HaHa: 0
Not sure that size matters to any size crappie as long as lure shape and action fall into what fish accept as attackable.
1. Does the lure move slow enough to p.o. fish of any species in the lake you fish? Fish-at-rest conserve energy and unless fish are in the attack mode, need a bit of encouragement either with lures worked in place or with repeated casts to spots.
2. Certain action/shapes do exceptionally well no matter when and where fished and in fact outcatch most lures ever made. Many of those have been shown on crappie.com - including the soft plastics I modify. What do they represent to fish? Who cares as long as fish attack.
A good lure shape/action catch every size and species of fish but in a size range that completes that lures appeal whether very small to medium.
3. Place & time is number 1 regardless of the lure cast. Few or no fish in that part of the lake? No lure matters.
4. Weight of course matters when it comes to presentation. Again, slow gets it done for me 100% of the time!. You can get away with using 1/8 oz or heavier jigs in deeper water or in current, but lures rigged on that weight are generally retrieved faster at mid depth whether in 2.5' or 10'. For depths between 2-10', my jig weight preference is 1/64 - 1/16oz.
Large lures (longer but still thin) may do very well when rigged on a 1/32 oz jig with a 1/0 hook but don't do as well using heavier jigs. Take the Kut Tail worm for example that is retrieve jerk-style mid-depth.
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Longer than most lures crappie anglers cast, but all sizes of fish attack it because of its unique action.
So in conclusion, lure size and jig weight that complement lure action at a certain speed and type retrieve are key for lure choice. Small lures are very capable of catching big fish no matter the time of year, but how small is really needed?
Last edited by Spoonminnow; 05-26-2023 at 04:38 AM.
Danny Lang thanked you for this post
I like small 1/32 oz. hair jigs. Depending on depth of fish and how much wind I'm dealing with as to how big of a weight to use. Usually start with a !/4 oz. but may go as heavy as a 1/2 oz.
CATCH A BIG-UNDanny Lang thanked you for this post
Bobby Garland makes some Itty Bit baits. About half the size of a baby shad. They work well on pressured fish
The love for fishing is one of the best gifts you can pass alongDanny Lang thanked you for this post
Thanks spoonminnow o wish I knew some of those baits your talking about that out catch more than any other, surely would help with confidence.
if you are light handed and pretty sure you won't find a 15 incher , 4 lb test and 1/32 should be the go to ....
my 27 cents on it
sum kawl me tha outlaw ketchn whales![]()
Danny Lang thanked you for this post
Confidence in a lure is the first consideration before casting it. Catch no fish or far fewer fish than other lures, and that lure gets stored for good never again to see the light of day (unless, of course, I see someone catch fish with it).
Danny Lang thanked you for this post
I like the crappie magnet the most in waters with smaller fish (work in all waters ). I use the cross lock jig heads with a 1/16 on bottom and a 1/32 a foot and a half above that . A larger split shot can be added if wind is an issue . I carry 16 colors of this simple but deadly bait .
Even Jesus had a fish story ! Actually five .Danny Lang thanked you for this post