By Brad Wiegmann

When it comes to catching crappie there are several techniques you can use. Of course spider rigging is popular along with long lining. However, just casting for crappie would be the number one way with crappie anglers.

Now there is more to casting for crappie than flipping the bail and raring back and casting a lure. An angler has to be casting to where the crappie are and what they would bite to catch them. It doesn’t matter if you are on the bank fishing or in a boat casting can be a great way to catch them.

For crappie anglers the best time to cast for crappie is in the springtime when crappie are up shallow spawning. Crappie will get up on the bank searching for spawning area and will make nest around cover or structure. Making target specific casts to cover and structure is the best way to catch crappie.

“Casting is a great way to catch crappie especially in the spring when the crappie are up shallow. Anyone can cast a live minnow or lure during that season and catch a lot of big crappie,” said B’n’M’ crappie pro staffer Brad Taylor.

It’s not just Brad Taylor using a spinning rod and reel when casting for crappie. His daughter, Allie Bre, one of his favorite fishing partners also loves to cast and catch crappie. “It’s a great time to take out your children and let them cast out a live minnow or lure by themselves without having to help them cast and they can honestly catch a fish by themselves,” said Taylor.

One of Taylor’s favorite crappie fishing spots is the renowned Grenada Lake in Mississippi. “Early in the year, I like to fish the grass on Grenada Lake since there is no structure to speak of here. I will fish with a live minnow or Southern Pro Lit’l Hustler 1 ½-inch tube rigged on a 1/32- or 1/16-ounce jig head,” said Taylor.

For live minnows, Taylor uses a #2 Eagle Claw 214EL light wire hook and #4 split shot. “Since the water is muddy on Grenada Lake, I can rig up with 8 pound test fishing line when fishing with live minnows or even tubes,” said Taylor. Taylor likes to rig it with a cork and keep the tube lure just above where the crappie are located. “Most the time on Grenada, I’m in about three feet of water catching them,” said Taylor.

Casting can be challenging for the novice angler, however, a spinning reel can help eliminate some of the problems associated with casting especially live minnows or lightweight lures. Spinning reels have a fixed spool that doesn’t rotate. Instead the fishing line flows off the spool by being pulled from the weight of the lure.

WaveSpin spinning reels not only let line off when casting, but they are guaranteed to not tangle. Seriously, they are guaranteed to not tangle, but they also feature the patented WaveSpin Spool design that increases casting distance. The revolutionary spool features a row of teeth all slanted in one direction with gaps between the teeth reducing friction at the same time eliminating tangles; in addition to having aluminum spools, all metal gears, over-sized line roller, infinite anti-reverse and an exclusive 10 disc drag system.

Spinning reels can also be converted from either a right or left hand retrieve. All of the WaveSpin Reels can be converted quickly and ready to use in less than a minute. WaveSpin Reels ZTR, DHxL and DHz models feature a comfortable grip handle and the WaveSpin Legend 250 model a super soft EVA handle grip.

Two anglers that don’t have any problems casting spinning rods and reels are B’n’M’s pro staff manager Kent Driscoll and B’n’M’ pro staffer/Grenada Lake fishing guide John Harrison who fish together in crappie tournaments. Both like to cast spinning rods and reels especially to stake beds. Stake beds are man-made structure commonly constructed from wood or PVC pipe to attract crappie.

“When fishing stake beds, we approach them going into the wind because we can control the boat better and lets us keep our distanced from the stake bed,” said Harrison.

“We use live minnows, live minnows rigged on a jig with a soft plastic body or a 1/16-ounce jig. Normally, we will just cast past the stake bed and twitch it, pause, twitch, pause retrieve back through the stake bed,” said Driscoll.

When it comes to crappie rods Taylor, Driscoll, and Harrison like using the B’n’M’ Poles Sam’s Super-Sensitive 7-Foot Crappie Rod or Buck’s Graphite Crappie Spinning rod. Both are lightweight graphite rods design just for casting live minnows or casting lures.

Spinning reels and rods make casting live minnows and lures so easy any angler can do it. They make catching crappie fun, but make casting and catching crappie is even more fun.

Brad Wiegmann

Online Contributor

Brad Wiegmann just wants to fish, but his wife told him to get a job so he works as a freelance outdoor writer and photographer when not fishing. Brad has written for countless magazines and websites, and been featured, which includes Arkansas Sportsman, Southern Outdoors, Outdoor Life, and Bassmaster. Besides being a freelance outdoor writer and photographer, Brad also has his own award winning website www.BradWiegmann.com.