1. Minnows: I personally think fathead minnows are the best live bait for crappie. I have caught more crappie on minnows than any other bait. This sentiment is echoed by many crappie anglers. 1-2 inch minnows work best.2. Shad: If minnows are my #1, shad are my 1A. Shad are a major food source for crappie in many watersheds. In fact, during the fall, crappie prefer shad over any other bait source.3. Shiners: I really like using small shiners for crappie during the winter and spring. If you can get your hands on shiners in the 1 to 2.5-inch range, you can catch big crappie.4. Small Bluegills: Baby bluegills under 2 inches long can be good crappie bait. Bluegills and crappie occur naturally in many of the same waters so you can bet crappie are making meals of tiny bluegills, especially in the summer.5. Wax Worms: For ice fishing, wax worms are one of the best crappie baits. Rig 1 or 2 wax worms on a small 1/32oz tungsten or lead bald jighead.6. Earthworms: I think worms can be a pretty good summer and early fall crappie bait. Just be careful. You will catch a lot more bluegills, bullheads, and trout than crappie on worms.Honorable Mention: Grasshoppers, yellow perch, mealworms, small frogs, small crayfish, Crappies (/ ˈkrɒpi, ˈkræpi /) [3][4] are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus Pomoxis in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. The genus name Pomoxis literally means "sharp cover", referring to the fish's spiny gill covers (opercular bones). [5] ., How do you win a guided fishing trip along with lodging and meals at a renowned big crappie lake in Mississippi? For 4 people it was as easy as entering the Sore Lip ‘Em All Crappie Getaway at the spring Grizzly Jig Company show early this year..