Even though there may not be as many crappie fishermen out on the lake during the hot summer months, generally there still are just as many bass fisherman as there are at most other times of the year. Bass fishermen know that crappie make tasty treats to take home for supper and can provide a lot of fun catching when the bigmouths become lockjawed. They’ve also learned that they can fish the same areas as they do for bass, and by downsizing their tackle, using ultralight rods and reels, making slower presentations, fishing little jigs in the same water and the same depth of water as they fish for the bass, they can catch crappie to eat. Often when bass fishing is slow, and the bass angler gets those little pecks on his line, he can convert over to crappie fishing and catch a good mess of slabs, even if the bass won’t hit. Then the anglers can take the crappie home to eat and still catch and release the bass.
Cook believes that crappie fishing in the middle of the day during the summertime can provide a fun break for the bass angler who knows that midday fishing for largemouths can be tough. “I’ve never met a fish that I didn’t like, and crappie not only provide a fun tug on the line in the middle of the day, but they’re delicious eating fish and a good freezer stocker,” Cook says. “And although bass seem to be most active early and late during the hot summer months, crappie may feed three or four times a day and usually are more likely to be active in the middle of the day than the bass. So there’s no reason why the bass fisherman can’t return home with a mess of fish to eat if he uses his bass tactics to catch crappie when the bass aren’t biting.