When it comes to enticing fall crappies to bite, Josh Hagemeister has more than one trick up his sleeve.

I love catching slab crappies, and so do many of my clients. Catching big slabs in the spring is a piece of cake. And frankly, catching big ol’ slabs throughout the heat of summer can be just as easy as they turn into aggressive, calorie-burning, eating machines.

But, what about the fall crappie bite? Often ignored due to hunting trips and anglers chasing walleyes and muskies, the fall crappie binge is starting right now, as the lake water temps begin to cool. Fishing really heats up when the surface temps are around 50 degrees (or colder)—typically after turnover has occurred. Big schools of basin-roaming crappies are already hard at work chasing clouds of baitfish in late September and are just begging for a free boat ride to shore. All ya have to do is catch them.

“Mud pie crappies.” That’s what I call one of the easiest fall crappie patterns to identify. Mud basins in the 20- to 30-feet range seem to be the best. These basins typically start at the base of the shoreline break and extend out into the lake. Ignore the classic “deep hole” that holds fish under the ice. On the other hand, pay attention to mud flats that surround those classic midwinter “deep holes”—especially if they are found between the shoreline break and the “deep hole” everyone will be ice fishing in the dead of winter.

Crappies can be found cruising the mud (kinda like perch) in search of food (insects/schools of baitfish). The beauty of a flat mud bottom is that fish “mark” beautifully on the Vexilar at cruising speeds of 30 to 40 mph, so large areas can be searched in no time flat!

As you are cruising/searching for schools of crappies, be prepared to see them tightly schooled on or near the bottom. I typically find them anywhere from on the bottom up to about 3 to 4 feet off the bottom. The main reason is that some of the schools are just that thick with fish. They can also be spread thinly in the bottom 1 to 2 feet as well. The conditions will dictate what you actually find; just keep an open mind to what may be found. Bonus walleyes mixed in are also normal, so with that in mind, I gear my tackle/presentation for both species. Oops! I forgot to mention the big pike that are following around and eating the crappies as well—but, that’s a different article.

I carry three different presentations on my fall crappie missions. All three are rigged on 7-foot Berkley or Fenwick medium-action graphite rods tied with 6-pound-test Berkley Trilene XL monofilament line. One rod has a #5 Rapala Jigging Rap (white) tied directly to the line. The second rod is rigged with a #6 red hook and a slip bobber (basic crappie minnow for bait). The third rod is rigged with a 1/8-ounce blue/white lead head jig tipped with a 2-inch white Gulp “twister tail.”

Of the three options, I typically start with the Jiggin’ Rap to test the mood of the fish. The second option (and the most consistent) is the jig/twister tail combo. The slip bobber is the last resort in my opinion, and I would almost rather find a different school of aggressive fish than cover no water and stare at a bobber, waiting for the fish to suck in the bait.

The bobber works, but my style of fishing leans towards the “fast” side of the fishing world—hence starting with the Jiggin’ Rap. It catches active fish but also triggers non-active fish. The lead head jig is a perfect compromise between the Jigging Rap and the bobber option, which is why I probably land on that option the most often. The jig is also easy for any skill level of anglers to get used to. Always bring a couple scoops of crappie minnows for good measure!

Want more fall fishing tips from the pros who know? Read the fall issues of MidWest Outdoors, available by subscribing on our website.