No Weights?

I am slowly developing confidence in the use of jigs instead of minners. I use a small bell weight at the bottom of the line and tie a jig about 2 ' above that to the main line with a loop knot. The weight size depends on the amount of current in the river I fish.

So, a few comments/questions. To my way of thinking, it is best to put the weight below the jig so that it is easier or quicker to detect a bite. Agree?

Now, I am also thinking of not using a weight at all, just tie jig to end of line. I suppose it will take about a 1/8 jig head to do this. On the other hand, that may drop too fast so a 1/16 or even 1/32? Again, the river flow may dictate the weight. However, I am concerned that with no weight to hold things down I will not have a tight line.

What do you think?

As a general rule, I want as little "stuff" on the line as possible. I would just go with a heavier jig with no additional weight.

I like using the smallest barrel swivel I can get with about 18" leader tied to the jig. I have much less issues with line twist this way. Also stay in contact with the jig. Unlike what my user name might imply, slackline while fishing is bad for the way I fish a jig. I have never fished a weight below the jig and have never caught a crappie on a live bait. This is what has worked for me.

I use everything from 1/64 to 1/4, depending on what you have stated. Your setup sounds to me like a drop shot rig and is very sensitive. The thump we all live for comes from the jig hitting the back of the fishes mouth. Tightlining straight down or doing the "pitch and glide", I use whatever weight suits the day. However, I would not be against putting a tiny jig below a dropper loop with a weight to get it where the fish are. Sometimes they want a small offering and a big head just doesn't fit the bill. I say let the fish tell you what will work best. I'm also a less hardware is better kinda guy.

Just a jig for me .....never ever anything else ....(except a float when needed) crappie are often very sensitive to any resistance , I probably spend more than half the time I drop jigs without being in so called "contact" with my jig ....I watch my line like a hawk and look for any thing that could be a take .....of course I am not like others in many respects but that's how I typically pitch my jig ....lighter line in some cases helps as well , most of the time I use 6 lb or less ....
And in the end I would look for spots in that river without much current as well ...my 2 cents it is ....

A lot of great replies. Thanks to all. I especially concur with what Ketchn said about looking for places in the river without much current.

It all sounds good to me. Good post and response.

Best way to maintain a tight line in a river is cast paraell to the boat and let the current carry your jig down stream. Vary the size of the jig head or you can use a larger or smaller jig body to keep your jig off the bottom. Once the jig gets down stream leave it there to stay above the bottom and let the river do the work for you. If your jig goes to the bottom raise your rod tip. You can leave out line or real some in to cover more water. We've used this method for walleyes and trout for many years. Once the cast is made keep you line off the water, this I'll cause a slack in your line. Point the rod top at. 10 o'clock and follow your jig down stream than lower your rod once the jig gets almost directly below the boat.

Two jigs is what we sometimes use. It is better than having lead as extra weight, at least you have a better chance to catch two crappie at once. Mix or match, fish will be telling you which they want. About 16" apart.:popcorn

Maybe I'm missing it, but are you fishing out of a boat or from the shoreline? Fishing from a boat, there is a technique known as "slipping a river". Do a google on Dan Gapan, a true river fishing guru. With his technique of slipping, your boat is pointed upstream and engine kept running just slipping back slowly with the current - at less speed than the current. That way you can cast quartering upstream and your jig will stay down in the strike zone a lot longer.

Your proposed technique of tying the weight to the end of your line and the jig above is simply a method of "drop shotting". This is an equally effective presentation on just about any species of fish you target. However, I would not use a jig for your plastics. Just tie a drop shot hook to the line with a polamar knot, extending the tag end below the hook. Then the tag end is brought back around and down through the eye of the hook once again. This keeps the hook out straight from the main line. Tie a bell sinker to the tag end. Now just nose hook any plastic you want and you're good to go!

Rich Zaleski is renowned for having perfected the drop shot technique. Here's a sample of his presentation:

Drop Shotting -- How, where, when and why to fish the hottest finesse tactic going...

Doing a more indepth search of the drop shot technique will give you many ideas and variations to try. Drop shotting does work on crappie and most other species of game fish there are. Hope this is of some help. Good Luck! :)

When I fish in the summer here and even though I do not like messing with minnows, I will get some. I use a heavier jig on the bottom, usually 1/8 or 1/4 Oz and it will be my weight and bait, but then I tie on a #1 or #2 Gamakatsu Drop Shot hook for my minnow. I just fish this tight line style. As a general rule most of the bigger crappie come on the jig. I may be wrong, but I believe the minnow on the hook gets the smaller crappie to hit it and then at some point the activity makes a larger crappie think about that and then it hits the jig. I do know about 75% of the larger crappie come on the jig!

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