A new technique- swinging jigs

[crappieandbassman123]

GO SWINGING FOR SLAB CRAPPIE

Tournament angler and jig maker Donald Hersom has been crappie fishing and tying jigs 33 years. During these years he has been single pole fishing stumps and logs by swinging jigs that his company, Crappie Logic makes, on rivers. He has caught more White Crappie than he can count on this technique. Single pole fishing with his jigs has lead to a 3 pound, 8 ounce crappie out of Buttputter creek on Grenada Lake, Mississippi. This technique will work on any river system and has been shown to work anywhere where there is a river.
When and Where?
Hersom says while the time to catch crappie around stumps is June and July, there are other times that it works.
They hold to stumps that are in the mouth of the stump field coming off the river channel in June and July, the rest of the year they are in and out. Crappie leave in winter then go back in spring and stay until fall. For some reason, they stay in the summer. They are predictable in the summer, they have shade, food, and cover.
Because crappie feed around these stumps, knowing what they are feeding on can be helpful. On the river it’s shad they feed on , but they will feed on crawfish or other small fry says Hersom.
Since Hersom is fishing rivers, tide has determined where fish are around the stumps along with what depth they will be positioned in the stump.
With current, the fish will get on the eddy side, especially if it’s a round stump. Where Hersom fishes on the river there isn't a lot of current. He is fishing anywhere from five to eight feet. Most of the stump fields Hersom is fishing are at that depth, but you can fish the edge of the river channels new and old. They will have stumps from eight to sixteen feet deep. These stump fields are in the backwaters of the river or in the sloughs”
Success catching numbers and size of crappie, location and cover are a key part of patterning the crappie. When you first arrive at the river, it can be difficult to find a location to start.
Most of the trees Hersom is fishing are dead hardwoods, like oak or pecan, the older the better. He thinks the older stumps have more algae for minnows to feed on. On some there are grass and those are my favorite ones, it’s extra cover and extra shade for the fish and most importantly extra oxygen.”
According to Hersom, A stump field consists of different stumps , some will be out of the water or just under the water. Then, you have the logs that are just laid down. One of those three will produce your fish for that certain day. It’s what Hersom calls having a pattern and one of those three will be your pattern.
As to what approach to take once you find the right place to on the river, your lure presentation to crappie can be key to helping you maximize your time and efforts, and in result, it will help you catch more and possibly bigger crappie..
“I drop the jig down by the stumps if the water is muddy. In the summer it's all about stealth when your fishing a stump field in 8 feet of water or less with only 4-5 inches of visibility. If the water is muddy, I fish right down by the stump, making sure to fish all around it. The stumps are on the flats, but on the river what makes it nice is most of the flats have a ditch or a creek that runs in and out of the flat from the old river channel,” explained Hersom.
Hersom says that these fish are ambush mode and that he finds most of them on the shady side of the stumps and how willing they are to take your jig depends on the time of day .
“These stumps don’t have branches, they all have roots at the bottom that fish will find cover in. They find protection in the stumps from gar or other predators. Stumps are around 20 feet off the bank, the stumps will start with the occasional stump being close to the bank. They are aggressive in early morning, then they taper down until the hottest part of the day when they get aggressive again. The best time of the day for fishing this way is when it is really hot , around 11am to 3pm.
This technique is also very effective for when you are able to find the White crappie spawning around or in the stumps throughout the spring.
“These same stump fields are really good for pre-spawn, it works in water temperatures 65 degrees and up. Fish will enter these stump flats and get on stumps, most will go toward the bank, but a lot of them will spawn right in the stumps. Sometimes there is a little current on the river but mostly the big barges that come through produce current in these shallow stump fields” Hersom said.
One of the most fun an angler can have on the water while fishing is coming across a active schooling fish that are hungry and readily willing to eat your jig.
“Most of the time when you're fishing them there will be maybe one or 2 fish on each stump but if your fishing those deep water stumps on the edge of the river those will hold a school of crappie especially in the summer time,” Hersom noted.
The jig makes it work
Part of the success Hersom has with this technique is due to the jig itself all because of the colors of the jig, the fast fall the jig has, the hair he uses when building these jigs, and finally the unique way these jigs swim and dart under the water.
“My jigs are tied to imitate a bug's body and head, The body has a butt and a tail with legs. It’s unique because of the way it acts in the water , it really has a baitfish swimming action and with a twitch of your line you can make it look like a dying minnow with a darting action. They are tied with a a #2 Matzuo sickle hook. The fall is quick, but on this pattern I have found that in the summer it’s best for it to swing by fast. They are active in shallow water, but if your fishing in the fall or spring, you can slow down it’s fall with a 1/32nd ounce jig.
When it comes to the colors Hersom has had the most success with, but also has the most confidence in, he chooses five colors; pink and chartreuse , blue and chartreuse , purple-chartreuse , chartreuse and white, along with black and chartreuse.
How to swing
A critical part of this technique, according to Hersom, is the lack of movement he is giving the jig, along with the type of casts he is making to the stumps.
“It’s a reaction strike when it swings and glides past the stump, and sometimes even if the jig hits to stump during the retrieve. I’m not giving the jigs any movement. I’m giving the jig a swing of the pole and the jig makes a dead fall swinging past the stump, all I am doing is pitching and swinging the bait. I will swing the bait as far past the stump I think the crappie are at. You're finding a pattern, if you're catching them in five feet of water they can see the bait swimming by. All you're doing with this technique, is presenting a swimming baitfish past cover.”
“I’m using a 12 foot jig pole with a rear seat reel so it's just a pitch and swing motion with 11-12 feet of line out, but most of my pitches are 12 to 13 feet with me holding the rod in my right hand aiming the rod towards the stump. I’m always making tight swings past the shady side of the stump first, then I’m just finishing off the cast by pulling it by the stump. I’m making three to four pitches to each stump, and in a day I can cover hundreds of stumps.
When it comes to how Hersom is positioning both himself and the jig when getting ready to swing his jig past a stump, he has a few pointers.
“The way I grip the jig is like when your holding a jig getting ready to shoot a dock , Ijust hold the jig by the back of the tail and hook. I’m holding the jig until I make my swing, then Ilet it go, I’m holding the jig, then pointing and aiming the rod, swinging and letting go.”
Expectations
Depending on where in the country you live, the size and numbers of the crappie you’ll be catching with this technique varies, such as the types of water you have around your home, as well as seasonal temperatures.
“On the river they average anywhere from a pound to a pound and a halve, but I have caught them in the two pound range. Depending on the day and the weather you can usually catch 12 to 30 fish.3 pounds, 8 ounce crappie is my biggest crappie I have caught employing this technique,” explained Hersom.

