# Crappies: Have you kicked the bucket yet?



## Net

How many of you can honestly say you've kicked the minnow habit? I'm not there yet, but I hope to be someday .


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## bkr43050

I enjoy catching them with jigs and other lures but when you are looking for results it is very hard to beat a slip float with a minnow dancing around. Besides most of my trips out I have my 3 boys with me. If you find the fish you can keep them busy with minnows. Although my 12 year old prefers to only fish the jigs and can fish them with the best of them. There are days I can't keep up with him. But then again there are days when I do the same to him. He just doesn't accept it as well as I do.


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## Net

By the way, my poll question doesn't exactly jibe with the options, but it won't let me edit a poll question. I think you guys will get the idea if you just look at the 3 options.


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## misfit

LOL.yeah,you kinda contradicted yourself,but being old school,i had no problem interpreting the meaning...........................i think
in other words,i love working jigs,etc,but will never give up the minnies.i may not take them every trip,but if i'm serious about putting fish in the box,i want to have multiple options,since crappies have a habit of getting picky at times.


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## JPfishing

I would be lying if i said i dont fish with minnows every now and then. but i would say 8 out of 10 times i crappie fish, it's without minnows. 


but it's so much fun with a slip and minnow.


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## Lewzer

I take minnows everytime I intend to fish for crappie. I also sometimes take them when I don't fish for crappie---winter/early spring cold water walleye.




> but it's so much fun with a slip and minnow.


I agree. Almost as fun as perch jerking.


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## Garyoutlaw77

I am at about 95% on jigs these days but will admit to being skunked w/o minnows early in the year


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## crittergitter

Me to, 95% without. On a tough early season bite it's good to have them.

CG


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## crappiedude

I buy them (just in case I need them) but I hardly ever use them.


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## Bassnpro1

I'm 90&#37; minnow free! I'd rather be dangling a jig in the middle of a tree with my 10' pole.


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## Boxingref_rick

Hi. 
No matter how often I go, I always take minnows, and many 
times I end up giving them to people on the bank somewhere...
-------------------------------
I've yet to have a dream where I feel a tap on the end of the line. 
So....
It's always that bobber slipping slowly under the water...
About that time... my four year old girl jumps up, and down, 
"ON ME" sticks her finger in my nose, Cackles real loud, and 
then screams, "Daddy wake up!" 

This happens about twice a week!

Glove up! 

Rick.


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## billybob7059

don't really need minnows with gulp!. But if the water temp is below 55 then minnows help.


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## bkr43050

There are a lot of guys saying they are minnow free but I noticed in the thread about the crappie tourney there were an awful lot of guys ordering minnows...and plenty of them.  Like I said it is tough to beat the real thing. There are often times when you can get on fish and catch more on jigs but there are also those times when they are more finicky. Not to say you stand no chance of getting them on the jig but at that time I will like my odds with the minnow. Another thing that has not been mentioned is what I liek about them. When the bite is not super hot the minnows allow you to effectively fish two poles at a time. I will usually slip float one and jig the other. Try doing that with jigs. Yeah, I know you can jig two vertical but not with casting as well.


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## madcrappiekids

we take the minnow bucket aobut 40% of the time and always with my dad. I agree that it's just nice to have the bobbers out there, especially with kids in the boat - anything that helps them catch fish. 

When I am alone or with a friend we are 95% minnow free -


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## carxman17

like someone esle said I like to fish both ways it is hard to beat a minnow under float. but it is more of a challange to fish with jigs. just depends on conditions for me. I like to locate them with minnows then switch to jigs sometimes...


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## 1st shirt

When I was in Utah several years ago, all we used were Mr. Twister jigs under a slip float. We would cast it out then reel in very slow. Had a lot of fun doing that and caught some real slabs. Now I use minnows a lot becasue the crappie don't seem to hit that here like in Utah.


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## Buckeye Mike

If they wont bite a jig, i wont catch them !! But i get my share.

100 % minne free !!!!


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## Smallmouth Crazy

For me the bottom line is catching fish and if live bait is working better than a jig then Im not to proud to hook up a minnie under a bobber I would much rather be catching fish by casting out a bobber and letting it sit compared to wearing myself out flipping jigs and coming up empty handed.


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## Star1pup

billybob7059 said:


> don't really need minnows with gulp!. But if the water temp is below 55 then minnows help.


I sure wish GULP! would work for me, but I just can't catch anything with it. I've tried about 4 different types with no luck. I now have the minnow grub in white and haven't caught a thing on it. It sure would be nice if it worked as it's a drive to get minnows and keeping them fresh is not easy with the warmer weather.


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## chaunc

For me, May thru mid september, i dont use live bait. I do pretty well with minnow imitations and nibbles. Got these yesterday.


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## NorthSouthOhioFisherman

Dang chaunc!!!! Like always I suppose....
I always bring minnows but have had great success with nibbles...


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## KATKING

Wht kind of nibbles do you use ?


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## chaunc

All of them work. Whatever color you can find, get them.


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## Star1pup

chaunc said:


> All of them work. Whatever color you can find, get them.


Do you fish just the nibbles or tip a lure with them, such as a jig?


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## Net

One thing I learned since starting this thread....I still like a good old fashioned bass minnow on a plain #6 hook as a search bait, but once I locate the school, a crappie jig tipped with a few berkley crappie nibbles has consistently taken the biggest crappie of the day.


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## chaunc

I use them on a jig. Old reliable jigs from microspoons has been producing some nice fish for me lately. Green/ chartreuse/ green combo is the ticket.


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## carxman17

I was out sunday morn. caught about 60. Id say half on minnows under bobber half on a chartruce marabu roadrunner tipped with nibblets. enjoy catching them more on roadrunner but sometimes minnows produce better...


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## Star1pup

carxman17 said:


> I was out sunday morn. caught about 60. Id say half on minnows under bobber half on a chartruce marabu roadrunner tipped with nibblets. enjoy catching them more on roadrunner but sometimes minnows produce better...


I live on a 150 acre lake that usually has great fishing, but for some reason the bite has really turned off on all species. :S


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## chaunc

I used minnows on my microspoons sunday and had a pretty good day.


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## liquidsoap

Nice job Chaunc.
I admit when I do crappie fishing I do use minnows.

I thought this thread was going to be about knocking over the minnow bucket. I was looking foward to some funny stories.


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## Guest

when i fish for slabs, i mostly use jigs. once in a while i will revert to minnies. something nice about watching floats.


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## chaunc

Rich, fish a jig under your float. Still a lot of fun.


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