Why do ya'll use such small jigs/hooks

[Wannabe...]

This may be a dumb question, but why do ya'll use jig's smaller than 1/16th and hooks on down to #8? 99% of my fishing is with a 1/8 jig and a #1 or even a 1/0 hook with no minnow.

[GRIZZ]

Often when crappies are being finicky they will only hit smaller lures, especially in cold water times early in the season in the north. Sometimes variations in lure size make as much difference in the bite as colors. Its takes experimentation to get the right combo.

[shipahoy41]

Most crappies are not as aggressive as a bass. They will study a jig or bait carefully and then just flare their gills to inhale it. Then they spit it out. To me, a lighter jig makes it that much easier to inhale and I can see that action by using a slip float.


When I am crappie fishing I will always use a 1/32 jig as my first choice and my last choice fished slow under a bobber.

[J White]

I have been long-lining before like usual, 1/8 or 1/4 oz jigs and 8 or 10 lb line,
and they just shut off - picked up a rig with 6 lb, put a 1 1/2" tube body
on a bare #6 tru-turn with a split shot couple feet ahead of it, re-fished
the same flat and picked up a few more. And sometimes the bigger ones
came on this, last. I know that ain't exactly small by some folks standards,
but it's tiny for me :D Who knows why they do what they do?

[deathb4disco]

a #1 or even a 1/0 hook with no minnow.

Why use such a big hook?

Lighter jigs fall more naturally and produce more bites, IMO. I use 1/32 oz. about 95% of the time and 1/16 the rest of the time. I've never used 1/8 for crappie but would if the water was really deep or it was really windy.

[SteveJ]

This may be a dumb question, but why do ya'll use jig's smaller than 1/16th and hooks on down to #8? 99% of my fishing is with a 1/8 jig and a #1 or even a 1/0 hook with no minnow.

I'm with you, I like a 1/8 oz jig with a big hook too. I also only use jigs, no minnows, crappie nibbles, but I don't fish tournaments and if I only catch a few that's fine too. Don't get me wrong I do like to catch um but it is not a life or death thing to me.

[jimfish]

I guess we have a diff. breed of crappie around here , i quit using small hooks years ago, costing me to many big fish.I might use a 1/32 oz jig but on a #2 hook but i dont single pole i troll or long line. Bit on average i use 1/16 to 1/3oz jigs with hooks up to 2/0. Most of the time when they hit they try to pull the pole out of the rack. Thats my 2 cents.

[prchjerker]

I'm into the bigger hook scene myself.I pour all my own weedless heads and pour them all with an oversized hook.I used 1/16 oz almost exclusively until the last few years weve switched to alot of 1/8 and sometime 1/4 depending on the wind so I know exactly what going on at the business end.I almost always tip with a minnow which is one reason I like alittle bigger hook so to get a good hookset.It's interesting how different parts of the country get set in their way of fishing or using certain baits.Like up here almost no one uses hair or feather jigs.It tubes and crappie rigs.PJ

[rdant]

I guess I'm different from everybody else. I only use Grizzly Jigs in the 1/80 size. I don't have any trouble with lost fish in any size.

[sac-a-lait]

wannabe, some lakes those crappie can't get a 1/8 oz jig in their mouth...I think living in Grenada might have something to do with the large size hook and jig ya think? Wannabe hit it on the head for the most part. If you haven't tried a 1/100 or 1/80 oz under a cork you don't know what you are missing wannabe.