# I need a new Crappie Jig



## Lucky Bass

Can anyone out there offer suggestions to a good crappie jig? In the darker water I like to fish a tube tipped with a fathead, but I tend to lose a lot of fish on the jigs that i'm currently fishing (the gap doesn't seem to be enough for the plactic tube and the fathead and the hooks aren't the best). It also seems that most panfish jigs don't have nice hooks. Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on a good brand or alternative. Thanks.

Norm


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## Big Daddy

To be honest, I use the cheapies, the "no-name" brand, 1/32oz tube jighead, and I use either Southern Pro tubes OR Power Bait 1" tubes with them. I fish very heavy cover and I lose a lot of jigs. More cost effective to drop a dime per snag rather than a buck or more. Color varies.

I also like the "Crappie Queen" 10 for a buck hair jigs WalMart sells. They really catch teh fish, at least at West Branch. LOL.

For round jigs, teh 1/32 or 1/16 oz Northland jigheads in chartruse work great too.


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## sowbelly101

what i tend to do when using smaller jigs say a # 8 or 6, is take a needle nose pliers and open the hook up a little more. it dont take much change in the angle of the point to accomplish better hooking results. with the point bent up a little it will usually stick the fish alot better. 90% of the time i am using a 32nd oz no collar ball head on a size 6 hook with the hook bent out slightly and not to often do i not stick the fish.. try hookin the minnow by the tail so the bulk of the head isnt in the way of the point... 

sowbelly


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## Lucky Bass

Thanks for the insight guys. I'm going to put it to use. Sowbelly you mentioned opening the hook a bit, well I forgot to mention that I tried that too and fish were still poppin' off. I think a bit of the blame has to do with my rod, although I was setting the hook well my ultralight doesn't have the backbone needed to bury the barb. Again, thanks guys.

Norm


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## goodday

Possibly setting the hook too hard? Theirs a reason why crappie are said to have "papermouth"


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## OhioAngler1

Hey, if you don't mind catching the occasional bluegill while crappie fishing.. a white feather crappie jig fished under a bobber with a small sinker in the middle between the jig and the bobber works GREAT. Tip the jig with waxworm, or minnow eye. Use small jerks ( enough to make the bobber pop the water) then sit.. and repeat.. Crappie eat em up. Especially around shrubs and other cov :G er.


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## jfout

OhioAngler1 said:


> Hey, if you don't mind catching the occasional bluegill while crappie fishing.. a white feather crappie jig fished under a bobber with a small sinker in the middle between the jig and the bobber works GREAT. Tip the jig with waxworm, or minnow eye. Use small jerks ( enough to make the bobber pop the water) then sit.. and repeat.. Crappie eat em up. Especially around shrubs and other cov :G er.


Yeah I love the Geronimo feather jigs in all white in 1/32 weight fished with a few split shots and a stick bobber, had great sucess with them. On a side note, I was fishing at a local lake / Creek and had no success with a jig and twistertail for crappie a few years ago. I was in the parking area and was taking off my waders when this guy came up and asked how i did and I told him i didn't catch anything. So he said he would so me how to catch some, so he showed me the rig and some good spots. Needless to say I went home with 20 or so crappie and ended up catching close to 3 dozen. Thanks guy for helping me out.


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## Shortdrift

Have you tried using Crappie Nibbles by Berkley in place of minnows? I use them with tubes and tails and have had great results. The small Nibble does not interfere with the smaller gap hooks and provides the scent to tip the odds in your favor.


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## getinjiggy

Try going to a #4 with an 80 th oz head. This has worked very well early in the year using split tails. I also throw alot of #6 on 80th oz.


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## Shortdrift

If you are going to use live bait along with an attractor like a twister tail or tube, consider going to a size 2 hook. The crappie that Chippewa and I caught the other night (NE Forum-26 slabs and a channel) were caught on both minnow and artificial. I used a 1/8 oz Roadrunner on one rod and the other had a 1/8 oz round head jig cast on a size 2 jig hook baited with a small tube and large 31/2 to 4 inch minnow with a float. The crappie had no trouble handling this large #2 offering. Even the smaller 8 to 9 inch fish took this combo without any hook up problems. All too many fisherman use too small a hook and bait for crappie. They have a fairly good size mouth and can be a real pain in the butt at times when fishing cranks for bass. Most jigs are made with hooks that are too small even without plastic dressing. Plain hair or feather jigs usually have small hooks also. I feel a size four is minimum unless you are fishing a really finesse bite.


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## Fishinfreak

http://www.cabelas.com/products/Cpod0000248.jsp Try these out sometime.They work great and are great for bigger crappie.


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## JIG

You might try using a plain hook and minnow. I play around with different things out there(cheep) and the Fire line6-14 is bouyant enough for that combo with a slit shot. I land the smallest of fish and the bigger as well. The more weight the deeper she goes. I might have to try colored hooks!


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## gstrick27

one thing ive been using are wooley buggers. i tie them for smallmouth fly fishing but have found that when tied with eyes for weight, and used with my spinning gear they r just as, if not more productive than any plastics. the "breathablity" of the feathers is more natural and they cant resist. and for about 5 bucks i can tie about 30 of the things. of course when i told the guys at the fly shop they about stroked out, couldnt believe i would put a fly on spinning gear lol, but if it works ill do it. wait till i tell them ive tied plastics on the fly rod


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## Ovation

My dad has always used hypertails made by Bobby Garland. You have to special order them but you can fish them extremely slow on light jig heads and still get a lot of tail action. Also if you rig them on hyper heads they you dont snag that much at all but still hook most of the fish.


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## sowbelly101

ovation

would you mine sharing where you can " special order " them from?

Thanks
sowbelly


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## peple of the perch

i like to use tubes or jist a minnow inder a bobber


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