Tube jig versus Feather/Hair/Crystal Flash

[fished-out]

Ok, I've always been a tube guy, but have been tying my own jigs more often lately. I'd tyed up some marabou, feather, and crystal flash jigs in various colors. Under what conditions do you find that a tyed jig will out produce a tube jig? Just curious how some of you choose which to start with.

[slipbobber]

Water temps. below 50, marabou with a little flashabou all the way!

[Spiderman]

In the spring I use the 1 & 1/2" curly tail grubs.

After the spawn is over I always use tubes and inject with crappie niblets.

[fishing buddy]

What ever they will hit tube, feather, flash, minner,,,mostly feather me but have been known to put a tube on:D

[fished-out]

Interesting. Seems that most folks simply use one or the other and don't have set rules on when to use what. A few will change up if one or the other is not working.

I like the "under 50 degree, use marabou" rule, although I'm not sure the temp is that high. I find fish to be very active between 45 and 50, and that they'll hit a moving tube (not so much twister tails) with no problems. Below 45, a relatively still bait, maybe tipped with a wax worm, seems to work better than tubes, minnows, whatever. Marabou would seem to fit that profile, as it still "breathes" even when it's held relatively still. Tipped spoons below a float also seem to work well. Twister tails seem to fit trolling techniques really well, and it's a toss-up between twisters and tubes on cast and retrieve, depending on how fast you want to work the bait and through what type of structure. Just been my experience.

Any difference in how black and white crappie respond to these options?

[shipahoy41]

Use a double rig setup. Place a tube on the top with a marabou jig 18 inches below. The fish will tell you what they want that day.

[fished-out]

Good idea. I typically do something like that with roadrunners and jigs when trolling. Tip both with a twister tail and the fish will definitely show a preference. However, the rest of the time I'm pitching into structure and a two hook rig sounds like hang-up city. Might work below a float though.

[skiptomylu]

I will use what ever it takes, but I would say I use my own jigs like 95% of the time tied with either marabou or hackle tails.

Before I tied my own I use to buy the Original Roadrunners which have a marabou tail. I had and have plenty of soft plastic baits, but just don't use them much. If I want to try soft plastic probably reach for a tube first.

Skip

[crappiekid24]

I have some tubes that dont get a whole lot of use as I just use my jigs all the time. The one thing I do change up with the seasons are jig size. Cold water I will be using smaller jig then in warm water. I use both marabou and kiptail jigs. Marabou has produced more for me this year. I do use tube jigs at times when the bite dies off with my jigs.