Jigging Techniques

[gone_fishing]

that's how i do it, and a lot of guys will use a second jig 12-18" above the first one. this gives you more depth coverage cause crappies are known to be in different depths from day to day, and hour to hour, this helps you find them quicker. when only your bottom one is getting bites you know to lower your setup deeper, and vice versa. my preffered bobber is the thill tg waggler. it's long and skinny, and when you're reeling it at the right speed it is very sensitive; reel too fast and under it goes, forcing you to keep the right speed.

i also like beetle spins with curly tails or tubes. i bounce them on the bottom, or slowly retrieve, or if the situation is right you can reel it fast enough to make a bulge on top of the water without breaking the surface, that is fun, you can see your spinner shining and then BAM the crappie hits it. good luck, and have fun.

I agree with Steve about the second jig. It all makes so much sense, yet when I try it I get less hits than with a single jig. I think its best to start with one jig to me the 2nd has always decreased my catches. I suppose it would depend on your water if there is not that much brush to hang up on and if the water is muddy that would be different.

[robbor]

There is an ice fishing article "critical jigging for more panfish" that is interesting.
Personally i like to pound my jig down close to the bottom usually. I i get it where i want it then do a really quick pounding motion with my rod tip by dropping it and bringing it back up, only moving maybe 2-3 inches then of course a pause.

[guest01]

Just a little tip for those that use marabou jigs. All jigs straight out of the package are fine for trolling but when you jig or shoot docks first put the jig in the water and look at the action, now rub the marabou between your fingers to break up the fibers. Now dip it back in the water and see how much more action you get from the tail. Jigs with any kind of good quality marabou will look like the marabou is breathing in the water. Works great under a bobber also. Give it a try and see if you see the difference.
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[sea-sons]

Alot of good info. Here's something that helps me get some more bites. When the wind is not blowing too hard, I like scale back to a 1/64oz jig head and put on a tripple ripple grub on 2 or 4lb hi-vis line. The tripple ripple grub has good action even when retrieving at a very, very slow speed, which I do. Depth of water dictates when to start winding in. Sometimes I stop the retrieve to let the jig fall a little. Seems to work alot better than using a heavier jig winding faster. Sometimes I even drop back to a 1/80oz. It helps to anchor the boat where you can let the wind be behind you.

[tchilds]

This is all very useful information. I've been struggling to fish with jigs due to lack of knowledge. I asked some guys at the sporting goods store about fishing under a bobber and they looked at me like I was retarded. Then I asked them about what size and they said anything smaller than 1/8th will catch too many gills etc... I try to ask about vertical jigging and got the answer "that is when you move the jig up and down in the water"...

Thank you so much for all this information is a huge help. The hardest things for me to understand are:

1.) How slow is a "slow" retrieve?
2.) When fishing under a slip bobber do you need to cast and retrieve constantly or do the waves make the fish hit the jig? Any specific techniques for fishing jigs under a bobber are useful!
3.) I have a mess of jigs and "panfish" lures. So far roadrunners are all I've really caught fish on (probably because I cast and retrieve the whole time). When I go to the store I have no idea what to buy... starting to think I need some kind of tackle guide for fishing crappie!
4.) When do you fish dark colors/light colors? So far I just put random colors on my jig until one works then I'm afraid to switch!

Thanks for all the help it is very much appreciated because I am on my own when it comes to crappie fishing.

[Fatman]

Nice refresher guys. Actually their's a couple fo good books out there and if your local library has them all the better:

Babe Winkleman - Jigs and live bait fishing
Ken Oberecht - Anglers guide to jigs and jigging (for anyone who molds this book should be like a bible - it's older but the section on molding is right on the mark for new molders)

Fatman

[deathb4disco]

Ken Oberecht - Anglers guide to jigs and jigging (for anyone who molds this book should be like a bible - it's older but the section on molding is right on the mark for new molders)

I have a copy -- excellent book.

[deathb4disco]

I've been struggling to fish with jigs due to lack of knowledge.

Sent you a PM.

[CrappiePappy]

This is all very useful information. I've been struggling to fish with jigs due to lack of knowledge. I asked some guys at the sporting goods store about fishing under a bobber and they looked at me like I was retarded. Then I asked them about what size and they said anything smaller than 1/8th will catch too many gills etc... I try to ask about vertical jigging and got the answer "that is when you move the jig up and down in the water"...

Thank you so much for all this information is a huge help. The hardest things for me to understand are:

1.) How slow is a "slow" retrieve?
2.) When fishing under a slip bobber do you need to cast and retrieve constantly or do the waves make the fish hit the jig? Any specific techniques for fishing jigs under a bobber are useful!
3.) I have a mess of jigs and "panfish" lures. So far roadrunners are all I've really caught fish on (probably because I cast and retrieve the whole time). When I go to the store I have no idea what to buy... starting to think I need some kind of tackle guide for fishing crappie!
4.) When do you fish dark colors/light colors? So far I just put random colors on my jig until one works then I'm afraid to switch!

Thanks for all the help it is very much appreciated because I am on my own when it comes to crappie fishing.

You aren't on your own ... you've got all of us to help confuse you even more :p

But, seriously ... here's "my" answers to your questions - IMHO:

#1 - slow retrieve (casting - swimming a jig) -- takes me about 3-5 full seconds to turn the handle one complete turn. I'm basically just taking up slack line, in unison with the jig falling (swimming) back to me. Jig weight and depth I want jig to get to, determines whether it's 3 seconds or 5 seconds per turn.

#2 - I don't use slip floats for jigs, but when I do use a float (clip-on type), it's generally a slow & steady retrieve that's used. Stop and go retrieves also work. It generally depends on the mood of the fish, as to how fast/slow you need to retrieve ... and whether or not you need to "jiggle" the float, to impart extra action to the jig. Choppy water will impart all the action you want ... but, flat water conditions may require a little extra action, but not always

#3 - you'd have to have a half dozen large tackleboxes to keep some of all the possible "baits" that are used to catch Crappie. Don't let the Tackle Monkey get the best of you :D ... he'll put you in the poorhouse, quick :p
If you have Roadrunners, some tube jigs, some marabou jigs, some hair jigs, and an assortment of jigheads (in weights of 1/32oz to 1/8oz) to put your plastic bodies on ... then you're sufficiently equiped to get started casting for Crappie. Most all types of "jigs" will catch Crappie ... so don't break the bank trying to accumulate a wide range of them. Where & how you present them is far more important than which one you choose to use.

#4 - nothing wrong with doing it your way ... experimenting with colors can have very positive effects. Personally, I choose to use mostly greens & blues with some chartreuse (usually the tail color is chartreuse) ... but have also done good on solid pink, solid chartreuse, solid white, and yellow/chartreuse. I don't fish crystal clear water lakes, but even on the stained water lakes I fish ... when the water is clear enough to see a jig a couple of feet down ... these colors still produce. Again, success is as much in "presentation" & "location" ... as it is in color or size.
While there's nothing wrong with fishing a solid color bait ... generally speaking, if it has contrasting colors (dark/light - dull/bright), it's going to be more visible to the fish, and usable for more water clarity conditons (and/or light conditions ... like cloudy days, windy days, shaded water, etc).

Everyone has their own opinions about colors, jig types/styles, weights, using floats or not, retrieve speed, techniques, added attractants/scents, etc .... and they vary widely, from one end of the spectrum to the other .... and you know why --- it's because they all work, at one time or another. :D

The biggest factor in catching Crappie .... is "finding" them. Knowing where they should be, given the conditions & situation & time of year & the particular body of water you're on ... then finding the depth they're holding at ... is the key to solving the puzzle we call successful Crappie fishing. They're not always where they should be, so you may have to expand your search area ... and eliminate those areas/depths that are not productive. But, Crappie are creatures of habit ... so, if you find a successful pattern ... make note of everything concerned !! Where, when, what on, technique used, speed, depth, water conditons/temp, weather conditions (current and previous days prior), type of cover fished, and so on, are good points to make note of .... as there's a good chance that you will find yourself faced with the same or a similar situation, at another time/place, and those notes can be a good starting point from which to start figuring out a pattern.

... luck2ya ... cp

[Ken Jones]

I have read all the suggestion that has been given. Some are very good others I would question. I strickly fish with crappie tubes nothing else. I have a variety of color combinnations. Most of the time I fish with a slip bobber. I tip my jigs with Crappie niblets and I haven't had a slow day. I catch fish ever trip winter or summer. Learn to fish tubes and you will produce a lot of fish. Twitching bobber is a good method, with a slow retrieve. Remember just this one thing Sailor Jerry a crappie likes a moving target.