Crappies on a Fly Rod

I do pretty well with catching Crappies with flyfishing gear.  I've fished with a fair number of other fly anglers who have used this same technique, and they have also caught plenty of Crappies.  It works on big lakes and smaller ponds, and even on rivers, although on the bigger lakes, it tends to be more seasonal, because I fish from shore and you have to time this for when fish are in the shallows, or you can use it all summer long if you fish from a boat/canoe/kayak/belly boat, etc.

It works from ice-out to ice-up.  The only change is during the heat of summer I fish deeper beneath the strike indicator, on the outside edge of weedlines, or even out over open water.

So, here's what I do.  I usually use a 9' 5wt fly rod, with a 5wt Weight Forward Floating line.  I used a 7'-9' tapered leader, and at least 3' of 8 lb test tippet (3X).  I could use lighter tippet, but the fish don't seem to be line-shy, and I've had my share of surprise encounters with large catfish and bass that would not have been landed with lighter tippet.

At the end of my tippet, I use a No Knot Fas-Snap, size Medium.  I like these because I can change flies quickly in near darkness (or anytime), without having to take the time to retie a knot and shortening my tippet.  It also allows flies to swing freely and move naturally in the water, similar to using a non-slip loop knot or Duncan loop knot.  I've used the Small size, but have had them bend open too easily on larger fish.

The fly pattern I use for this particular technique is a microjig.  A number of colors will work, so experiment with your favorites.  One of the most consistent producers is Chartreuse.  I usually use chartreuse grizzly marabou for the tail, but solid chartreuse marabou or rabbit fur works great too.  The jighead is 1/80th oz with no collar, and a size 10 hook.  You can find great prices on these on eBay. The body is just chartreuse yarn...REAL chartreuse craft yarn, it lights up super-bright under a UV light.  Its hard to find.  Dubbing would also work.  I use a bright orange thread, 6/0 UNI thread, but any color would probably work just fine.

Use a strike indicator of your choice.  My current favorite is the Fish Pimp original size strike indicator in the bright yellow color.  Their website has videos showing 3 different ways you can attach this indicator to your line. http://www.fishpimpco.com/

I set the indicator about 18" above the microjig.  I check it periodically while fishing by holding the indicator up in my hand, the microjig should hang just below my elbow.  This depth seems to be magic in most of the waters I fish, experiement to find the right depth in your waters.  Deeper works better in the Summer, and sometimes deeper can also be good in the Fall, at least during the brightest part of the day.  Crappies like to come up for a meal, so keep the microjig above where you suspect the fish to be.

I cast out along the shores and drop-offs, or beyond weedlines, or over submerged rock piles.  Windy days are nice, as the waves pushing the indicator up and down impart great action to the fly, which the crappies find to be irresistable.  Let the fly work in one spot for up to 10 seconds, then move the indicator 6" to 12", and let it set for another 10 seconds, and so on until you're in water that is too shallow.  If the Crappies are especially active, a very slow steady retrieve will get strikes.  The indicator just goes down or sideways.

That's its.  It works great!
Here's some fish caught just in the past few days:

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Addendum:
My friend Chad has videos on his website.  One video demonstrates how to tie these microjigs, and in another video he actually demonstrates this flyfishing technique.  He's even fishing one of the public ponds in my town!  :) Here's a link to the page that has these videos.
http://iowaflyfisher.webs.com/apps/videos/

Allen Olympic Switch Rod - Trial Run

I wasted a bunch of time on Sunday (March 30, 2014)...but when 4pm rolled around, I finally decided to visit a local pond and try to figure out how to cast with the new 12' 5wt Allen Olympic switch rod I got.

For those that don't know, a typical Single-hand fly rod is usually less than 10' long.  A Spey rod is a long fly rod, generally over 12' long, and is designed to be cast with two hands on the rod.  Spey rods make use of specialized lines to make longer casts possible with heavier flies.  They are especially popular for fishing saltwater and for fishing larger rivers for salmon and steelhead.  A Switch rod is sort of between these two types of rods.  Switch rods are usually between 10' and 12' in length, and can be cast using single-hand or two-hand techniques.  I got one with the idea of making longer casts in lakes for white bass, wipers, and trout.

So anyway, it was very windy.  And I had visited another local pond the previous day and found it to be muddied by waterfowl and with globs of decomposing organic material floating up from the bottom.  So, I didn't expect to catch much, if anything.

I arrived, rigged up the rod, and started casting.  I tried a Snake Roll cast, a Snap-T cast, a Switch Cast, and maybe one or two other 2-handed casts, as well as a single-hand Roll cast and Overhead cast.  I'm totally new to this, but I thought I was doing reasonably well.  Next, I figured I may as well try to catch something, to see how the rod feels when hooking, fighting and landing a fish.  I knew I might not catch anything at all.  But then I proceeded to have one of the best days I have EVER had at this pond!

I ended up landing at least 13 Bluegills up to 9", and 33 nice Crappies up to 13"!  What a blast!  I was very happy to discover that these fish put a very nice bend in my Switch rod!

Below is the 13" Crappie.  BEAST!  Fought like a bass!

Below is a 9" Bluegill.

What a GREAT evening!!!

I should mention that I used a 1/80th oz chartreuse microjig set about 18" below an indicator.  I tried slowly swimming some flies through the area, but didn't have any takers.  The indicator allowed a slow presentation, while the wind and waves pushed the indicator slowly along and gave a nice vertically jigging motion to the fly.