The purpose of fishing is to have a good time and catch fish. The goal may be fish for the table, just catching for sport or a combination of both. A beautiful day on the water is another benefit. It’s important to not miss some key steps to maximize enjoyment and success. The following tips will help.

At home

A reel that doesn’t work, bad line and a long list of other basic items can ruin a day of fishing. Therefore, while at home, be sure to check all tackle. Cast a few times to ensure reels are smooth and working, and that line is supple and doesn’t break easily. Good line means longer casts and a better chance of landing a big slab.

Clean tackleboxes. Clutter is not your friend. Simplify your boxes. Include necessities like minnow hooks, split-shot weights, clip-on floats and slip floats. Have few 1/16-ounce jigs for jigging and Road Runners for casting. Pliers and line clippers are important but think “minimalist.” Put all removed, good baits and other items into a box for the shelf. You may need some of them later.

When you’ve checked everything, including your boat and trailer if you are using one, it’s time to ask questions and get on the computer checking fishing reports. Learn if and where fish are biting, their depth and general areas where they are located. For example, if you can learn that crappies are biting 8 feet of water, you’ve eliminated probably 90% of the lake and know the right bait color. If you learn fish are on points, that’s another elimination of five percent. Your searches have led you to start on points in 7 to 9 feet of water. That’s a huge advantage.

On the water 

Bait shop operators are good sources of information. They want you to catch fish, so you’ll come back to buy more baits or minnows. What he tells you has probably been told to 100 other fishermen, but it can get you started.

The number of bites you get will improve by using the right bait. When you know or believe that you are using the right bait, then concentration will be on your presentation instead of your bait type, size or color. Jigs are great when crappies are active, but minnows will draw bites from sluggish crappie when jigs are ignored. Also, a minnow is good under a slip float because the minnow does the work and can be fished at any depth. A minnow has the natural look, smell and action that’s difficult to beat with a jig. 

Lakes are best fished from a boat, but not everyone wants to have the headaches and costs involved with a boat. The good news is that many lakes have bank access. When possible, look for areas where the water has good depth and cover near shore. Deeper water allows crappies to be in an area year-round. Shallower water will be best in spring and fall.

Boaters have options and opportunities. However, more water can make finding fish a little overwhelming. Pick an area of the lake that is known to be good for crappies. For example, a creek usually has a variety of depths, drop-offs, bends, sloping banks and plenty of cover. Don’t try to fish the whole lake; pick an area of a creek and learn everything you can about it. Know where fish go during the four seasons, their depths and habits, and store waypoints of better structures and cover that will likely lead you to successful fishing in the future.

More tips

Crappie tournament angler Dan Dannenmueller says that an inexperienced angler can improve his or her odds of catching fish with a few simple tricks. One of the most important is to watch the weather. He says that if the weather is going to be horrible, fishing won’t be fun or safe. However, by going out 24 to 48 hours before bad weather (usually a cold front), fishing should be very good. After the front, fishing will be slow for a couple of days.

Dannenmueller also suggests that inexperienced fishermen should not make fishing a marathon, especially if taking youngsters. If fish aren’t biting, let kids play. Teach them about the lake and water, and the respect for the outdoors. Make it a fun outing.

Another tip that several expert fishermen use is to take full advantage of a cork and minnow. It’s old-school fishing, but it works and is simple. A slip-cork can be fished at any depth, and the cork indicates bites.

Minnows are good, but so are worms. Maybe worms are not a good crappie bait, but catching whatever bites makes for a better day fishing.

Some fishermen must be casting all the time to stay busy. A Road Runner is an outstanding bait and makes retrieves about as easy as they can get. Retrieve the bait just fast enough to get the blade to turn. It puts off a flash, sound and vibration that triggers bites. Fish it as slowly as possible but have the spinner turning. It will catch anything that swims.

Fishing doesn’t always mean catching. Experience will lead to more success. The key is to continue to learn while making the most of each trip.