crappie: A Simple Guide for Every Season

Catching crappie—whether black or white—offers a mix of action, good eating, and simple fun. They’re found just about everywhere and once you understand where they hang out, what they eat, and how they behave, you’ll be able to catch them pretty consistently. Crappie fishing isn’t just for springtime either—you can find and catch these fish year-round. And since the world record crappie was caught recently in 2018 in Tennessee, every cast still holds some serious potential…

The Big Catch

Here they are—your catches, your stories, your proud moments on the water.
Submitted by you, shared by us. From record-setting lunkers to the ones that got away (but you got the photo!), every fish tells a tale. Big or small, it’s not just about the catch—it’s about the memory, the company, and the thrill of the fight. Thanks for letting us be part of your fishing story.

Captain Brian hooked a chunky inshore bonito on the fly 🎣

Breanne showed up strong for National Go Fishing Day 🎣

Fishmasters

Earned every wrinkle and regret.

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About Us

At Fishmasters, we live for the tug on the line, the splash of the catch, and the stories told around the campfire. Whether you're casting off a backcountry dock, chasing trophies offshore, or just getting your feet wet, we're your go-to source for fishing tips, gear guides, and destination deep-dives. We blend real-world know-how with a passion for the great outdoors—because fishing isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. Let’s make every cast count.