Kobie Koenig and Adam Pavek head out crappie fishing on a sprawling Canadian Shield lake, where finding fish is a needle-in-a-haystack proposition. The duo uses cutting-edge fish finder technology to locate crappies around submerged trees, boulders, and other isolated structures. Koenig explains that crappies can be elusive and often spread out, making them difficult to find. However, they quickly identify high-percentage spots and fish using a mix of forward-facing sonar, side imaging, and even 2D sonar.
TACKLE LISTING (retail links)
Kobie’s setup
- JIG – VMC BKJ Bucktail Jig, 1/8-ounce: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at FishUSA
- ROD – 13 Fishing Myth, 6’10” Medium Light – Fast: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – 13 Fishing Axum Competition Spinning Reel, size 2.0: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- LINE (braid) – Sufix 832 Advanced Superline Braid Fishing Line (Neon Lime), 8-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- LINE (fluoro leader) – Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon Leader, 6-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- BIBS – Rapala® Pro Rain Bibs, color – Grey Black: Buy at Rapala
- HAT – Rapala Rope Cap – Black: Buy at Rapala
Pavek’s setup
- SPINNER – VMC BTS Boot Tail Spinnerbait, 1/16-ounce: Buy at Rapala
- ROD – 13 Fishing Oath Spinning Rod, 6’10” Medium Light – Fast: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – 13 Fishing Axum Competition Spinning Reel, size 2.0: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- LINE (braid) – Sufix 832 Advanced Superline Braid Fishing Line (Neon Lime), 8-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- LINE (fluoro leader) – Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon Leader, 6-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- HOODY – AFTCO Reaper Sweatshirt: Buy at AFTCO
The team focuses on casting jigs and safety pin-style spinners in 10- to 15-feet of water, adjusting their presentation based on conditions. While the list of best crappie baits is long, Koenig highlights the versatility of a hair jig, which can be fished at different depths and manipulated in various ways to attract bites. When crappies are suspended, live sonar helps pinpoint them, allowing Koenig and Pavek to target fish that aren’t holding tight to cover.
BOAT TECHNOLOGY FOR FINDING CRAPPIES
Modern fishing technology plays a key role in this trip. The boat’s advanced sonar and mapping capabilities help Koenig and Pavek locate crappies on hard-to-find structures like submerged logs and isolated rocks. The four-way split screen provides a comprehensive view below and to the sides of the boat, while custom mapping autonomously goes to work building a high-definition lake map. Finding isolated cover is essential when crappies are scattered. Woody cover, in particular, tends to attract and hold numbers of crappies, making them high-value targets.
GEAR ESSENTIALS FOR CRAPPIE FISHING
Koenig and Pavek share their preferred setup for crappie fishing. They use medium-light power spinning rods paired with light braid and fluorocarbon leaders, providing the sensitivity to feel subtle bites. For casting hair jigs, they choose weights based on wind conditions, ensuring the jig reaches the fish quickly and stays in the strike zone. Pavek explores using a downsized panfish spinnerbait, which proves effective at calling and triggering some quality fish in the dingy water.
ELECTRONICS & BOAT
• FISH FINDERS (bow stack) – Humminbird APEX 13 MEGA SI+ Fishfinder/Chartplotter: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
• FISH FINDER (console) – Humminbird APEX 16 CHIRP MEGA SI+: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
• 360 SONAR – Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
• LIVE SONAR – Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging Transducer: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
• TROLLING MOTOR – Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST, 112lb, 36V, 52″: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
• MAPPING – Humminbird AutoChart Zero Line SD Card North America: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Humminbird
• BASS BOAT – Lund 2075 Pro-V Bass XS: Check out at Lund Boats
• MOTOR – Mercury 250hp Pro XS: Check out at Mercury
• BOW MOUNT – Beatdown Outdoors Ultimate Shorty Double Stack Sonar Mount: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
• BOW PLATE – Beatdown Outdoors Leveling Plate – Ranger R Boat: Check out at BD Outdoors
