When crappie are feeding, they might hit a jig or a skirted hook, but everything tastes better with a Missouri (aka Arkansas) minnow on the back.
Crappie pro Doug Cherry said he’ll carry 2 pounds of minnows on an average trip. He might not end up using them all, but it’s better to have them and not need them than to run out of fresh ammo.
“I always like to keep fresh minnows (deployed) because crappie won’t hit a dead minnow,” Cherry noted.
Hooking minnows through the lips (bottom-to-top) keeps them securely fastened and irritates them into constant activity, but doesn’t overly stress the baits into quick demise.
Cherry’s partner Mark Williams shares the fresh-bait philosophy, keeping minnows in a 40-quart Engel live-bait cooler with a 12-volt air pump and an aeration donut. Williams also uses U2 Pro Formula Live Well Treatment to make the cool water cozier for his minnows.
To further bolster his live bait’s potential, Williams will scoop a couple dozen minnows into a smaller Frabill aerated cooler that he keeps close to the bow for quick access. Segregating the “active” team from the larger group benefits anglers and baitfish.
“This allows me to operate (more efficiently) without stressing out all the baits in the main cooler,” Williams said.
Cherry said that, while he and Williams mostly use the small to medium-sized minnows, he’ll occasionally carry a few of the giant 4-inchers known as “sardines” and add one to the top arm of a double rig. It’s rare to find a crappie that can eat such a chunk, but the vibration and intense display that one of these whoppers makes will draw attention to the smaller, more-manageable baits.
This tactic, Cherry said, is particularly effective in stained, muddy water.
