Many people have trouble catching crappie on jigs, especially when the fish get sulky. This will sound over-simplified, but the difference between going home empty, or filling a fish basket up is simply proper techniques for the prevailing conditions. During the spawn, anyone can catch crappie, on just about anything, but in Post-Spawn mode, crappie tend to be moody and uncoopertive.
Many times, they will suspend at a certain depth, without regard to cover, and refuse anything unless it just about swims into their mouth on it's own. Here are some tricks that will boost your harvest next time.
First, let's talk about equipment. If you are going to be a serious year-around crappie angler, there are a few thing you MUST have. You'll need a boat, of some kind. It needn't be a $14,000 Tournament boat. Any dinghy, skiff, canoe, kayak, inflatable, Jon Boat, or even a Float Tube will work in many instances.
I use a Kayak, Canoe and Float-Tube, myself. You'll need a depth-finder, but the portable units work fine. Next, the main rods you will need are crappie poles in 10', and 12' lengths. They can be true poles, or have reel seats. B N makes several great modles. You need a ultra light reel and 4 lb. test Trilene. I use nothing else for crappie.
As to jig selection, you can fill a tackle box up quickly (and you no doubt will) with the plethora of different heads and bodies available, but to start with, I'd keep it simple. Nothing outfishes the plain-old 1/16th oz. marabou jig. They come in all colors, and combinations, and are dirt-cheap. Next, I d have a good supply of small tube jigs. And, a good assortment of twister tails rounds out the well-equiped arsenal.
The best colors are Chartuese and Yellow, with white being a good second choice early in the season. In murky waters, use lighter and brighter colors. At night, use all-black. Top all this off with a good brand of scent, like Smelly Jelly, or
Berkley Baitmate, in Minnow and Shad flavors.
Now, what to do with all this gear? Here are the proper techniques to use in different situations.
Still-Fish-For some reason, a lot of people think that a jig is not effective unless it's moving. This is definitly a false assumption. When crappie are moody, they get ultra-lazy, and will refuse anything moving fast enough to have to make them expend any energy to get it. Sometimes people fish right in the middle of a large school of crappie, and never get a hit, because they are moving the jig. After locating a school with your depth-finder, watch them for a minute. If they are stationary, chances are they are moody.
Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Go to http://www.askcrapp iefishing. com/editorials/ 6_five-crappie- jig-fishing- secrets.html for more information on Crappie Jig Fishing.
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