I would like to get into crappie fishing, but don't know anything about it. I have read some on it, but need to get out and try some stuff. I have a 6' medium action and a 4' quick action poles. Which would work better. Would the 6' work as an extionsion pole? Could anyone tell me what waters would be good to fish and with what? I live in the Vancouver-Battle Ground area. I am looking for lots of fish, not a few big ones. What depths should I fish? I have a boat and a depthfinder, but I don't know how sensitive the depthfinder is.
If anyone wants to go fishing for crappies but doesn't have a boat, I'd be glad to go with them.
Thanks,
Joe

Either of the poles you've described should work fine. You'll have a difficult time casting mini-jigs, and smaller lures if you use a line test heavier than 4#-6#. The mini-jigs are effective on crappie, but will take bass, bluegill, and trout as well. Pick up a variety of colors in the 1/32 oz. jigs. Get some solid, bi-colored, and some smoke/clear styles. Other lures to try include flies, small Rapalas, and spinners.

I catch most of my crappies during the last hour and a half before dark, and about a half hour after dark. Usually the fish will be feeding then. Cast the jigs to their feeding rings, and if you haven't had a strike within three to five seconds, start a slow retrieve with occasional twitches. Try casting to pilings, docks, weedlines, and floating debris, if the feeding "frenzy" hasn't started yet. You can slowly troll your crappie lure until you find fish, also.

Personally, I'd rather fillet ten larger sized crappie, than thirty small ones Good luck.

I'd also rather fillet 10 large ones than 30 small ones. But I want to catch a bunch of them, not just a few big ones. I don't intent to eat them.
Do you know of any lakes that I should try? Do you ever fish with a bobber?
Thanks,
Joe

Sorry - don't know about the lakes down there. Maybe silver lake?

I've done really well for crappy using a fly rod and black wooly bugger, or a spining rod with either a small black rooster tail, or small black crappie jigs. Stick to structure and the shore line. The fish finder should help spot them holding near the structure that's on the bottom or just below the surface.

Good luck!