Crankbaits? Grubs? or Minnows under a float?

[VaCrappieMan]

Where I have been fishing for crappie lately is a creek that they go up in to spawn and probably at its deepest point its maybe 7ft or so. I have been taking with me some of the strike king bitsy crankbaits and I have yet to get a bite on them. Also, I've thrown some kalin's triple threat john deere and lemon meringue 2" out there a few times and got nothing on those either. I have been catching them on minnows under a float down around 3 to 4 ft. Any suggestions on other lures to cast for them (beetle spin?). I haven't ever caught many crappie on lures mostly just flies or minnows under a float. Any suggestsions on what you guys like or what I should maybe try?

Thanks,

Michael

[Crestliner08]

I don't have a lot of faith in cranks for crappie, but I have caught them on the smaller sized hard jerkbaits, when fishing for bass. Hard to believe you can't get bit on small soft plastics though. Try Bobbie's straight tail plastics on a 1/16 oz. jig head. I've never seen them fail when crappie are on a minnow bite.

Edit: You might also try a 1/32 oz. marabou jig under a bobber.

[skeetbum]

I like to use a beetle spin set up but it's the generic stuff out of wally. the blade is about thumbnail size and has a good thump. A 1/8 head with a curl tail, Kalins are good, with a flashy tail. Blue/chart and green/gray/w/silver flake tail works well for me. I slow roll it around brush and anywhere they might hide.

[deathb4disco]

Hard to believe you can't get bit on small soft plastics though.

Ditto. If you can't get a bite on a jig, I'd say your depth and/or speed is wrong. Depth and speed trumps the bait, IMO.

[VaCrappieMan]

I've got another question... I have been fishing for the crappie at night and in the evening mostly. When it gets dark we turn the lantern on and generally catch them at that time under the float with a minnow. Most of the time during the day the fishing is horrible (which is when I've been throwing the grub and crank baits). Would it mess things up if I cast the grub out and the crank baits when I have the lantern on? We aren't catching but around 15 crappie a night between 2 of us and around 10 of them are generally keepers. I just don't want to scare off what comes in for the minnows casting something if you guys don't feel like it would be a good idea. I haven't thrown grubs much at all for crappie but I use the same 2" grubs in the river for sunfish & smallmouth and catch tons of fish each year on them. I don't really know if I just need to steadily retrieve the grub or kind of vary my retrieve. Also, should I try to get a few beetle spins? Do you all use the ones with the beetle body or do you just substitute the curly tails?

Thanks,

Michael

[deathb4disco]

Slow, steady retrieve.

[Fatman]

On the Beetle spins as d4d said slow and steady and I have never really noticed but you can use a split tail grub or curly tail grub or you can even put a tied jig on it. Tie one on and try it and let the fish tell you which one they want to hit.

On cranks I just couldn't tell you - have never hooked a crappie on a crankbait. Lot's of bluegills but not crappie.

[VaCrappieMan]

I typed a big long message and the computer locked up... lol I am thinking maybe I should try a road runner again... I bought some 1/32 oz white ones about 3 or 4 years ago and used them like one week and then I stopped trying them... I noticed you use alot of horse head jigs fatman do you tie chennile and such on them or do you like to use grubs with them? If grubs what kind do you use and such...

Thanks guys,

Michael

[deathb4disco]

If I were you, I'd pick ONE bait in a few different colors and concentrate on that. For probably the first twenty years of my crappie career, I used marabou jigs - in just two colors - about 99% of the time, and I caught plenty of crappie. Since then, I often throw a small plastic grub in addition to the marabou.

Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be.

[CrappiePappy]

I'd try a 1/16oz chartreuse marabou Roadrunner ... and cast it parallel to the bank, holding the rod up at a 45deg angle (for that shallow a depth) and retrieve it with a slow & steady crank. You can even do it at night, outside of the circle of the lantern light.

... I fished a local lake with a buddy of mine, a couple of times, and he threw a Beetle Spin .... same general area that I was casting my Roadrunner ... and I wore him out @ about 6-7 to 1 on Crappie.

You might also consider putting a minner on a small jighead, under a float, and try that. Hook it under the chin & out between the nostrils ... and you can probably get away with casting it.

... cp