Downsizing for Winter: Open for Debate

[NIMROD]

I never use anything smaller than tube bait 2'' on a 1/8 oz head. In winter to early summer I even use 2 1/2 '' tubes on 1/4 oz heads . I like the bigger ones when fishing deep or when Crappie are feeding on bigger Shad in winter . Works great around the spawn when big slabs are most aggressive . If you will look to see stomach contents you will understand and bigger baits allows you to use bigger hooks too .

[doggone]

If you fish predominantly one lake in one geographic zone then you probably have it about figured out if you been doing very long.

But if you fish around some on streams and rivers and oxbows,and swamps,and 10 or 15 different lakes....well then ...start with something and if that don't work try the other.

It also matters on how radical the changes in climate are because fish can get funky when things change rapidly. If its real cold but stays that way for a long time then even that gets predictable and you figure something out.Or if its warm most of the time and cold fronts are short and warm weather is usually right behind is another.

The more you experience changing conditions and changing bodies of water....the more it pays to be prepared to adapt and keep an open mind.

I like it when a long consistent weather pattern settles in and water levels and clarity are constant for a while.The fish get comfortable and are much more predictable ,and I can find a pattern and just fish it with nearly the same results everytime.

[CrappiePappy]

The 2" inch shad you're referring to, would those be fully mature ? Or late fall spawn fry ?

Even at 2" that's often times a "larger than recommended" size offering IF you listen to a lot of anglers advice on winter time (Dec-Feb) crappie fishing. It seems many recommend baits under 2" for winter fishing, which is what prompted the starting of this thread. While I have zero experience with it, I often see ice baits around the 1" size.

No, they would have likely been Gizzard Shad or Threadfin Shad ... so they would have been a Fall spawn product.

I have zero experience fishing through the ice, myself ... but, have caught Crappie on 1.5" tubes on 1/16oz jigheads in water under 40deg. That would make the "bait" pretty near 2" in length. Oddly enough, I caught them in less than 4' of water and right against the bank ... bank fishing a central KY lake, right next to a downed tree, on a "warm" Dec. day (>32deg air temps).

... cp

[crappieintern]

Use 1/32nd oz here in Iowa in the winter, same as in the summer.

[Crestliner08]

Excellent discussion! I always approach any fishing situation by letting the fish tell me what they want. Sometimes I downsize in the summer months and sometimes I up size in the winter months. You try something and if it's not working, you try something else. This approach has worked well for me for many years.

[Ketchn]

the only thing i know is that i was taught by some folks to go big in the winter
and then i was taught by other folks to go small in the winter
and i have seen days when a bait so small it was almost invisible to the naked eye was slamming whale crappie in the dead of winter
and i have seen other days and on other lakes when 4 inches was the size they wanted ......
i hit the water with the never say never attitude and bring several bait selections with me
these here crappie fish tend to be rather unpredictable at times

[huntinslabs]

If you have grass shrimp in the system it could pay to downsize at any point in time during the year. Depending on what your fishing on.

[INTIMIDATOR]

You really can't go wrong in the cooler months....Crappie are just a fabulous Predator that have "Evolved to Adapt"!
They can feed and flourish on large Prey if it is available, or find small prey to survive on.
With their keen eyesight they can see micro-organisms, larva, etc., and feed on them...this is especially important when the Temps really drop in certain places and they are unable to chase down regular prey. This is one of the things that allow Crappie to proper in their habitat.

These are midge flies that come out of our lakes in swarms like the Mayflies....you do not have to match size when they are hatching/molting, but you better have something close to the same colors....same with the Mayfly hatch, Shad hatch, etc.,....color match is always better than size at our lake....until it's time to ice fish.
Then you better have a larva sized bait!

[NIMROD]

Here our fish feed primarily of Shad and other fish. We have huge hatches of knats and such each summer . I don't want the dinks but target the bigger fish looking for a meal .

[INTIMIDATOR]

Here our fish feed primarily of Shad and other fish. We have huge hatches of knats and such each summer . I don't want the dinks but target the bigger fish looking for a meal .

Agreed...like I said, even during the hatches or shad season, as long as you have a color that matches what they are keying in on, size doesn't really matter....I choose to use a larger lure to weed out some of the smaller fish....But when Crappie are really feeding heavy in early summer, heck I pull out the 4.8 and 5.8 inch swimbaits, and I still catch a few dinks with a "Napoleon complex"!

At our lake, size really only matters during hard water periods!