Vertical fishing question

[crappieslab]

I usually spider rig or pitch bobbers to catch crappie and want to get better at, what most fisherman and fisherwoman call dipping trees using jigs. Question: I would like to know what technique you use while fishing, (please be specific) pole posistion,action,holding of line, finding right depth. I do not have alot of time put in doing this and I am going to force myself doing it this year and need some pointers and if there is a web site that can help that would be good to, Thanks

[talltimber]

I love single pole, single jig. I just don't get to do it enough. Wapp has a number of brushpiles, not all marked by MDC, but there are not many. I mean there are, probably, I just don't know where a day's fishing worth of them are. I like to fish the buckbrush along the bank if we have water during the spawn. This may not be the ideal way to fill the cooler quickly (unless you really get on them), but I enjoy it more. To me, it's more like hunting than fishing. I like it.
Anyhow, I like to use a BnM Ultralite with bottom reel seat. (not the proper gear for MS size fish in brush). I hold the line against the pole with 2-4th fingers with my index finger between the line and the pole. The back of your index finger should be pretty sensitive to light bites. It just adds to the info you're getting from your pole, and your line position (vert and horiz.) I watch the "dot" where the line enters the water (for horizontal movement), and you can see in your peripheral vision the line (for slack) and pole tip if you keep it low to the water-1' or less for me. All of my fishing is in shallow water, so far, so I don't have to worry to much about depth. About six inches past sight of the jig and I'm usually good.
That being said, and I think I am adequate in jig fishing (where I usually fish), I don't think I've ever caught a fish on a live tree at Reelfoot. Brush and limbs, yes, but trees, no. Drives me crazy. LOL

[Dongotto]

Vertical fishing a jig is my favorite style of crappie fishing. I put in my own brush piles but also fish the MDC beds. No matter what depth my basic approach is to use my GPS and fish finder to locate the cover then I put out a marker. I point the boat into the wind and move up to the edge. In warmer weather I will start by pitching past a bit and letting the bait swing back toward me with the rod tip up. I watch the tip the entire time and will see many bites i dont feel. Many times fish will suspend above the cover. If that doesnt work or slows I move over the cover and drop down into the bed and start a snails pace retrieve while watching the rod tip. In cold weather sometimes I drop down and pull it up a few feet and dead stick the jig for a while then slowly up a foot and repeat. IMO the key is to use as light a line as possible and watch the rod tip. Now, I fish Stockton and its clear so that why I use the light line (2lb ultra green maxima). Two mistakes that I think people make is not fishing the all sides of the cover. At the same time don't spend to much time on one bed or piece of cover. Especially with two people fishing if fish are active and going to bite it wont take long to find out. I think the key to being a successful bed fisherman is to put in your own and put in a lot. If you have a lot of beds to fish you can bounce around quickly and find the most productive on a given day. Don't go over board with worrying about were you put them as much as having a lot of depth options and placement that will favor various wind directions. I break mine into ranges. 10-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-35,35-50 at pool. Yes you will get hung up a lot but with time you will learn the feel of cover vs. fish and get better. I basically use the same approach on standing timber. In any vertical fishing setting the most critical part is boat control. The better you get at keeping the boat in the sweet spot the less you will get hung and the more fish you will catch. Many times on a given piece of cover you will find one area of the cover is holding the fish and if you arn't on that spot you wont get bit.

I use a G Loomis 6 1/2ft UL with a US reel 180sx and 2lb maxima for bed fishing. I don't hold the line. From post spawn till fall you will find fish from 4ft to 25ft and just have to search and see what works best on your lake. Once winter gets here I fish 25-50ft beds and open water with big schools of deep shad, but very warm spells will move winter fish shallow at times also. A lot to think about but getting those beds in the water is step one to me. Good luck.

[adjust555]

Have to agree with the above 2 post. They about said it the same as I would. I do use 4" test. 2" to light for me in cover. also use a 8' outlaw pole (great feel). Keep your finger on the line. The one more thing to look for or try. When the fish are biting light or slow. When you jig your pole, bring it up a foot or 2 and then drop it reel slow so your line is tight as it falls. You would be supprised how many bites you'll miss on the way down if you don't. Look for the line to go slack as you drop it. Set the hook cause there is a good chance it went slacxk cause it is in a crappies mouth. Good luck and have fun. It is my favorite way to fish. Love the THUMP!!!!

[Dongotto]

You make a good point adjust555 about 4lb line. I have always been a fan of 4lb max, but a few years ago tried the 2lb in winter and got it in my head that I caught more fish on it. You know how those weird in your head but maybe not true things go. Very good point you make about the fish hitting on the fall. Also when I'm crawling a bait up slow and miss a bite instead of reeling up and starting over I drop down a couple feet and come back up and many times get bit again.

Have to agree with the above 2 post. They about said it the same as I would. I do use 4" test. 2" to light for me in cover. also use a 8' outlaw pole (great feel). Keep your finger on the line. The one more thing to look for or try. When the fish are biting light or slow. When you jig your pole, bring it up a foot or 2 and then drop it reel slow so your line is tight as it falls. You would be supprised how many bites you'll miss on the way down if you don't. Look for the line to go slack as you drop it. Set the hook cause there is a good chance it went slacxk cause it is in a crappies mouth. Good luck and have fun. It is my favorite way to fish. Love the THUMP!!!!

[rancher]

hey dongotto iv'e used maxima line for years from 2 to20 lb.used 12 lb for years when i guided for bass and 2 to 4 lb for walleye and crappie.nothong any worse than taking guys fishing to get away from thier wives and could care less about catchting fish.but really like the line!!!!

[adjust555]

You make a good point adjust555 about 4lb line. I have always been a fan of 4lb max, but a few years ago tried the 2lb in winter and got it in my head that I caught more fish on it. You know how those weird in your head but maybe not true things go. Very good point you make about the fish hitting on the fall. Also when I'm crawling a bait up slow and miss a bite instead of reeling up and starting over I drop down a couple feet and come back up and many times get bit again.

I've fished with Darrell Jones and he uses sewing thread. I like you belive it is all in our heads. Confidence is everything. Used 2' test and caught a ton of fish. Just not comfortable with it in cover. Would hate to lose that hawg.

[cschottfish]

What we do at Mark Twain lake is dip trees. I use a 10' or 11' pole with 8# bright green line by viscous the stuff glows you can see a hit or tap so easy if you don't fell it. Get the jig up close to the trunk and work your way to the bottom or from the bottom up watch the graph for a starting point helps, not all fish show up all the time, I trust my graph a lot but there are still times when you hit fish that do not show up. If fishing 15' or shallower and light wind we use 1/16oz if deeper than 15' we use 1/8 oz. Lower the jig slowly till you find the right depth, for the most part the fish will be in the same range all over the lake.

[crappieslab]

Thanks for the info but when you guys talk about jigging are you twitching the rod tip or dropping it? what action are you giving the rod tip?

[cschottfish]

Try it all the fish will tell you what they want. Sometimes you hold it dead still others lift and fast short drop, then they might want lift and slow fall or a little shake, and my favorite the shakie shakie. You just have to let the fish decide it sometimes changes day to day.