What tackle?
As with every technique, Hersom has tackle that he uses when swinging jigs .
“I use 6 pound high visibility gold line. The gold line is important because you’re swinging that lure with a lot of slack in the line. You can see that tick in your line with gold line because its’ a thump or a tick in your line or your line will go slack.”
The fisherman is known for the fact that they are always adding to their lures, such as trailers or scent. Hersom is no different than any of them.
“Sometimes, I will use a crappie nibble or a spray like BANG to put scent on the jig.”
In terms of lures when it comes to this technique, Hersom does not only just use the jigs he makes, he also uses soft plastic lures for this technique of pitching and swinging the stumps.
“If it is a jig, I will use one of my Crappie Logic jigs in pink and chartreuse, but if it is plastic I will use a Slab Bandit jig in Jokers Wild. All are fished on a 1/16th Oz jig head, they both work for this pattern.”
Since you will be fishing around wood, there is the possibility you will get your jig hung up and break off, but, with this technique, Hersom says it’s a lot simpler to get your jig back his way.
“You poke the jig out if you get hung up. By using the 12 foot jig pole, it makes getting hung up really easy to get your jig back. I use a 12 FOOT B&M ULTRA LIGHT.”

[dandeman]

I'll have to try this out.

[Redy2Fish]

What makes this a new technique? Just curious?

[Donald@CrappieLogic]

what makes this a new technique? Just curious?

its not a lot of crappie fisherman use it maby new to some

[Gator_1]

Good article, tks for sharing.

[Crappie Reaper]

Nice read, that's exactly how I work the stump fields and it's very effective.

[NIMROD]

Nothing new here.

[Micropterus salmoides]

Great article. That is how I fish the pearl river here 95%, but more lay down oriented than stumps. If they don't hit it on the swing back, they usually will when it comes to a stop vertically. But then again a lay down gives me a lot more structure to work…and snags.
Way to go Donnie.

[Donald@CrappieLogic]

thanks adam maby it will help some new comers to the sport of crappie fishing and single poling of course it aint nothing new but there aint nothing new when it comes to single poling lol its just a way i like to fish for them in the summer heat

[NIMROD]

Nothing wrong with article or method. Real similar the way I fish banks with scattered cover in spring for spawning fish.