Tackle question for being prepared

Alright guys. I’m beginning to get to where I think I can find crappie somewhat consistently. However, I am the most unprepared fisherman. And I do try to be prepared, it just never works out. I need some help with what jig head sizes and colors to keep. I don’t mind investing a little up front to get this situation under control. Furthermore, what I do have in the boat, I can’t find. Can you guys help please. I’m OCD about being prepared and organized to the point it’s crippling. I’ve bought so much useless junk that I have nothing I need at the time

I’d say jigs in 1/32, 1/16, and 1/8. Use the lightest weight you can to give the best presentation. Then colors I like are white, black, silver/gray, chartreuse green/yellow, blue, orange. I usually look for four categories in baits. Light, dark, bright and then natural color. So if I’m fishing a white bait and no takers I switch to a dark bait like black, then if nothing I switch to something bright, then natural. Usually you can almost always find something they are interested in by doing this. Tackle can be overwhelming and easily to get carried away buying stuff but keep it simple and stick to a handful of good baits and colors. Location, presentation and a good basic selection of baits should get it done. :twocents

Shop away - Shop away - don't need to spend a lot and almost anything will work. Good Luck!


1/16 & 1/18 is ablout all I ever use
Amazon.com

Amazon.com

Amazon.com

Something light, dark and in the middle

Amazon.com

Amazon.com : Bobby Garland Slab Slayer Black Chartreuse Silver 2" : Artificial Fishing Bait : Sports & Outdoors

BG blue ice is a great go to
bright chart baits too
bright orange baits as well
white of course
and black and chart
tubes work fine if you don't care for shad body plastics and jigheads like stated in the 1/32 , 1/16 and maybe 1/8 range
some pinch on pencil floats
and a bottle of glo white crappie nibbles .....all good to go
a few zip lock bags , one with plastics , one with floats and nibbles and one with jigheads .....
go get em ,show us them fish :highfive

Do you think micro jigs have a spot as a bait to keep on hand? The only reason I say this is, at Eufaula where I fish mostly the water gets smoking hot in the summer and sometimes I can’t buy a bite with anything I’ve tried, which isn’t much.

Dothan Alabama i just shipped something to there if it was you thank you for your order....size of jighead all depends on where you are fishin and the way you are targeting the fish i have stuff all the way down to 1/100 and up to 1/4 and i sell a ton of those and everything in between for me on my home lake i prefer 1/16 #4 in chartreuse,pink or orange.

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Originally Posted by bugman

i have stuff all the way down to 1/100 .

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What do you call those? Topwater jigs? :biggrin

Right now, the only thing I have confidence in doing is vertical jigging. I realize that’s not going to work all the time, but I’m practicing trying to sit off of a brush pile and casting to it. Bugman, it wasn’t me but I’m definitely going to give you some business. And I think I may know who it was from Dothan. I’m betting it was my uncle. He gave me some tiny jigs with #8 hooks for some little 1 inch plastics and I think he gave me all he had

Super Dave has some great advice.
Personally I fish 1/16 oz the majority of the time. If I want to go heavier, I tie two 1/16 oz jigs. As far as verticle jigging goes. I love a marabou hand tie. The feather give a great live action.

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I use everything from 1/64 to 1/8 for different things. The way I do things is when the bite gets tough, I downsize and slow down. Your uncle was spot on for what he gave you. I mostly throw UL and jigs about 1/48 with a #8 sickle which I swear by. The 1” tails work great for me and I usually cut the barb off the collar or cut the collar off completely and super glue the body on the night before so the glue has time to dry. Many more fish before it’s torn up. There are two excellent teachers. One is time on the water and I advise doing that solo so that you pay attention to what’s going on. It’s easy to miss little things that matter when you’re talking with someone. The second is patience. I catch many more fish on a slower retrieve and as long as I’ve been doing this I still have to tell myself to slow down. A roadrunner is a great lure and they advertise that you can’t fish it wrong as long as you fish it slow. There’s a lesson in that.

Even though I pour plastics and tie jigs I don't carry alot of stuff with me when I fish. Two rods with one with a plastic jig and the other a hand tie. Size jig head depends on depth I am fishing. I want as small as I can get away with while still being able to feel the bait. I carry around 20 baits in 4 or 5 colors in a small plano box. I never saw the need to carry 200 baits and 5 rods to fish for crappie. I know others due but that's not the way I roll. To each is own.

Raiser, I wish I could do that. I have more stuff than three people need and carry way too much. I also don’t have to remove it from the boat so it’s not a major deal to me. I need to work on that more than I have been.

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Originally Posted by Auston22688

Right now, the only thing I have confidence in doing is vertical jigging. I realize that’s not going to work all the time, but I’m practicing trying to sit off of a brush pile and casting to it. Bugman, it wasn’t me but I’m definitely going to give you some business. And I think I may know who it was from Dothan. I’m betting it was my uncle. He gave me some tiny jigs with #8 hooks for some little 1 inch plastics and I think he gave me all he had

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Most likely it was him then a person don't find that really small stuff everywhere tell him thank you and i will help you fellas in any way i possibly can.

