How Big of a Bait Will Crappie Eat

[smoothlures]

Been making some float n fly and bass jigs and got to thinking why wouldn't a crappie hit it... they're 1/8th and 1/4 oz, 3" or so. Can't imagine they don't feed on threadfin shad that size?





Might have to weed through some striper and green carp though.

[Joey Clark]

Send some my way I will field test em for you. Lol I would think they would catch crappie

[Superx10]

I have caught crappie on 1/4 oz swimbait jig with 4" dressed swimbait before. Granted I was trying to make sure I was on bottom. Anyways, I use 1/4oz with up to 3.5in plastic for crappie in the winter before, but mainly use 2in stuff.

[blue-jig]

Absolutely. I've pulled thread fin out of them that big. Good looking jigs! I'd hate to hang one up. ��

[jaxsprat]

I caught a nice 12.5 crappie while casting a 5-6 inch floating rapala for northern pike in 2 feet of water.

[Swampseed]

Caught one bass fishing ( go easy on me guys that's back when I didn't know any better) throwing a 1/2oz double willow leaf. He was about 14" and hit it like a Mack truck.

[CrappiePappy]

They'll eat anything they can get their mouths around, so it depends solely on how big the Crappie is !!!

I caught one on a 4" plastic craw, and had a buddy catch one on a 1/2oz Spinnerbait. Both were in the 1lb weight class, or better. I've even caught <6" Crappie on a 300 Bandit running at 1.8mph, so that tells me they'll take a shot at whatever they think they can swallow.

... cp

[INTIMIDATOR]

We empty Crappie's bellies when cleaning, just to see what they eat....we catch plenty of 12+ inchers that have close to 6 inch gizzard shad in their gut! The biggest craw that I've found in a crappies belly, so far, was right at 4 inches.

[huntinslabs]

I have caught them on 3/4oz jig n pig flippin for bass. If they are hungry and they think there is any chance it will go down they will eat it. Now this was not a regular occurrence but did happen on 2 occasions, and they were deeply hooked with pork craw beyond back of throat.

[LOZ Targa]

I've even caught <6" Crappie on a 300 Bandit running at 1.8mph, so that tells me they'll take a shot at whatever they think they can swallow. cp

I have done the same thing. Some big fish have been caught on Lake of the Ozarks using 4"-5" jerkbaits in colder weather.