Crappie Fishing with jigs
Crappie fishing can be frustrating
and fruitless unless you know how to fish with the right lures. Using live bait
is usually the best way to fish for Crappies but jigs can also be very
successful.
When fishing for spring crappie,
they will normally bite very light. You need to be able to feel the bite to
catch fish. Use lighter line, like mono in 2lb to 6lb test. The reel can be an
ultra light spinning reel or an open face baitcast reel. A simple spincast reel
can also work, as well as a cane pole. A graphite rod with a cork handle can be
very sensitive to feel the Crappie’s light bite or nibble. Keep in mind that
Crappie have a very sensitive lip that can tear easily if you set the hook to
aggressively.Jigs with minnows can be very
effective fishing for Crappies because I believe that is their favorite food. Begin
by dropping jigs around cover, structure, and along edges of weed lines. Plus,
you can slow down the boat and let lip hooked minnows dance around a fishing spot
to entice reluctant crappie into biting. Using multiple rod presentations will
help you cover a lot of water. One rod could have a small spinner bait, one
could have a pinkie jig, with a minnow or without, and another pole could have
a jig and float combination. Other Crappie fishing jigs you can use can be
marabou and hair jigs in baitfish type patterns. When you are crappie fishing
with jigs, use a loop knot to tie it on. The jig will move more freely when
casting.
In muddy or stained water, use jigs
that have dark and light patterns on them. Sometimes you may need to try
numerous colors to entice finicky Crappie to bite. If you are not successful in
the murky water areas, look for bays that may be quiet and not a lot of water
movement. The water may be a little clearer but shallow so look for the deeper
areas to fish. If you are working with a fish finder it may be easier to spot
them in areas that are tough to see. Try to spot schools of Crappie. Then start
the rod rotation technique and throw a crappie jig or the spinner bait. Plus
the jig and float to see what they may bite on. Using a jig with a minnow on it
may work better in these circumstances. When Crappies seem to disappear from an
area you have been fishing, move out to deeper water. Sometimes crappie will
suspend above structures or around drop offs. Usually this is more of a summer
mode for crappies.
I particularly like to troll for
Crappie in order to locate them. I have 3 rods set up with 3 different baits
all ready to use on a moment’s notice. When I troll I use two rods: one with a
bobber or float and live bait such as minnows. The other rod will be rigged
with a jig like a pinkie jig with a minnow or just by itself. The 3rd
rod is fit with a small spinner that I may cast into areas of structure like
around stumps or fallen trees, weed beds etc.
Use these tips when you are Crappie
fishing with jigs so you too can be successful catching your limit.
Please
check out my link below for information on how to catch more crappies.http://myfishinggoods.com/crappie_fishing_secrets_and_techniques.html