Know the Species The more you know about the black crappie the easier it will be to locate them and reel in a nice catch. Learn their feeding habits and where they can be found during each season. For instance, during spawning season they are close to the shallows. Here they will search for structures to lay their eggs. In the colder months they will be found in the deeper waters. Everything will affect the way the crappie takes the bait, even the temperature of the water. They will move slower and be less active in the cooler waters. They have great eyesight anytime but they can see even better in cold or clear water. Therefore, you may need to use a smaller line or make sure the hook is not exposed when fishing in clear or cold water. Otherwise, they may get spooked and swim away. They can be found at the same depth throughout the water so once you find where they are located try to continue fishing at that depth. The crappies do move around a lot so once you stop getting bites it would be best if you go ahead and move to a new area. Keep in mind the black crappie has a very thin mouth, hence the nickname papermouth. Due to this fact, you may need some practice learning how to set the hook without pulling it all the way through the mouth. If this happens not only will you lose the catch but it causes excessive damage to the fish that could have been avoided. Try using a slight snap of the wrist to set the hook and this should provide enough force to hook the fish but not tear all the way through.