I know how you feel...I've been wondering the same thing for awhile now. From what I can tell, they dont even have guides. I've never put any effort into crappie fishing(although it is something that I would like to do,) so I am rather clueless on this topic.

 

They should have a tip guide and the rest is variable. They are used by extending rod out over weeds brush etc and lowering jig etc into small pockets around/in said weeds and brush. Casting is out of the question most of the time in this situation. With the long rod you lower the jig etc into these protected areas where the fish are spawning. Is a very stealthy presentation, you are not spooking fish and can really probe the heart of the cover.

Ba

 

They are used almost exclusively down here in NE Texas for crappie. I am learning all new tricks for crappie down here. Stuff that worked in Hell's Canyon catches little, and vice versa.

 

Yo, Bro. You might also want to try a pole for "boondoggeling" bass. PM to me and I'll tell you how it's done.

SailCat may have the right term for this as "doddelsocking," or it may be the another term for the same technique. It goes way back to the earliest days of the county and many variations of the term exist.

 

I had a southerner ('don't remember where he was from precisely; too many years ago) who took me out to my favorite pond to fish crappie with 'poles' and jigs. The guy had arms like trees and could scull a boat all day. He had no need for an electric trolling motor. While we didn't catch any large fish, we caught a good number of 'em. It was an education for me.

Isn't this technique called 'doodlesocking'?

~MT

 

Looking through Cabelas, they have a selection of crappie "poles" (listed differently from crappie "rods"). The crappie "poles" look to be very long (10 to 15 feet long), do not have reel seats, and come in multiple pieces (like 4-6 pieces) or are telescopic. They also have something called a "line keeper"?

What are these "poles"? It's hard to tell from the catalog pics. Do they even have guides, or do you just tie your line to the pole? How do you reel in the line if there is no reel seat? How do you use them in general?

Just curious... I've never seen a crappie "pole" in action.

Okay. Here we go. At the most simple, "rods" have guides and reel seats. "Poles" do not. They have only a tip of some type where your line attatches. In the U.S. poles range from 12'-20', maybe a little longer. You tie on a piece of line that is 2'-3' shorter than the pole. You can, but usually don't "cast" a pole. You swing the bait or lure out, very much like flipping for bass.

Some time back, I posted that my wife has a tape of me catching a combination of bluegills, crappies & small bass at a rate of ten fish a minute. That was done using a pole. In Europe poles are the primary tool in tournament fishing and they range in length from 15' "whips," to graphite/boron/titanium beauties that are up to 17 meters long. Those sweeties will set you back about $2000.00 or more.

I carry a collapsable 15" whip and a box of small jigs and floats with me whenever I travel, spring to fall. I'm good to go for any member of the sunfish family and for stream trout. My best so far was a 24" bull trout from the Metolius in Oregon. I also use my larger pole, a 20' fiberglass modle for surf perch, rockfish & small, legal ling cod.

 

That's interesting stuff. I had always thought that the "Crappie Poles" in Cabelas were just hi-tech cane poles. I know in South Carolina that you don't have to have a license to catch bream w/a cane pole and just figured anglers were taking advantage of this. After all if a hunk of bamboo cut from the road-side catches fish, won't a hundred dollar piece of graphite do better?

I will say this. I always thought they (cane poles) were rediculous and not worth the time - til some gap toothed old timer in SC sent me away from a pond w/my tail between my legs. Can you epiphany?

 

Awesome info folks. Thank you very much.

I can see how a pole would work great, dropping baits/jigs/lures into small pockets of brush, weeds, pads. Casting into these places with conventional rod and reel would be a mess, and retrieving the lure to recast or to bring in a hooked fish through the brush would be hopeless.

I might just get one or two from Cabelas. They don't cost much--I've seen some for under 10 bucks

 

I bought a 10' BnM from cabelas. its nice until you try and net the fish by your self!

Reseacrh todd huckabee, he is one of the best crappie fishers in the nation and he uses 10-12 footers to jig for crappie. Pretty effective.

 

I bought a 10' BnM from cabelas. its nice until you try and net the fish by your self!

Reseacrh todd huckabee, he is one of the best crappie fishers in the nation and he uses 10-12 footers to jig for crappie. Pretty effective.

The European pros use a long handled net very much like a smelt net. Some very large fish are caught with poles and light line. In his book Modern Bank Fishing, EAS Press, 1992, Michael Keyes tells of a tourney angler that hooked up with a 20# carp on 2# or 4# line. It took him about two minutes to land it. The angler was upset because it took precious time from his allotted minutes. He was using one of those 17 meter poles to do the job.(It would take me a lot longer, I assure you.)

By the way, those huge poles are constructed in long sections. When the angler hooks up, at first he "retrieves" the pole, taking off one section at a time from the butt section until he has it shortened enough to be managable. Then he will use it just like you & I to finally land the fish.

 

when i lived in north carolina i would always fish farm ponds with a cane pole. that was alot of fun until you accidently get a big bass on. very hard to control then lol

 

they have them at fishermans for under 20 bucks

 

I grew up using these "poles" (we called them dippin sticks) fishing for crappie around brush piles. I still have one in my garage. Its an Allstar not to be confused with "All star". It is a 12' telescoping pole made of graphite. I have had days during the spawn where you could haul in 30 fish in just a few min. It's a surprise when you get a 2-3lb bass on.


-jb

 

Used those guideless poles in AR and VA and they were a blast to fish with especially when you hooked into a good size bass, Cabelas should sell a small plastic reel that can be taped to the handle. It's only a line storage device and not meant to be used as a typical reel. We used small tube jigs and would lower them into holes in submerged brush for Crappies. You don't have to move the jig much...just lightly tap your pole to give some action to the jig skirt. In cold water the Crappie would just suck it in. Watch where the line enters the water and any noticeable movement is usually a fish. Bass were another story and would usually move off with it. We used the 11' and 12' telescopic models.

 

I had forgotten to mention that you can buy guide sets for those poles. The guides come in various sizes and can be slipped over the tip end and are sized to fit the circumference of the blank with each being progressively smaller. The guides are not permanently attached to the rod and are held in placed when slipped down and forced onto the circumference of the blank. Only four or five are needed.

 

I have one of the 15' telescopic Crappie Poles, with a reel or line storage facility on the butt end. The line goes up the center of the rod. :shrug: C&R, Steve

 

sounds like it would be fun to use on the jetties for rockfish......like a pokepole