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I started crappie fishing last year. A friend of mine taught me how to troll using a double minnow rig. I have tried fishing using jigs but I don't seem to have any luck or I don't know what I'm doing. I know some vertical jig, some cast and retrieve, some use the jigs under a float. I would love to learn a little more about the different jig methods people use out there. Any info will be appreciated!
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Read this:
Charlie Brewer's Slider Company - Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Weedless Crappie Slider "Why&How"
The method is for any jig, not just sliders.
For a graduate level course, read this:
Charlie Brewer Sr. on Slider Fishn'
That is a good read. Do u recommend those sliders?
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They're very good baits, but I usually use other types (marabou & chenille or some type of straight-tale plastic.)Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
The technique is what matters, not the bait.
So from what I read, a very very slow retrieve will work well. I have been casting out and actually jogging it off the bottom with no success. Maybe the bait is moving too fast? What size rod do u use with this method?
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Generally, a slow, steady retrieve is what you want. If you get the book, he also talks about the "pull and drop" method". IMO, that's more of a bass technique.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
Any light or UL rod in the 5-7' range will work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
How far away from structure do u usually keep your boat when casting to these spots?
Also, how do u locate good spots to throw the jigs?
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I use light jigs, so 50' would be a long cast. Thirty to forty feet would be about average.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
Look for drop offs. Fish like access to deeper water. Topo maps will help you find structure. I fish a lot of small lakes. In places like that, just looking at the slope of the bank can often indicate good spots.
What size jigs would u recommend keeping on hand? I know there's different times to use different weights but I'm going to stock up on them. Also, u say u like the straight tail baits?
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We fish lakes that are stained to muddy . Verticle jig keeping boat over or real close to structure . Prefer heavier baits to keep in contact and be able to feel cover with 11' jig pole . We only use tubes , seems like the have right amount of action . Most folks over work their baits IMO .
I use 1/32 oz at least 90% of the time with 1/16 making up the difference. Most people use heavier than that, though. For casting and retrieving, I like the lighter heads. If I were vertical jigging like Nimrod, I'd go with heavier heads.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
Yes. They have a more subtle action which is preferable, IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
Most of us can learn more by watching than we can by reading and listening.
There are lots of good videos on YouTube regarding fishing for crappies.
No doubt there are quite a few that are about you watching me catch fish, and not much else.
But some are also very good as to picking up information. But you need to be observing as much as listening, by watching how fast they turn the reel handle, how much they move the rod tip, etc etc.
I personally think one of the best is a good ol boy by name of Richard Gene from Alabama.
Closely observe his boats, electronics, and other gear and tackle, its about as basic as it can get.
He has numerous different videos, and all are very informative including rigging etc.
Just type in (Richard Gene fishing) on you tube.
Don't go out and buy much of anything until you watch Richard.
I appreciate all the help! I will watch those videos.
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I use 1/16oz jigs with 1.5" to 2.5" plastics when casting, about 99% of the time. I'm using a 6'6" fast action rod & 6lb test line, and a normal casting distance is about 40' ... so I try and stay about 30' from an open target area or the shoreline, so that I don't have to "sling" it as far as I can on every cast. :Doh: That gives me the ability to cast past an open target area by 10' or more, which allows me the option of letting the jig fall several feet before starting my retrieve (IF that's necessary to get to the right depth). If I'm casting towards the bank, I can start my retrieve as soon as the jig hits the water, then slow or stop my retrieve when the jig gets near my intended target.
I use weedless jigheads when casting plastics .... so I can allow the jig to drop into the cover and still have a good chance of working the jig in/around/over the limbs & obstacles I'm fishing, and not get hung up nearly as often as one does using open hook jigs. Tubes or straight tail (stinger shad) style plastics are used by me about 95% of the time.
My retrieve speed, when "swimming" my jigs back, is just fast enough to keep a slight bow in the line. That does three things : it allows the weight of the line above the water to keep that bow in the line and the tics (slight jumps) in the line are easily seen, indicating a fish has sucked the bait in .... when the fish does that, they feel little to no resistance from the rod (like they would if line were taught) ... and it also shows me when the line is draped over a limb & warns me that the jig is approaching that limb, because the line will start to straighten out and stop coming towards me.
