Crappie Boats

At the weigh-in ceremony of a national crappie circuit, you see a variety of boats, ranging from 16-foot aluminum jonboats to 21-foot fiberglass rigs. The array of boats favored by pros suggests it may be difficult to describe an ideal crappie rig for all situations. Indeed, pros concur that the waters you fish and the tactics you rely on determine the type of boat best suited to your style of crappie fishing.

Boat Buying Considerations

“If you fish areas that are shallow and have plenty of stumps, an aluminum boat would be best for you,” says Mike Walters, who has teamed with fellow Ohio angler Rick Solomon to win several Crappie USA events and qualify for 12 Crappie Classics. They own a fiberglass bass boat (Ranger 520) and an aluminum boat (Fisher GT-19), allowing them to match boats with fishing conditions on the variety of waters.

“Some anglers like multispecies boats, but I prefer a bass boat because its lower gunnels catch less wind,” Walters says. He likes fiberglass because it’s heavier than aluminum, which he says makes the boat more stable.