Call them what you like: papermouths, sac-a-lait, slabs, or crappie--they’re just plain fun to catch!
And as crappie fanatics can attest, a good crappie rig is just what you need, whether you prefer trolling deep water with a boat full of rods or casting near the vertical cover they’re known to love.
If you need a new crappie rig or just want to brush up your skills, we’ve got you covered.
So keep reading!
Table of Contents (clickable)
In addition to high-quality monofilament line in the 4- to 6-pound range, you’ll need a small assortment of things to assemble your rigs. And with this list in hand, you’re covered for all of them! Check out top rated crappie fishing line!
We’ve written about crappie hooks before, and old slab hunters will know exactly why we recommend light wire Aberdeen hooks for crappie. But if you’re new to the sport, you may not know that crappie have fragile mouths, earning their nickname “papermouths.”
As a result, you want to run a larger hook than you might expect.
Stock up on #2, #4, and even a few #1 size hooks.
The Thill Crappie Cork is our favorite slip float by a mile. Available in known buoyancies, you can match your jigs and split shot to these numbers and know that the float will sit perfectly in the water.
High-visibility, dependable, and pretty much bomb-proof, I can’t think of a slip float I’d rather throw.
Thill Crappie Corks come with a knot-style float stop that works really well. But it won’t last forever, and you’ll need replacements.
I like soft silicone float stops like these from Mimilure. They’re a snap to use and work for quite a while.
Some crappie rigs demand three-way swivel, and the best design is clearly the T-style, as it cuts down on tangles, especially with live minnows.
By allowing fully 360-degrees of swimming freedom, it’s almost impossible for a minnow to wrap itself around your main line.
While traditional sinkers work, I like pencil-style sinkers best because they don’t get caught on debris as easily as other shapes. And given the kind of cover crappie love, you’ll quickly come to appreciate this option.
Perhaps the simplest crappie rig, and often the most effective, the humble Slip-Float Rig is a deadly option whether you’re running live bait or jigs.
We’ve written about slip floats before, extolling their virtues versus conventional bobbers, and if you’re unsure why a slip float is the way to go, you might want to check that article out: Slip floats for crappie fishing
I strongly recommend the Thill.
The idea behind a slip float is to allow for accurate casts while still controlling the depth of an angler’s terminal tackle. This is accomplished through simple design: the float slips along the line, coming to rest on a float stop that’s easily adjusted.
Slip floats are ridiculously easy to rig.
To assemble this rig, follow these steps:
If you decide to run a bare hook and minnow, you may want to crimp a bit of split shot a few inches up from your hook.
Ideal for trolling but a pain in the neck to cast, the Three-Way Swivel Rig is a fantastic option for running multiple options simultaneously. And since crappie can be finicky at times, especially when the summer water temperatures soar, this rig is exceptional for figuring out what they’re biting.
This is probably my favorite option for spider rigging, and when tied properly, it’s pretty much no-hassle.
Some slab hunters use standard three-way swivels, but they create main line angles that are less than optimal. I recommend three-way T-swivels instead. And if you switch out a standard sinker for pencil-style, you’ll experience fewer snags, too.
To assemble this rig, follow these steps:
Many double-hook or double-jig crappie rigs are a real pain to cast, invariably tangling in mid-air and catching nothing at all but headaches.
But by varying the weights of the jig, shortening one line, and using a simple loop, you can cast a double-rig like nobody’s business, hassle-free!
When I’m casting with two jigs, this is the rig I’ll tie every time.
To assemble this rig, follow these steps:
When the crappie are holding deep, you want a rig that allows you to run a jig or minnow about a foot off the bottom without getting snagged.
The Bottom-Bouncer Rig does just this.
The long pencil sinker sports a wire tail that runs across the bottom, keeping your jig or minnow at just the right height for strikes, while dodging snags however bad they get.
You can make this rig from separate parts, but it’s at least 4 times as expensive as buying them already put together by Eagle Claw.
The Drop-Shot Rig isn’t just for largemouth bass: it’s an effective way to present a finesse bait or live minnow near the bottom while keeping you in control of the depth.
Many anglers use a slip shot or a standard sinker with this rig, but I’ve had the best luck with a pencil-style sinker as they don’t get hung up as much. That said, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of split shot if that’s what you have handy.
To assemble this rig, follow these steps:
Crappie fishing is a great way to spend a weekend, and whether you search sunken brush piles for hungry slabs, throw slip floats up among stumps, or troll the depths when the heat’s on, you need good rigs to get you catching.
We hope this article has helped, and if it has, we’d love to hear from you.
Please leave a comment below!
