Docks commonly offer great opportunities for crappie fishing without a boat because they bring together fishing access and crappie habitat. Light spinning tackle and small jigs are all you need to catch these fish.
Whether it’s a boat or marina dock that you have permission to fish from or a fishing pier in a park or other recreation area, this kind of structure provides shade for the fish, cover of various sorts (often including brush that that has been placed nearby to attract fish), and forage in the form of minnows and aquatics insect nymphs, which are drawn to the dock for the same reasons.
The dock puts you within easy casting or pitching range of the crappie, and in many cases, directly above them, making controlled, accurate presentations easy.
Dock Presentations for Crappie
A 1/16-ounce or smaller crappie jig is tough to beat for crappie fishing from docks. Often the best way to fish a jig from a dock is also the simplest. Drop the bait straight down and suspend it beside a dock support or over a brushpile, either holding the rod tip completely still, twitching it slightly or slowly lifting and letting the bait fall again.
Experiment with different depths and try various spots, giving extra attention to corners and crossbars on that connect dock supports.
Sometimes the crappie prefer a moving jig. Two great techniques are casting parallel to the dock, letting the bait sink and then reeling, and making a short pitch parallel to the dock, closing the bail and letting the jig pendulum to straight below your rod tip.
Dock Crappie Fishing Tips
- Tread Lightly – Sound resonates. Walking lightly and minimizing banging when you set down gear helps keep the crappie unaware of your presence.
- Soften bait movements – Sharp jigging is more apt to spook crappie than to prompt strikes. Less is more!
- Double Up – A tandem rig, with jigs spaced 2 feet apart, allows you to work two slightly different zones and experiment more efficiently with bait shapes and colors
- Do Not Touch – When you hook a fish with a vertical presentation, if possible land the fish without touching the reel handle. This allows you to drop the bait back to the exact same spot for the next presentation.
4 Top Baits for Dock Crappie
- Bobby Garland Baby Shad
- Bobby Garland Mayfly
- Bobby Garland Itty Bit Mayfly
- Lindy B-MAX Little Nipper
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Fishing on Foot 