# Our Favorite Seasonal Lures and Colors For Crappie



## Ruminator (Apr 6, 2004)

I've been reading through a lot of the threads in this section and noticed after doing a search that we don't have any threads about our favorite seasonal crappie lures and colors, and what types of water we like to use them in.

I don't know which seasons are best to use my different crappie lures: crankbaits, plain hook & minnow, Roadrunners, jig/minnow, jig/tube/curly tail or swimbait, spinnerbaits, etc..

I know the colors for water conditions, but not the seasonal color preferences for crappies here in Ohio. 

Or are there any such that you know of; or does it only go by water clarity/sky/ structure?

For example, with fall now coming on, which lure types/ colors work best?


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

Since i do about 75% of my fishing on Nimisila ill give you what they seem to like best. Nimi is very stained in the Spring, so the darks usually work better then when fishing jig & twist/tube. It was a great bite last Spring for crappie, so almost anything worked. Real early(pre-spawn) in the Spring i drifted 1/16 oz crocadile spoon tipped with minnow head or waxie, and got some good ones as well as Perch and gills. Once the spawn is in full swing i mainly just went #6 gold hook, slip float, and minnow. And i always have a Norman Crappie size crank throwin out when the bobber action isn't the fastest. Summer.... I should try live minnows more in the Summer, if i could keep them alive... thats why i dont. I mainly just fish jigs tipped with a pinch of crawler in the Summer with mixed results. If the water is clearer you just can't beat chartruse/white IMO. I also drift spoons in the Summer. But im chasing bass around alot more in the summer then the Crappie. In the Fall, i get back into minnows, crankbaits, and some in-line spinning. But not much cause in my free time in camoed out and smell like a doe in heat! For Winter ice fishing, black pin mins with pink and yellow eyes made me more then a few fish frys! And you gotta love the old sweedish pimple. Also those brass eye jigs are awesome for all panfish. I must be a ice fisherman at heart, because im already itching to get out there!


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

I've had some pretty decent success with a Road Runner and some Mimic Minnows in the fall when targeting crappies. I'm usually concentrating more on LM or SM but do take a little time going after crappies in the fall. I got a buddy that swears by Japanese swimbaits (hey Intimidator where ya at?) anytime of the year for crappies.


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## boonecreek (Dec 28, 2006)

i don,t know much on this sudject. but with all the input from all u pros, i,ll say i,ll have a great fall crappie season.


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## Ruminator (Apr 6, 2004)

I've never gotten time to fish in the fall for crappie, always doing yardwork and leaves galore; so I'm most unsure about this season rapidly approaching as to lure types and colors for the fall season.


Is fall a good season to troll, (cranks or jigs) or is that a summer thing here in Ohio?
.


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

Jim, 
I really don't change techniques or colors at all between the seasons...I am now down to (2) different colors of the Keitech Swing Impact swimbaits for all my Crappie fishing. The 3" Silver Shad color is for the Crappie that are eating shad and the 3" Bluegill color is for those eating the lake minnows. The only thing that changes during the seasonal patterns is the presentation but this year has been strange...every pattern has needed a super slow, stop and start retrieve, or bouncing it slowly off the bottom...there is so much food available that unless you make your offering stand out (dying, injured, etc) the BIG Crappie are too full and lazy to take it.
I have totally put away every other Crappie lure that I own and now I only carry a small plastic pocket case with my 2 different kinds of swimmers, my jig heads (reg and weedless) and my crappie niblets if they need something extra. The action of the Keitech is the key...there is no other swimbait on the market with this kind of action even at super slow retrieves...if you are not comfortable swimming jigs you can even use them under a bobber and just twitch them! Oh, and if you buy these swimmers, go ahead and buy MEND-IT also, this is a plastic bait "Super-Glue" that does not make the baits HARD, it repairs them if the tear etc, but they remain soft and flexible!
Good Fishing! Brent


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

Ruminator said:


> I've never gotten time to fish in the fall for crappie, always doing yardwork and leaves galore; so I'm most unsure about this season rapidly approaching as to lure types and colors for the fall season.
> 
> 
> Is fall a good season to troll, (cranks or jigs) or is that a summer thing here in Ohio?
> .


You may want to send a PM to Chaunc... he's helped me a few times with real good info.


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