When I see that the line is likely draped over a limb/obstacle and the jig will soon come into contact with it, I will slow my retrieve even more until I feel the jig make contact ... then I will drop the rod tip about 6" and raise it back up about 12" all in one smooth movement. This lets the jig fall back over the obstacle that 6" and hang straight ... then the 12" raise will cause the jig to bump the limb and hop over it. This is important, even with weedless jigheads, because most jigs will roll on their side or turn completely upside down when being dragged over a limb ... and then the hook point can more easily come in contact with it & snag into it. When the jig is upright and hits the limb, the head of the jig ricochets off the limb and it bounces over it before the hook can turn.
Also worthy of note, is the fact that when that jig bounces over the limb and starts falling back down on the other side, I've had many hits from Crappie. In fact, it's happened often enough that I "expect" the hit when that happens ... and even TRY and get my line draped over a submerged limb, just so I can "bounce" the jig over it. :Rofl
One other little "trick" that can sometimes work well with a jig, is what I call "Vertical Casting". My article is pretty self explanatory ... but, bare in mind that when I wrote it I was using an UL reel, so the 5-7 seconds per reel turn was in regards to that. You can use a 3-4 second count per turn when using larger reels (or reels with greater than a 5:1 retrieve ratio).
Here's the article : Crappie Pappy Article
This is some great information. Crappie Pappy- what kind of weedless jigs do u get or do u make your own?
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I have mine custom made by a member ... Grousefly (Paul Mullins / P&S Custom Tackle)Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
I use two different ones - fiber brush style and the Y-guard style :
Attachment 273888
Pictured above at top is the brush style, and underneath is the Y guard style. These are both 1/16oz ballhead jigs with a #2 gold Aberdeen hook. My preference is the Y guard style, but the 2+ pound Crappie that I'm holding in my avatar pic was caught on the brush style weedless jig, as you may be able to see in this picture (the white streak above the fish's mouth is the fibers of the brush weedguard) :
Attachment 273892
You can contact Grousefly by PM for discussion on sizes, colors, and styles of his weedless jigs, hooks, or weedguards ... and the price rates, and Crappie.com member discount.
There are other members that make/sell jigheads, but I'm not sure if they offer the Y guard style weedguard. I started with Grousefly, got him started making the Y guard style for me, and have stayed with him.
Yes, his Dental floss and super glue trick workes great for keeping plastic on a jig.Quote:
Originally Posted by yobuck
Any suggestions on colors of these jig heads and colors for the plastics? Also do any of you tip your hooks with meal worms or crappie nibbles? I've heard that some people do this.
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Or specific brands of the plastics?
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I often tip with mealworms or wax worms for bluegill but not for crappie.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
Leland Lures (maker of crappie/trout magnets)Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
Slider (Although I prefer straight-tails, the crappie slider is a good bait.)
What is the brand of straight tails u use?
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Crappie magnetsQuote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
I also use the 4" slider worms for bass. (Any small finesse worm is fine.) Sometimes, I cut them down to 2-3" for crappie.
I fish the jigheads that I cast with ... unpainted. (just like you see them in the picture)Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
Colors ... I have enough different colors & color combos to start my own "mom/pop bait store" .... :Rofl .... well, almost ... but it does seem that way at times.
I generally use blue/char - purple/char - pink/purple/char (aka "popsicle") - junebug/char - green/char - or a "shad" coloration (black or blue back & white or grey belly). I'll try other color combos, now & then, but usually come back to whichever ones have worked on previous/recent trips. That's probably why I have so many different colors (and I'm talking just the straight tail style "shad" plastics & tubes).
I don't "tip" my casting jigs (or pushing jig rigs) with anything ... IF I were to go to traditional "Spider Rigging", then a live minnow would be what I'd tip my jighead/plastics with.
Specific brands that I use would include (more or less in order of most used to least used):
Slab-a-nator Shad
Strike King/Mr Crappie (Thunder Tubes, Shadpole & Slabalicious)
Panfish Assassin Tiny Shad
Bobby Garland (various)
Crappie Slider (paddletail)
Slab Commanders Small Fry
Is there anyway u can show me one of the jigs rigged up with the plastic on it? Do u run the bait clear up over the barb part? Again, I appreciate all this help!
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[QUOTE=Wolfman29;3479245]What is the brand of straight tails u use?
