Fall rate

[FisherMike]

This is a subject that I've seen little discussion about.

Jig fall rate.

I'm pretty new to this crappie stuff (couple years) and most of my jig fishing has been for larger fish and perch. I don't believe the fall rate is as important
with those fish as with crappie. Maybe perch through the ice.

For me to set and wait 15, 20 or even 30 seconds for a jig to get down 10 to 20 feet seems like a eternity. If a jig is that light, how can you tell where it's at in any kind of current?

I guess the rule of thumb in most cases is about a foot as second. Am I wrong to assume this is correct for crappie?
Most people on here fish with jigs smaller then 1/8th ounce from what I've read.

I know there is no set in stone rule. But whats your take on the correct fall rate?

[CrappiePappy]

This is a subject that I've seen little discussion about.
Jig fall rate.
I'm pretty new to this crappie stuff (couple years) and most of my jig fishing has been for larger fish and perch. I don't believe the fall rate is as important
with those fish as with crappie. Maybe perch through the ice.
For me to set and wait 15, 20 or even 30 seconds for a jig to get down 10 to 20 feet seems like a eternity. If a jig is that light, how can you tell where it's at in any kind of current?
I guess the rule of thumb in most cases is about a foot as second. Am I wrong to assume this is correct for crappie?
Most people on here fish with jigs smaller then 1/8th ounce from what I've read.
I know there is no set in stone rule. But whats your take on the correct fall rate?

No, there really isn't any set in stone rules about fall rate ... too many variables (current, wind, line type, line diameter, jig mass/size/weight, jig falling on freeline or swinging back on taut line, etc).
I cast & retrieve, on most occasions ... swimming the jig back, with a very slow retrieve. A 1/16oz weedless jighead/plastic tube on 4lb test mono, seems to sink at about that rate you quoted ... 1ft/sec. ... but, I usually cast well beyond my intended target, and allow the jig to slowly arch down and back up on the retrieve, rather than count it down to a specific depth range and then bring it back in. I usually achieve a depth of 8-10ft at the bottom of my arch, on a normal cast's distance ... and can pause my retrieve, along the way, if I want to probe deeper. Since I rarely use the casting method for water depths (or fish suspension depths) greater than 15ft ... I really don't think much about the fall rate. If I want it to be, or think it should be, slower ... I downsize my jighead weight. I fancast a likely area, and make multiple casts with varying rates of retrieve ... trying to cover the area and the water column as completely as possible. Fish that are deeper than 15ft are not likely to see my jig, when I'm casting ... but, if I know, or have good reason to believe that they are there and deeper than 15ft ... then I'll Vertical Cast to them if I can. I like to keep the jig moving, even if it is painstakingly slow ... and the Crappie seem to like it moving, too :p

... luck2ya ... cp

[deathb4disco]

Charlie Brewer has a section on jig fall rate in his book, "Slider Fishin". His conclusion was that lighter jigs don't take that much longer to sink than slightly heavier jigs. In other words, a 1/8 oz doesn't sink twice as fast as a 1/16 oz does. He goes into more detail in the book:

http://www.fishingworld.com/Slider/D...30762&SKU=Book

I usually use 1/32 oz jigs and use the "one foot per second" rule, but I think a lot of people use that rule regardless of the size of the jig.

If you want to get down quickly but still have a delicate drop, you can rig a jig under a slip float. Put a couple of split shot 2-3' above the jig. This will get the jig deep quickly, but on the last couple of feet, you will get a nice, slow fall.

[Cane Pole]

Disco,

I thought 1/16 ouncers floated? :D Go big, don't waste time.

[deathb4disco]

Disco,

I thought 1/16 ouncers floated? :D Go big, don't waste time.

I gotta have my light jigs with heavy lead above them. 1/16 oz is my max.

I save the 1/8 oz and above for offshore tuna fishing. :D

[Darryl Morris]

Anything over 1/16th is a cannon ball. Tom fishes like he gets his women, just knocks'em in the head, lol.

I don't cast when crappie fishing. The closest I ever come to it is pitching a jig with a long pole. The fall depends on the jig size and the depth is controlled by the elevation of your rod tip. In the spring when the crappie are shallow I have seen many a time when the fall of a 1/32nd was too fast and downsizing to a 1/48th caught the fish.

[skiptomylu]

I have fished some bridge pilings here last year and tried most sizes. I would take the 1/8 oz. and pitch it out and hold it to let it swing into the area I wanted to target and did very well. Sometime I think they just want a small bait and then I like 1/32 with a #8 or #6 hook. Smaller hook make the profile shorter and therefore smaller in general.

If they will hit the 1/8 that is what I will fish especially with the wind around here.

Trolling in the spring is not the same for me, then I use 1/32 & 1/16 depending on if I am trolling water under 6' or over that.

[fished-out]

CP's right--too many variables, including how fast people count. I usally take the rig I'm using, pitch it to a known depth as determined by my sonar and count it down until the line goes slack indicating the jig hit bottom. Divide the time by the depth and you've got your fall rate. Only takes a second and once you've done it for the rigs (jig size and type, line strength, baited or unbaited, etc.) you use the most, won't have to do it again, unless you've got more wind than usual, which can have a major impact. I pitch jigs quite a bit and actually like the wind (minus the hangups) because the variable movement seems to trigger bites. I also find that big crappie, particularly blacks, will hang out on a windswept shoreline waiting for an easy meal, just like bass and walleye, and I've usually got it all to myself because alot of crappie fishermen avoid the wind like the plague.

[FisherMike]

Tom fishes like he gets his women, just knocks'em in the head, lol.

:D

Anything over 1/16th is a cannon ball.

I guess that kind of answered my next question.

Just too bad I just bought 100 1/8th oz. RoadRunners.:o

Thanks fellas.

[Eager Beaver]

:D



I guess that kind of answered my next question.

Just too bad I just bought 100 1/8th oz. RoadRunners.:o

Thanks fellas.

Never go wrong with a RR as long as you fish them slow.