Flatlining for Crappie

[Hallal]

I was reading through an issue of Kentucky Game&Fish and found an article about Flatlining for Crappie. It also goes by the name of long lining, fast trolling, or just trolling. Basicaly you set out several lines with the poles all rigged up in rod holders out of the back of the boat. Then you troll around adjusting the baits at different depths and different speeds using different baits until you find something that works. Rig all the poles up with the winning combo and start slaying the crappie.

I was just wondering does anyone have any experiance with this method. The article plugged several brands of equipment, etc. So it kind of seemed almost like an article written by the same company selling the equipment.

Thanks for the feedback

[jdattilo]

That's about the only way I fish for them anymore. It really is as easy as the article makes it seem. Toss out a 1/8 ounce curly tail, set the trolling motor on 2 and take off. At Kentucky Lake, we can outfish our purist jig throwing buddies 4 to 1. Obviously, it's more fun to throw jigs, but the amount of water you can cover while trolling and the abundance of bites makes it hard to beat. I jacked the technique from an old timer on Rough River who I watched go back and forth down the edge of the old channel and catch fish after fish all day .... Jason

[Rat]

Agreed. Trolling or drifting for Crappie is much better than casting for them. We drift several different combinations/colors of jigs tipped with minnows and also drift plain minnows at different heights to find the fish. Sometimes they bite everything and you just keep trolling or drifting and catching them. Don't be afraid to troll or drift over the same area you just went over 10 minutes before and caught several. Chances are you will pick up more each time.

[Hallal]

that is pretty great news. It sounds like an easy way to get your live well full then a guy could fish around to have a little fun.

[Multidigits]

I've seen pros do this on Reelfoot with a dozen or more rods out in the bow and that many or more in the boack out both sides. It will keep you too busy to use minnows this way, so they have to be on jigs. Plus, if you drift into a brush pile submerged, then your hung up pretty bad. I prefer a crappie pole and normally have 2 or 3 out with minnows, all rigged with a slip bobber. Use 14lb. test and a wire hook. If you get hung, the hook will bend out and release before the line breaks off.

[Hallal]

I talked to another good fishing buddy of mine he says he has seen others do this out off of the front of the boat and called it Spider Riging. Basically 12 ft crappie poles in the middle decreasing in size until you get to the sides. Use as many as you boat will allow and you can handle. He has never tried it himself.

So for those that have actually tried this. Where have you had more luck off the front or out the back.

[quackrstackr]

Flatlining and spider rigging are two different concepts.

Spider rigging is strictly a vertical presentation with the line remaining pretty much directly down in front of the boat. Flatlining is more like regular trolling with excess line flowing out the back and you use trolling speed or drift along with that line length to control your depth.

[BuckUp]

Flatlining and spider rigging are two different concepts.

Spider rigging is strictly a vertical presentation with the line remaining pretty much directly down in front of the boat. Flatlining is more like regular trolling with excess line flowing out the back and you use trolling speed or drift along with that line length to control your depth.

I couldn't have said it better myself!!!