Crappie are such a fun fish to catch. They are very similar to catching bluegill, but make sure you upsize your fishing line a little bit.
Crappie are usually caught around cover so using a fishing line that can handle those situations is important.
Quick Look
- 6-8 lb. Test
- Best: Fluorocarbon
- Good: Monofilament
- Leader: 6 lb. Test Fluorocarbon
Why Fluorocarbon Fishing Line For Crappie?
Fluorocarbon fishing line is the best choice for crappie fishing because of it’s low visibility and abrasion resistance.
Crappie may not be as line shy as trout, but when you are fishing with a jig hanging from a bobber, your line is left in plain sight. So fluorocarbon is likely to give you that slight edge that can make a real difference.
What lb. Test Line For Crappie?
Crappie aren’t very big fish, and if you are catching them out in open water, you will be fine using 4 lb. test fishing line. However, Crappie are usually found around cover like rocks, and sunken bushes. So using 6 lb. test will help prevent them from breaking off on snags.
If your rod is already spooled up with a bigger line, then just tie on a leader of 6 lb. fluoro. Your main line isn’t as important when it comes to crappie.
Leader Material
6 lb. fluorocarbon makes a good leader material for crappie. Ideally, this will also be used as your main line, so you don’t have to carry an extra spool just for leaders. Simply tie your hook to the end of your main line, then clip your bobber on above it.
If the fish are being really picky, you can try dropping down to a 4 lb. test leader, just be careful to keep them out of the snags.
Can You Catch Crappie With Mono Fishing Line?
You can catch crappie with all types of fishing line including monofilament. Using fluorocarbon will give you the slight advantage of being less visible to the fish. But mono comes in a close second.
The advantage of monofilament is that it is cheaper, so if you want to save some money you can go with mono. But at 6 lb. test, the price difference isn’t going to be that big. It’s up to you.
Many fishing pole combos come with mono already on the reel. If this is your case, go ahead and use it. I do however recommend buying a small spool of 6 lb. fluorocarbon to use as a leader. especially if the mono that came with the combo is more than 10 lb. test.
Can You Catch Crappie With Braid?
Technically you can catch crappie with braid, however there is one thing to be careful about and that is stretch. Braid fishing lines have zero stretch which is bad for crappie fishing.
Crappie are also known as papermouths. This is because the tissue around their mouths is extremely thin. If you put too much pressure on a crappie when reeling them in, you can easily tear your hook out and lose the fish.
The stretchiness of mono and fluoro fishing lines acts as a cushion when fighting a fish. This elasticity helps you to keep tension on the line, while allowing some give when a fish does a head shake or makes a sudden run.
If you already have braid on your rod, then you can tie on a long length of fluoro or mono to act as a bumper.