I don't personally think it makes much difference.
Again, I would suggest you watch Richard Gene, watch what he uses and how often he changes lures other than for color.
If I were starting over id only be buying 2 different type grubs at least for starters.
They would be Leeland lures trout magnets, and Bobby Garland itty bitty swimmers for the 1/64 oz jig heads.
And the 2" Bobby Garland swimmers for 1/16 3/32 jig heads. Add a split shot above the jig if needed.
Biggest most important thing to learn is (when you've been hit), and not what to use in order to get hit.
I feel I miss more Crappies than I catch when using jigs, and thats what sets guys like Richard apart from guys like me.
Yes. It should be flush against the jig head.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
Hold your plastics the way you want it to ride in the water - turn your jighead upside down (hook pointing down) - run the hook point into the front end/head of the plastics and thread the plastics onto the hook - exit the hook point about 3/4 the way down the plastics and finish pushing the front end/head over the retainer barb and up against the lead head of the jighead. If the plastic body is straight, then you're good to go.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
Just a FYI .... you can hold the jighead up against/beside the plastic body, to see where the hook should exit, BEFORE you start ... just to give you an idea of where to start turning the hook point to exit the body. This may help keep you from scrunching the plastics up and having to back the hook up and exit in another spot. It also keeps the retainer barb from having to be pulled out which makes a gaping hole that lessens the holding capability of the retainer barb ... because that gaping hole makes it easier for the plastic body to be pulled down on the hook, and you'll be pushing it back up on there on just about every cast. And you don't want to be doing that nonono
Try and run the hook through the center of the plastics ... that helps keep the bait straight, so it will run straight through the water. If the plastics are crooked on the hook, it can affect the action ... and might even make the bait spin when falling or when being retrieved, and that's going to twist your line (plus it's very unlikely a fish will hit it).
The end product should look something like this :
Attachment 273925
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappiePappy
Nice looking bait. What is that?
Basstrix Flashtrix Emerald MinnowQuote:
Originally Posted by deathb4disco
22 Emerald Minnow
It's a hollow belly lure that's about 3.5" long. I bought a pack of them years ago, and tried various "trix" with them by pushing colored foil and wrappers into the belly (as shown below). The one in the original pic (solo with jig inserted) has a plastic worm rattle inserted in it. I still have them as pictured ... just never used them, "yet". :Doh:
Attachment 273936
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappiePappy
Looks very similar to the gummy minnow "fly" used in saltwater fly fishing:
http://www.saltwaterflies.com/gummyminnow_pearl2.jpg
Crappie will typically sight feed looking up above them in the water column. Sometimes only inches sometime a foot or two. Find what depth the fish are holding then adjust your bait to be above that depth.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfman29
Great information [emoji106]
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Two words: crappie nibbles. Doesn't matter which brand or color: Berkley or Magic Bait.
Those are fine lookin' baits!Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappiePappy
We NEED a report on their effectiveness...:popcorn
I'll order some of those when I can find more info!
The nibbles make a difference, don't leave home without them, Chartruese is my favorite color.
The bottom one in that picture is unaltered (the way they come in the package). All the others I have pushed various colored plastics/foils into the cavity of the body to add color. One even has a "worm rattle" in it (as pictured below):Quote:
Originally Posted by Beavz
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/attac...attle-trix-jpg
And one could also force Nibbles or scent paste into the hollow body ... adding scent and/or color.
Here's the website : Product Categories Flashtrix ... and do notice that the smallest version is 3" long (that's what these are, and that's a 1/16oz ballhead weedless jig with a #2 Aberdeen hook inserted into the Flashtrix pictured).
I'd be very interested in your reports/accounts of using these baits !!
I bought them because I thought they looked a lot like a Silverside .. which most of our local lakes have, and which I used to fish for Crappie with. Silversides look like this (but ours have a more greenish tint to their backs):
http://calfish.ucdavis.edu/files/79580display.jpg
Quote:
Originally Posted by yobuck
Richard Gene is the man, crazy, but pretty cool. He used light tackle all the time,
small heads, small bobbers and always gives a good reason as to why. I like how he finds them good ones right off the bank. It can be done, and he does it. Seems like he keeps it simple; just have to fin them.
That's the most realistic eyes I ever seen on plastic .Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappiePappy