I think Presentation is everything...well almost

[sac-a-lait]

If the fish are biting, Crappie will hit a jig if you put it in front of him. I can go to a hole on Tuesday and use a 1/16 oz jig head, drop it down 10-12 feet, give it a twitch and the fish will hit it. I can go back 2 days later and they won't bite that same jig. I switch up to a 1/32 and will keep working my way down in weight, going as light as 1/80 oz. The neat thing is I have poles pre-rigged with all different weighted jig heads and can switch up quickly. I can pull into a public spot, with everyone watching and put the hammer down on them. Other fisermen scratch their heads wondering how my jig is so MAGIC as compared to theirs.

I have found for me color is irrelevent, I use the same color jig bodys (red & char glow super jigs from mid south) all the time. The only thing I change is the weight of the jig head. I have found this tactic works best for me and almost always ensures I catch a limit. Once again, I only start experimenting with the different weights if the bite is slow. If they will hit the 1/16 oz that's what they get all day!!!

Does anyone concur about my weight theory. I know some will say color has alot to do with it, but I have NEVER used painted heads and stick with colors that are proven (atleast in my own mind) to work where I fish.

[crappieseeker]

I'll be honest with you, there are a few areas that I have fished for a year and a half and like you said, the same color is about the only color they will bite. Just the opposite on the weight thing though. If they are there, they will hit the 1/16 almost every time. There are some areas though where color is the key, I never use painted heads, I do better without, but jig color itself makes a big difference. I use to be able to do like you and go and catch fish like crazy where other people are not catching them. So many people have watched me over the years and found my holes and watched my colors and techniques. They use to know the car I drove and would follow me around. Some people wouldnt ask what I was using for bait, they would cast over my line and tangle me up so they could see what i was using. There are alot of people fishing the areas that I fish now, the pressure is high. I can still get them sometimes when others cant, cause I've done it for so long. I use to could get some of my good holes by about 4 in the morning, but now if I aint there by 1 or 2 in the morning, someone else is there. I believe you when you say that if you put a jig in front of a crappie, he will bite it. (Most of the time) The color has to be right though.

[SteveJ]

Maybe that's what been my problem lately, the weight thing. I have always been a color man myself and not paided too much attention to jighead weight, mainly use 1/8 oz as I can feel it better, I'm a jigpoler holding them in my hand. This morning I went out at 7:30 and back at 10:00 and caught only 6 all with-in the first 45 mins. Then nothing. Had 3 blacks, largest 12" and 3 whites, largest about 1/16 under 14". All but 1 came from 10' to 12' of water and that was the big white which was in about 6' of water. Maybe I need to change weights. By the way sac-a-lait what part of MS and what is your home lake if you don't mind me asking, Okatibbee is my main body of water.

[mighty]

I can not agree more. Yesturday I went out and did not bother changing the reel and line my son used on sunday when we went out. I like 4lb the line he had was 8lb. Since I use two poles one jig one minnow from the bank. When the crappie hit the miinow the line was so heavy I could not set the hook. See I was not holding the rod so the line sunk under and I missed several fish like that. This is different from size and color presentation but presentation is everything. The time you slack off could be the time you miss that 5 or 6 lb crappie.

[lovetofish]

I think color is very important as well as weight. I use to fish with 1/16 & 1/8 oz. then I started experimenting myself as all have done. I truly think weight is very important certain times of the year. When spawning I don't see that big of a diff. with weight but in the fall and winter I think wieght is more important than color. As far as color goes I let the color of the water and other conditions dictate what color I use. I like most have seen people catching fish and you pull up by or them by you with a different color and the fish turn it on. That's why my ole PAPPY would say that is why they make chocolate,strawberry and vanilla everyone has a choice.

[jigsbydirk]

i am going to agree with the size side, though there are times if you don't have the right color you won't catch a fish, i have caught too many fish standing beside a person fishing with a big jig while i was using a much smaller jig. 1/32nd is my bread and butter in public docks, however i have been know to use 1/8th in a boat, generally during the pre-spawn and spawn, dead of winter i will use 1/64th, depends on the fish, water,and fisherman.

[sac-a-lait]

STEVEJ...I live in jackson...and my home lake is Ross Barnett RES. Where do you live?

[SteveJ]

STEVEJ...I live in jackson...and my home lake is Ross Barnett RES. Where do you live?

I live in Collinsville and mainly fish Okatibbee. Do you belong to the MCC?

[crappieseeker]

I'll give you an example of why I say color is very important. I think color and weight are equally as important certain times of the year, but on an everday basis color is the key. A crappie is not gonna bite what he cant see. If he can see it and thinks its a meal, then he will determine then wether its the right size meal or not. I have caught crappie in the same spot on one size head when they wouldnt hardly hit another size, but had the color not been right, it wouldnt matter what size the head was. I have told this story and I will tell it again. One time I was fishing a tube jig that I got out of my box. It was the jig on top and had gotten a little bit of moisture on it and faded just a little bit over several days of being wet. I caught alot of crappie on it. I finally decided to put another one on as that one was tore up and I kept having to slide it back over the jig head. I noticed a slight difference in color but didnt think it would matter, boy was I ever wrong. I didnt catch another fish, so I decided to pick back up the one I threw down and try to reuse it. It worked for a while until it just came completely apart.

[sac-a-lait]

SteveJ, NO I do not belong to the MCC. I like to concentrate on ONE lake. The REZ is bug enough that it takes YEARS to master much less trying to master like 10 lakes. The main issue is most of their tournaments are on football weekends and I'm a season ticket holder plus we go to almost all the away games.

Where's Collinsville?