Spring Crappie- Bait types(Garland Shads, curly tails, tubes?)

[bigbassman]

When casting for spring crappie in the shallow around wood cover when theyre spawning, what type of bait( bobby garland baby shad, curly tail, tubes, etc.) is most effective? Im new to crappie fishing and am overwhelmed with all the styles/colors available. Heading to bps next week and am stockin up for next year!
Thanks

[NIMROD]

I use Southern Pro Umbrella tubes all year long! Push leadheads inside and pop hook eye on leadhead through side after inserting. They are awsome baits cast, trolled , or verticle jigged around cover. I use them every time I hit the water.

[gabowman]

If casting under a float with a steady retrieve I've probably done as good over the years with tube body jigs as I have with curly tail jigs. Nowadays my preferred way of fishing is longlining so I use something with alot of motion (curly tail grubs) and some tied jigs which gives the fish a choice. When theyre biting in the springtime it's more of a matter of getting the jig to 'em and they'll eat it!Thumbs Up

[MEATGETTER]

i use my on hand tyied jigs 99% of the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CrappiePappy]

BBM ... when I'm in that particular situation (casting in the shallows around wood cover, during the spawn) I'm using 1/32oz or 1/16oz ballhead weedless jigheads w/#2 Aberdeen hook ... & solid body tubes in the 1.5 - 1.75" range. That would be my primary method & weapons. I would also have to include dock shooting in this "casting" situation .... and will sometimes substitute a stinger shad style plastic body for the tube.
Secondary method & weapon of choice would be a 1/16oz marabou Roadrunner ... running it over top and along side of visible submerged wood cover.

Gabowman has a point ... if the fish are in shallow & bedding, it's usually the males ... and they'll pretty much attack anything that gets around their nest territory. The females "can" be caught off the nest, but you have to be there when they are. Otherwise, they're going to be a little ways off from the nesting area, staging around cover in deeper water. They'll eat, but can sometimes be a little more picky about size/color/shape/speed/etc (but not always).

Don't let your Bait Monkey bankrupt you !! Rofl
But do get a diverse collection, and you'll be ready for whatever the fish want. And don't forget to look over the many fine jigs & plastics that our members make & sell !!

... cp

[bigbassman]

thanks for all the help everyone. luckily the tubes/grubs arent expensive at all so i can get a pretty good selection. The rod i was lookin at for this situation was a bps crappie max mighty lite 7 ft ul. Does this sound about right with some 4-6 lb green mono?
Thanks

[CrappiePappy]

The rod i was lookin at for this situation was a bps crappie max mighty lite 7 ft ul. Does this sound about right with some 4-6 lb green mono?
Thanks

Anything in the 6.5-8ft length, that feels good to you, would work well for casting jigs ... brand/style being a personal choice. I prefer my jig casting rods to be fast action tip, rather than parabolic bend action.
4-6lb mono is fine ... color (or lack of) would depend on how well you can see it, under various lighting conditions. One reason a lot of people use hi-vis lines, is so they can see the line jump (when a strike occurs) before & instead of waiting to "feel" the strike/fish with the rod.

IMHO ... fish are not "smart" enough to consider line as a threat, regardless of color. Crystal clear water allows the fish to see many other factors that may spook them, so line color may not be the culprit in those cases. Regardless of the claims, if YOU can see the line ... out in the air (the medium you're used to looking through) ... then you can bet that a fish can see the line in the water (the medium it's used to looking through) ... in most water conditions less than milky brown. I believe they can see it, but just don't focus on it as a threat ... especially if what's on the end of it is of interest to them.
I believe even heavily pressured fish are not line shy, as much as they are "movement/noise/shadow" shy.

... cp

[bigbassman]

Thanks everyone for the info.

[Spoonminnow]

Bass Pro Spring Grub is hard to beat rigged on a 1/8oz jighead. I alternate that with a minnow I hand pour and use for finicky fish, either under a bobber, nose hooked-drop shot rig or rigged on a 1/16 or 1/32 jig for the horizontal glide-pause swim. I never use more than 6# test line.

[LA CrappieMaster]

I primarily use Bobby Garland baby shad and a couple tubes year around, but I am also a novice at fishing. I have been noticed others around me catching on a specific color tube and I put on a similar colored solid body and began to catch also. This was vertical jig though, as I have yet to try swimming and ect.