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Originally Posted by keeferfish

What do you call those? Topwater jigs? :biggrin

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Yea i get it i never use anything less than 1/32 but those little 1/100 with a #10 hook has been one of my top sellers i would guess it's because they are so hard to find.

I have a mental hang up with those micro jigs. I don’t like using them simply because I can’t feel them. I have to put a split shot above them to feel the bait and I think a split shot above the jig defeats the purpose of a tiny jig. I don’t have the best rods out there but I don’t think I’ve got bad rods either. Do I need to downsize line?

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Originally Posted by Auston22688

I have a mental hang up with those micro jigs. I don’t like using them

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I'm with ya, small bait catches small fish. When I'm hungry I don't order the 4oz prime rib!:highfive

A weight above the jig will help and with a light jig 3 to 6 inches below the weight the movement will be different for sure.

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Originally Posted by Grainraiser

Even though I pour plastics and tie jigs I don't carry alot of stuff with me when I fish. Two rods with one with a plastic jig and the other a hand tie. Size jig head depends on depth I am fishing. I want as small as I can get away with while still being able to feel the bait. I carry around 20 baits in 4 or 5 colors in a small plano box. I never saw the need to carry 200 baits and 5 rods to fish for crappie. I know others due but that's not the way I roll. To each is own.

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I’m jealous of people that can do this. Even though I only have a small bag with a handful of bags of plastics and literally one pack of 1/16 & 1/32 ounce jig heads, I feel like I come home empty handed more times than not on account of my tackle being so limited, if that makes sense

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Originally Posted by Auston22688

I’m jealous of people that can do this. Even though I only have a small bag with a handful of bags of plastics and literally one pack of 1/16 & 1/32 ounce jig heads, I feel like I come home empty handed more times than not on account of my tackle being so limited, if that makes sense

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Pm me with your address i will send you a few things to get you started in the right direction.

Little tiny baits resemble fry and this time of year there are lot's of little bass, crappie and bluegill for the bigger fish to eat. Tiny baits do catch big fish if you have the right gear like an ultra light rod and 2-4lb line. I fish these tiny baits under a 3/4" weighted float so I can cast farther when needed. My biggest black and white crappie, bass and a huge 50# + grass carp were caught on 1/48 jigs with #10 hooks on 2-3# mono.

I tend to fish 1/16 oz year round, although I have fished with 1/32 oz a few times. These days I've been exclusively pulling crankbaits to learn a new technique and create a slight breeze to make baking in the sun a little more comfortable. Once the water temperature gets above the upper 80* F into the 90s, one option is long line trolling to get reaction bites.

I know that the tiny baits catch big fish. My rod and line setup hinder me a lot. I’ve got an ultralight rod I keep on the boat but I honestly never pay attention to what bait I’m putting on what rod. I usually end up with the wrong baits on the wrong rods.

The best advice i can give you about rods is to get good with a 10' jigpole once you master a 10 footer it opens up a ton of different techniques you can tightline right over a brushpile,laydown or lilly pads grass etc you can pitch/cast to brush you can fish under a cork with em you can work docks the list goes on and on and when you feel comfortable with a 10 footer you can always move into some of the longer rods that alot of folks use these days i have rods all the way out to 17.6' but rarely use them the fish have to be acting crazy spooky before i do usually ole trusty 10' jigpole does the trick i will use a 7' in the spring when casting the banks or a 6' to shoot docks but the ole trusty 10' is always within reach.

Funny you say that, I just bought two 11 foot acc crappie Stix jig poles for the wife and I. I’m super excited to try them. Do y’all suggest mono? If so, what do yall use? Never really paid much attention to the line before other than staying away from the super cheap stuf.

Most fishermen carry too much tackle. Weight depends on the method you use. I don't cast but use 11.5' jig pole to drop or flip on fish with livescope. Use only 1/8 or 1/4 oz . Colors more a personal preference thing . I used2 tube baits for years . Then mostly handties . Been making my own jigs out of Walmart sacks this year and catching limits as before nearly ever trip .:fish

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

Raiser, I wish I could do that. I have more stuff than three people need and carry way too much. I also don’t have to remove it from the boat so it’s not a major deal to me. I need to work on that more than I have been.

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glad to hear someone else does this. I take eleven (11) rigged crappie rods. I don't like to re-tie. Bobby Garland's, Crappie Magnets, and others. sometimes minnows. I got an addiction, but it is a good one. Would someone please start a "Go Fund Me" page for me? Thanks.

I prefer mono myself have tried braid but i just don't like it i like a little stretch in my line i use hi viz gold crappie max 6lb.

I find myself trying less and less variety of tackle these days. I have a lot of styles to choose from on hand. A lot of times I’ll switch out a jig or bait that’s producing just to try something new I may have on hand.
As far as lines, I definitely am not a fan of braid. I’m just not smooth enough with my movement of my rod in the boat to not get wrapped up around my rod and knots in my line. Some lines, braid, mono, ect also don’t fall thru my eyes very smoothly when I pull some line back to pitch my 16’ K-Rod again.
I really like how Flourocarbon line does the best. Seems like it stays straighter therefore gliding thru the eyes better.
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