Big baits, small fish

It always amazes me when I catch small fish on large baits. The hand pour hybrid in the photos was 3" long. It caught a dozen of the same size crappie and one that went 11.5". A pickerel finally decided I had no more need of it.


Attachment 240607Attachment 240608

Attachment 240609Attachment 240610

Most important - I've gone to rounded tails from now on and bodies that have a cone shaped tail or a thick worm shape. For those designs to work, they must be made using soft plastic which allows them to quiver with the least rod tip action and on the slowest retrieve.

What length was that Pumpkinseed?

I have caught 6" crappie and small perch pulling 300 Bandit crankbaits. The hooks on them are bigger than the fishes mouth.

The sunnie was larger than my hand - not bad. Strange, but both fish were caught vertical jigging in 7' in the same spot along with the pickerel. The small cove produced over a dozen fish and fish were caught on different lures in the same designs (slug shaped or conical bodies) but sized differently and of different colors.

looks like fun day to me .....and yeppers lil fish sometimes have big ole fish attitudes for sure

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LOZ Targa

I have caught 6" crappie and small perch pulling 300 Bandit crankbaits. The hooks on them are bigger than the fishes mouth.

---

Yep... Me too

First time for everything:
I caught a crappie where the jig was gut hooked and I had to pull it out. The fish swam on its side in circles until a much bigger fish started attacking it on the surface and after a few tries, pulled it under. Not sure what the predator was, but it ignored me standing in my boat no less less than ten feet away! Most likely a pickerel since I had just caught two in the area.