You are right Bear, they do slow down a lot and sometimes you may have to tip that jig with a minnow. Slow fall, slow twitch or slow retrieve with entice bites.
Longtime bass fisherman, new crappie fisherman. Went and bought jigs cause like most on here, I rarely do live bait. In the winter, are you just dropping these to the right depth and giving them a small twitch ever so often? How are you fishing the jigs? Vertical twitch? Slow retrieve? Everything slows down with winter fishing, I'm just trying to get the right technique. This weekend will be only the second time in my life that I've fished for crappie.
Thanks
You are right Bear, they do slow down a lot and sometimes you may have to tip that jig with a minnow. Slow fall, slow twitch or slow retrieve with entice bites.
Aquatic Species Removal Engineer
Big Bear...that's a real open ended question. Everybody fishes jigs a little different. Just like everybody fishes a plastic worm or a bass jig different. An example, my dad loves to crappie fish by casting jigs and working them back to the boat. I never had a feel for this so I like to put them under a slip cork http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...rTarget=browse to get them to the right depth and just let the motion of the boat or the waves give them the action they need. I will also vertical fish jigs in a similar manner but usually keep a hold of the line so i can feel the tick.
Fish above the fish you mark on your graph. Crappie feed up not down. When the bobber lays down flat, set the hook. Hope this helps.
here's a few good links
http://www.crappieusa.com/library/library.cfm
http://www.crappiestuff.com/spider_rigging_101.html
Scott
Some good helpful hints above.
One thing not mentioned is doing nothing.
One of the best techniques I've found for winter fishing (and a lot during other times of the year too) is to drop your jig over the side of the boat and just lay your rod down on the gunwales.
That's the only way that I seem to be able to fish it slow enough and without any action.
Look for itsy bitsy ticks of your rod tip, a slow bend towards the depths on your rodtip (love that one :D ) or your line swimming off to one side or going limp.
Anything different than just hangin' around and set da hook.
Good Luck.
What exactly does that mean? I have an idea, but jsut want to clarify. Told you I was new!Originally Posted by drill instructor
BB it means put a minnow on behind the jig.
BB...I tip my jigs quite a bit. You still have the tube or twister or whatever on the jig head. run the hook in under the "chin" of the minnow where the "V" is, then up thru just behind the mouth on top. You'll know if you got it on there right, it should just slip right thru and the minnow will live. If you put the hook too far back in its head it will die rather quickly. Too close to the mouth and they tend to get off.
A lot of times it doesn't matter if the minnow is dead or alive. If you use a dead one make sure that it is "freshly" dead. don't use the ones that have turned white. You can sometimes catch three or four fish on one minnow like this.
this is the same way a lot of guys hook their minnows when they slow troll, too
Scott
you've aleady received some good advice. Also consider, in lieu of using minnows, using a wax worm or maggot to "tip" the jig.
Using jigs, in relatively cold water, does work ... and a lot of the methods are the same as used in warmer water. Just slow your presentation & retrieval speed. You may also want to consider trying this method - http://www.crappie.com/articles/crappiepappy.htm .........luck2ya ...cp
CP I forgot to tell you. I've been doing this pretty regularly with decent success. I have tweaked it a little for me though. When I get ready to move if I'm anchored or if I'm just checking bait, I will s-l-o-w-l-y reel in instead of just pulling it up and checking. caught quite a few like this. Thanks pappy
Scott
Bear-I almost always use the countdown method.find the depth their holding at on your finder.The average Jig falls at a rate of 1 foot per second,so if fish are at 18 ft it would be one thousand one-one thousand two,ect,ect!i Cast to structure-countdown, and make a VERY SLOW retreive back!Works year round for me!!You can also do this when vertical jiggin.hope i"ve helped some!!GOOD LUCK!!
Good Fishin To Ya!! Dennis Dale Hollow Crappie www.dalehollowcrappie.4t.com