Does size really matter? I have used the smallest lures and caught plenty of slabs. I am fishing from the shore, no boat. I also use Blakemore roadrunners with good success
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Does size really matter? I have used the smallest lures and caught plenty of slabs. I am fishing from the shore, no boat. I also use Blakemore roadrunners with good success
I like to match the hatch so to speak. If what they are feeding on is small then the bait should be small. If they are feeding on large bait fish then I like a larger bait. On days when the fish are pressured or the barometric pressure is sky high then I tend to use smaller baits.
That make sense. I am only a shore fishermen, so I am limited. Crappie is very very unpredictable, lol. I give myself 20 mins if nothing I using to switch lures. May be I need to cut that down to 10 mins.
IMO, depth and speed are much more important than the bait you're using. I would change depth until I found the fish. Also, slow down. It's easy to reel too fast, particularly if you're standing on the bank.Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_Mathis
If you're constantly changing lures, you'll never master any of them. For the first 10-12 years I fished, I didn't use anything but a solid white or solid chartreuse marabou jig -- and I caught plenty of fish.
So what size weight should I use? I using a medium setup and want to get good distance off small lures. I using 6lb line with my current setup.Quote:
Originally Posted by deathb4disco
There's no "best" bait or "best" size. Crappies will gladly try to eat a bait nearly as long as they are, or they will suck in the tiniest jigs that happen to swim by. There's no "best" way to fish for them either. Spend as much time as you can out there....when you do have success, try to understand what you may have been doing that caused that success. On the days you fail, ask the locals what they did to catch fish.
You can go with lighter line...4# test. And if you really want to wing a small lure, add a slip bobber. That will be a good way to learn a new technique and experiment with a verrrrry slow retrieve as well as testing different depthsQuote:
Originally Posted by Greg_Mathis
I like 1/32 or 1/16. You'll have trouble getting distance with 1/32 oz and a medium outfit. I'd go with a 1/16 or 1/8 oz jig or, as vic n mentioned, a lighter jig with a float. (I think the jig and float is a better option for shore fishing.)Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_Mathis
My setup calla for 6-12lb line. So you telling me I can use 4lb line?
Best all around would be 4 lb line a 6.5ft light action rod. And jig weights from 1/8oz-1/32oz.
You honestly can't beat a roadrunner jig. With an assortment of grub/curl tail and baby shad plastics.
This is my basic setup and it will get you plenty of distance from shore, The jig I attach to the hook snap is generally speaking a 1/16th or 1/32nd jig head. The soft plastic is generally one inch or two inches.Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_Mathis
Attachment 202612
Each reply has merit and I fish using some of them taking into account:
1. Speed never needs to be fast such as that used power fishing for bass. At one point the lure should entice at the slowest speed possible taking into account the lure's tail action. Hair or feather jigs require the least speed or manipulation to produce the magic flutter. My own design accomplishes that same flutter even when stationary beneath a float or nose hooked with dropshot. I've found finesse to be the deciding factor whether fish strike or not on most outings and the opinions expressed below attain that.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...s.jpg~original
2. The combination of line test, lure weight and action and depth, are dictated by fish activity levels and they can vary from location to location and from day to day. Fish do appreciate lure action at most speeds depending on the lure, but some lures must be retrieved at a speed that allows a provocative action. Curl tail grubs, Beetle Spins, Road Runners and small crankbaits must be retrieved horizontally moderately fast, whereas the lure pictured requires the least amount of speed for the tail to flutter irresistibly. I'd go far as to suggest that when fish attack a lure, it does so not to eat it, but because the lure irritated it beyond its control to ignore it. Fish much of the time aren't actively feeding or in a feeding frenzy, so the other hours of a day are suspending, just hanging out. Here comes an object into its space - odd looking and acting, tickling its senses physically and visually - and that's all she wrote!
3. Line test need never be more than 6#. I like 2# test braid with a 4-6# test fluorocarbon leader which keeps the bow out. Light lures and heavier test lines work against each other and line bow is the result - an unnatural distraction from the lure. I'm not saying lures need appear anything close to a crappie's normal prey, but the key must fit the lock when it comes to a lure's appeal. Lure size, speed and action in combination make up that key.
4. Total Lure weight is mostly a consideration of horizontal casting or vertical distance. Plastic and lure weight (jigs) are usually enough together to get a lure to a point more than twenty feet away and down to where the fish are. No point fishing shallow when fish are deep and vice versa. Some lure depth will require 1/8 oz., but generally 1/16 is my choice for fish biting as deep at 10 feet or shallower. 1/32 is fine (along with plastic weight) for very slow speeds most fish can't deny when lure length is no more than 1.5 - 2".
So all and all, one size doesn't fit all (no pun intended) when taking the above into account. Lure size and speed are determined by the fish and generally I've found that slower is better in my 66 years of fishing lures. Last Friday I took a friend out for the first time and we boated over 100 panfish in six hours. He was a quick learner and blown away how simple it all seemed - even at age 55!
Sorry for such a long reply, but I get passionate about catching fish when the topic hits me and like to put ideas out there that may be helpful and considered novel in concept for consideration.
I have been using a 8 ft Crappie Maxx and 6 lb test line and really getting great distance when using light lures.
I seen a lot of folks like using 1/8 or 1/16 jig heads. I know one heavy than the other, what are the pros and cons between the two?
Only difference would be the size of the lead head & fall rate, since you can get them custom made with several different sizes/colors of hooks. The fall rate would be the biggest factor, since the head size is relative to the size/length of the dressing or plastics as far as "profile" size is concerned. The fall rate you want depends on the depth the fish are at, casting distance from boat/shore, and/or mood of the fish ... so you'd use whichever of the two would present the bait the way the fish are wanting it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_Mathis
I mainly use 1/32 & 1/16oz jigheads w/1.5" to 2" plastic bodies ... and have been known to fish a 1/32oz jig at 30ft (just because that was the only size they'd hit). Normally, I'm using 1/16oz for almost every presentation method I use.
... cp :kewl
Only downfall for me using 1/16 is casting distance from shore. Fishing is more than just throwing line in the water. LolQuote:
Originally Posted by CrappiePappy
That's when a casting float, weighted float, or extra weight on the line above the jig comes into play. Also, a longer rod and smaller line can make up some distance deficits. I'd also consider using a weedless jighead, so you can bounce the jig off the bottom & cover and still have a reasonable chance at getting the jig back to you. All of my jigheads that I use for casting methods are weedless jigheads.Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_Mathis
... cp :kewl