Dipping for Crappie: Try These Proven Vertical Tactics to Slay Slabs

Black crappie, often called speckled perch or specks, are one of Florida’s most popular freshwater species. They are caught using a variety of techniques: simple bobber fishing from shore, fishing off bridges, drifting or slow-trolling by boat, perhaps employing an arsenal of long poles arrayed around a boat at night (it’s well-known that crappie are attracted to lights).

Crappie are plentiful and good tablefare. On a few water bodies, like Lakes Okeechobee and Talquin, they have a minimum legal length of 10 inches to keep, but any fish that bests 12 inches can be easily called a “slab.” These are black crappie; Florida does not have any white crappie, which are common in some northern states. The state record for the black crappie in Florida is 3.83 pounds. It was taken on Lake Talquin in north Florida in 1992.

White and flaky fillets are what anglers dream about, and every winter here, speck spawning season renews anglers’ affection for these fish. At other times of year, the fish suspend in the open waters of rivers and lakes, where they can be hard to find without expensive sonar gear. In winter and early spring, when they move into shore cover to spawn, everyone knows where they are.

Spawning usually coincides with the moon phases in January and February as large groups of fish come and go for about two months out of the year.

Here is where it gets interesting. Florida’s shallower waters teem with many types of weed growth, water plants and grasses. These tangled, matted clusters of vegetation are where crappie do their procreation business. Anglers who can successfully deal with the abundant vegetation can easily fill their 25-fish per-person limit with some tried and true techniques. One is “dipping for slabs.”

Dipping is a technique where anglers use long, sensitive rods. Most have either no reels or a simple reel that holds additional line in case you snag and have to re-rig. I prefer the 13-foot dipping rods made by Fenco; they are sensitive, lightweight and a manageable length, with the tip and backbone to launch a slab speck out of the heaviest cover. Also, you will not need a HELOC loan to purchase a few of them as they are reasonably priced.

When dipping, do not be surprised if a bass happens to take your offering. My biggest bass landed to date was a recent 9.46-pounder out of Lake Okeechobee. Quite a feat when you consider I had no reel and was working with only 5 feet of line tied to the tip of my 13-foot dipping stick! That big bass bit exactly like a crappie and when I went to set the hook, the pole slammed down into the water and the slugfest continued for about 5 minutes until the beast was pulled in for a quick pic and immediate release.

The hit that I was speaking about is a distinct “tap” you feel on the long pole. When that happens, you have to sharply set the hook as you launch the fish up out of the tangled vegetation. There is no room for delay; launch that crappie skyward or risk immediate tangle in the matted grasses or reeds. Make it fast. Lifting straight up on any bite is your best shot at putting that fish on ice. Pulling on a hooked fish on an angle instead of straight up can result in quite a mess and usually the fish is lost in the tangle. You’ll learn quickly in this area, minimizing time spent re-rigging.

With a 13-foot pole, once you have your fish out of the water, trying to grab it with only 5 feet of line may prove awkward. What works for me is I simply let the pole slide backwards into the water and deal with unhooking the fish instead of trying to reach for the fish. Remember that these poles have no reels on them, so getting them wet does no harm. Be sure you use some type of fish-counting device as the fish tend to come quickly and any miscount could prove expensive at the dock. The limits are generous, so please be exact on your counting procedures.

I prefer to use 30-pound test braided line, which is roughly the same diameter as 8-pound-test monofilament. The braid—I use PowerPro brand—has the strength to easily straighten the hooks of small jigs when they become snagged, and that’s helpful when dipping for crappies. You will snag up!

On typical Florida lakes, the water is somewhat cloudy and stained and the fish do not seem overly cautious or line-shy when biting. I have used both monofilament and PowerPro and PowerPro can take the beating while the mono weakens quickly from the constant abuse of heavy combat tactics.

Dark green is the line color that works best for me. However, I have had good results lately using bright yellow PowerPro and dyeing the last two feet black with a permanent marker. I do this so the line is easier to see in that tangle of bulrush, Kissimmee grass, gator grass and the dollar pads we fish in. Most times I am fishing in less than 5 feet of water, so darkening the last several feet of line camouflages the bright yellow line from the fish, yet still allows me to see where the line is located above the water and grass line. I like to keep my tip about a foot of line above the water when I am jigging. The distance that shows above the water tells me how deep I am fishing my jig. It is good to know if the bite is coming at 3 feet or 4 feet or wherever.

Crappie have a habit of suspending in the water column and seeming reluctant to change levels. Presenting your jig at the level fish are suspended puts your bait in front of more fish during the day. This is especially helpful in the taller bulrush and longer vegetation where fish visibility is restricted from the bottom to the top instead of grass that simply covers the surface. Knowing if you are over or under or around something is important, and using the brightly colored line aids in that. Any trick I can use to make this type of fishing easier is certainly worth trying.

When dipping, I favor a jig and soft plastic body or a jig dressed to imitate a small minnow. The preferred jigs are 1⁄16-ounce jigs that mimic grass shrimp or small minnows. I like white-and-gray and white-and-blue to start in the mornings, then I will switch to brighter colors like pinks and chartreuse once the sun gets a little higher towards noon or so.

I use the plain jig without any bait on it, as with all the snags I am fishing, you will usually lose any bait you tip your jig with. If the fish see your jig and if they are responding to the right color, they are fairly aggressive biters. They may show a preference for one color one day and time then switch colors the following day. Experiment with colors until you hit on a winning color or combination. At the local tackle store, look at the jigs and see which packs are missing the most or better yet ask the counter help what colors work best in their local waters. Also, if fishing in new waters it may pay to hire a local guide for a day to get a handle on how they catch fish.

Be sure to examine the stomach contents of your specks while cleaning them, as they leave clues behind. This information can help you on future trips. I once saw fairly large shad in the bigger fish one trip and switched to a larger jig the next time and was rewarded with larger than average fish. It pays to pay attention.

Weather and time of day are variables to consider. In the earlier hours before the sun gets up, the fish seem to prefer the outer edges of cover. Almost like they are waiting for a passer-by to snare. As the sun climbs higher, I have better results by going toe to toe in the thickest cover I can find.

I like to lift and jig at least four or five times in a spot, then allow the jig to rest. Many times, when the jig is sitting still, the hits occurs. If I do this several times and get no hit, I will find another suitable opening to slowly drop the jig into and lift and repeat and lift and repeat the rest of the day. By day’s end I will usually have a nice limit of the best tasting panfish that Florida has to offer. Lake Okeechobee, the Kissimmee River, and several other well-known places in Florida offer some mighty fine crappie fishing. The best part is after the trip when those golden fillets come out of the deep fryer and are placed on your soft tacos with homemade salsa and sour cream.

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• This article was featured in the December-January issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe.

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