Opinions Please

[ScottV]

I like using the zonkers, but I am afraid that the profile may be a little too big for crappie. I don't know that cause I haven't tried them yet. Anyway, I tyed a few just using the cross-cut so it would have a smaller profile.
1/16 oz heads with two-toned cross-cut

A lot smaller profile than these.

[skiptomylu]

I think when it's wet it gonna look different and most of the time I don't think good size crappie will care and they will eat it. I do feel sometimes crappie get in a picky mood and a smaller jig is better, but most of the time I think it makes no real difference. I know they eat some pretty large shad at times.

I think you should by all means fish them and I think you should also have some like you ask about. I tie rabbit in small, medium & large so they can have what ever they want. Really I think most of the time these will do fine!

Skip

[skiptomylu]

Hey took me a little bit to find the picture I wanted, but have found it now. A couple of springs back I tied a jig that I was planning on playing with some bass off my bulkhead in shallow water. I didn't catch a bass though, but I did catch my first two crappie that year and nice size ones they were too. Take a look at this jig/worm combo they ate and I caught them.

Skip
How about this profile? It's a good 1/2" longer than the lighter so maybe 3 1/2" long?

[azslabber]

Poor rabbits,lol.

[skiptomylu]

Hey Scott a couple that worked for me, now keep in mind I have not used them near as much as I would have liked as I hardly fished at all last year. I know that I also had luck with White and Violet and a few other.
Skip


One still tied on at the time I took the picture...

[ScottV]

Thanks a lot Skip, I guess the big ones would work. I'm just used to seeing the smaller jigs for crappie, I guess. Come to think of it, I've been catching them lately trolling Bandit crankbaits. That's a mouthfull! LOL. I'll have to get some of the "pale" colors. The one you posted looks great.

[skiptomylu]

Yeah Scott you know if they will hit a crank bait they will hit a rabbit jig with or without the zonker tail.

When I was guiding way back in like 1979, the guides on this lake had a little secret bait that after a cold front or ruff times in the spring we would use a all Black Marabou jig with a small black worm tail and fish it over and around the hydrilla, much like mine above and that is why I chose that for that day, but got surprised by the crappie in before I knew they were and they ate it, all 3 1/2" long of it. Now that is a long bait and they had no trouble at all, LOL! That old black marabou jig saved us a lot of the time to get some fish in the boat.

Getting too old not to pass along what I can tip wise.

Skip

[Len]

Scott and Skip,
Are you guys using crosscut strips for the body and regular cut zonker for the tails?

[skiptomylu]

Yes Len and I use Zonker tail with chenille bodies too as well as crosscut by it self like the top pic I posted.

Skip

[soswine]

crappie will definitely eat a big bait. Last one I caught this year, about 3 weeks ago, came on a 3/8ths gold shiner booyah spinnerbait.