Please note: As an Amazon Associate I may receive a commission for any qualified purchases made from the links embedded in this post.
I thought I would put together a crappie fishing gear list that would be helpful to my readers. Because this blog is directed mostly towards newer and intermediate crappie anglers, my list will suggest essential, not very expensive gear that I feel would serve you well. This is a list of essential crappie fishing equipment to get before going out fishing on the lake.
The list is only be made up of fishing gear that I use myself! You can be sure that I speak from personal experience. My recommendations will be based on years of crappie fishing and not just on Amazon reviews. So let’s get stated.!
ROD AND REEL COMBO
This one is a no brainer. It is inexpensive but works absolutely great for the price. It is 5 ft long which I find to be a good size if you are just starting out or fishing from docks and barges. It comes in 3 colors (blue, orange and pink). This pole is good for adults and children as well. The tip is a bit flimsy but for the price it is worth it. If you plan ongoing fishing every once in a while (like 2 or 3 times ayear), then this will be sufficient. The reel is of lower quality but again, if you are just going out there a few times a year, it is all you need. And did I mention? You can’t beat the price:
If you want something of a bit more quality but still relatively well priced there is another option. If you plan ongoing fishing regularly, you will need to invest a bit more money. I like this fishing rod a lot! It is very versatile. Light enough if you want to jig (somewhat), but strong enough for tight-lining. It is of moderate price but it’s a tough rod that will work great and for many years. The Ugly Stick is a well-known brand made by Shakespeare. I would suggest the 6 ft medium version of the GX2 series. This rod/reel combo is tried and true. You can see it everywhere at the barge I go to because it is of high quality and at an affordable price:
HIGH VIZ 6 POUND TEST LINE
There are hundreds of choices out there. Some of them are very expensive. While I think that this is an important piece of equipment, I don’t believe in spending too much money on fishing line. I think that I found one that is relatively inexpensive and of high quality. It’s the Stren brand of High-Viz Crappie Mono fishing line. Get the 6 pound variety (4 pound works good too).
I don’t really mess with braided line, or any of the other fancy types. I keep it simple and it works for me. If you want to experiment, I highly recommend that you do so. Most of the guys on the barge I fish at use braided line and mono as a leader.
JIGS AND JIGHEADS
This one was a bit tough for me to pick. I usually go out to Walmart or Academy and buy them separately. You may want to do that too. But to get you started I recommend this kit. While I do not have this particular kit, I have used similar ones in the past. I do have a crappie load of jigs and other tackle from Crappie Magnet and their stuff is solid.
This kit has the 3 main sizes of Jigheads and a pretty good assortment of jig colors:
I would also add this one:
I believe that the kit and the additional plastics I recommended will give you a good base to start from.
HOOKS AND SPLITSHOT
I highly recommend you drive to Walmart and get Aberdeen hooks and some split shot off the shelves. They are a bit too pricey online. But if you prefer the convenience of shopping from home and from the convenience of this page (????) then here are the hooks I recommend. Eagle Claw is a well-known brand. This set comes with 80 hooks from size 1 (big) to size 6 (small). You can experiment to see which ones you prefer. The price is reasonable.
And here are the split shots I recommend. It has over 120 pieces and covers the gamut of sizes you will need. The water Gremlin brand is one that I use and trust. It does not tend to slide up and down the line which is a great thing!
BOBBERS/FLOATS
This is another bit of fishing tackle that I suggest you pick up at Walmart! They are cheap and easy to find. Having said that, here are some online options for you.
There are various types of Bobbers/floats. If you purchased the Crappie Magnet Jig set I suggested above you already have a couple of cigar bobbers. You should probably grab a few more different varieties.
I like these because they are fairly simple to use.
For fixed bobbers:
For sliding/slip bobbers (you will need bobber stoppers too):
Bobber Stopper:
MINNOW BUCKET
You will need a minnow bucket. If you read any of my articles you know I love my ugly and nasty aerated minnow bucket. Frabill or Cool Bubbles (the one I have now) make good ones. If you are only going to go out there once or twice then there is no need to spend too much money. Just get this cheap minnow bucket. Make sure you tie it with some string and toss it in the lake so the minnows won’t die on you. Make sure YOU CLOSE THE LID TIGHT before putting the bucket with minnows in the lake. Needless to say that I have failed to make sure the lid was closed many times and all my minnows quickly swam to safety.
Here is insulated and aerated minnow bucket I use:
TACKLE BOX
A good old Plano Tackle box will absolutely do the trick. It works for the majority of anglers and I believe it will work fine for new anglers. There I no need for something super complicated. These are just a big box with a sliding shelf that raises on hinges for ease of access. They are well-made and can take a lot of abuse. The only issue I have with these is that your gear will tend to rust if you leave it in the tackle box for several months without use.
I use this model:
POCKET KNIFE
A good sharp pocket knife is absolutely essential. I believe that this piece of gear is worth spending a bit of money on. This is a purchase that you will likely make only once, unless you lose it. If you already have a good pocket knife, then you are all set. Make sure it is sharp and rust free. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend Gerber pocket knives. That is the brand I use exclusively because they have never let me down.
Here is one that I recommend:
CLIPPERS
Clipper are another inexpensive but crucial bit of equipment for crappie fishing (fishing in general). You always need to trim the line around your terminal tackle. The cleanest and easiest way to do this is with clippers. Any old set will do. If you havea spare at home, grab it. If you don’t you can purge some fishing specific clippers that have some added tools like a pick you can use to untangle fishing line. Simple works great in this case. Run to Walmart or any outdoor store and pick it up for around $3. If you want to get online, here is the one I use:
NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS OR FORCEPS
These are both useful pieces of fishing gear. You will need them for many different things. Pulling a hook that has been swallowed whole is one of the great uses of needle nose pliers. You don’t need both. Pick one or the other. I have both only because I picked them up over the years. I like the pliers because they are sturdy and extremely versatile. Forceps are very helpful in removing deep set hooks because they allow for more precise movement. But other than that, I find forceps to be of limited use.
Needle Nose Pliers I recommend:
Forceps I recommend:
If you are not able to go to a brick and mortar sport store or a Walmart, I suggest you buy a set that includes, a few of the cheaper items that I suggested here. These small, inexpensive items are much more expensive online because they need to make up for the shipping costs. Here is a set that I recommend that includes, clippers, needle nose pliers a scale and forceps for cheaper than you would pay if you bought them individually online (at the time of this writing).
These are what I consider the must-have crappie fishing gear! I picked the stuff that I know works because I use every single one of my recommendations. I did not pick the most expensive stuff, or the most highly reviewed stuff. I picked what I know!
I will continue to add to this gear list so come back often please! I hope you found this helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions related to this list or to crappie fishing in general!
Good fishin’ to you
Mike