The bread and butter lure for panfish is undoubtedly the teardrop. These inexpensive little jigs have been responsible for more limit catches than all the other lures combined. If you’re fishing for bluegill, crappie or perch you better carry a few teardrops. To get maximum action out of your teardrop, you must choose the correct line and use a loop knot for connecting your jigs. Bluegills, especially the large ones, are very line shy. Always use the smallest diameter line you can, no more than 2lb test. For more aggressive fish like crappie and perch you can use a heavier line such as 4lb test.




The best baits for teardrops are small perch minnows, wax worms and spikes. Here's a tip to increase your catch - you should always bury the hook point in your bait. Having the bare hook point sticking out of your bait will turn off wary fish. Under certain conditions, other colors can work as well or even slightly better depending on the fish’s mood. If you’re into a school of fish that suddenly stop biting, changing to a different color may turn them on again, so you should always have at least two or three other colors besides glow in the dark. A general rule for choosing the right color is - bright for bright days and dark for cloudy days or night fishing. Chartreuse and fluorescent orange are good choices as well as dark reds and any shade of green.

Vertical to Horizontal. The style of one's jig is just as important as its color. Most anglers are accustomed to using a tear-dropped shaped jig that hangs vertically in the water, such as Shipahoy 41's Teardrop jig. I have found that crappies and perch generally bite better on a horizontal jig.