Vertical Jigging

[Fishfishwish]

In recent days, where I fish, vertical jigging seems to be the best way to catch crappie. I've tried various swimming and bouncing retrieves with little success. Vertical jigging in the same locations almost instantly results in a bite. Lots of hot weather recently - high 90s and even a few 100 degree days.

[ET Fish]

That’ll work!

[Bronson]

In recent days, where I fish, vertical jigging seems to be the best way to catch crappie. I've tried various swimming and bouncing retrieves with little success. Vertical jigging in the same locations almost instantly results in a bite. Lots of hot weather recently - high 90s and even a few 100 degree days.

It's my favorite ways to consistently catch them. Usually best in the summer when nobody is on the lake.

[arkcrappie]

I'm still catching fish vertical jigging in 6-8 fow. I haven't broke out the pushing or pulling poles yet this summer.

[Ketchn]

i love to drop a jig straight down myself , but as of late they prefer a swinging jig in these parts
white crappie seem to like the swing more than blackies
the only 2 blackies i got yesterday both took it straight down
congrats

[TomKat]

Any tips for it? Do you move the rod tip? Bobber? I am still learning this game...

[BuckeyeCrappie]

I am a vertical jig and minnow guy myself. I love to feel the thump. I just drop Er straight down to the bottom and bring it up some and move the jig with the line, reel and repeat. Thanks for sharing

[RLS40]

A drop shot rig with a jig used used as a weight works quite well. If the gills and crappies are hanging out together, a double is not uncommon.

[CrappiePappy]

Any tips for it? Do you move the rod tip? Bobber? I am still learning this game...

Vertical jigging is like many of the other methods ... you can do it like everyone else, or you can experiment with little tweaks and see how the fish react.
I don't Vertical Jig very often, but I have done what I call Vertical Casting with some success : Crappie Pappy Article .... even now I don't follow my own set way of doing it, tweaking and experimenting with retrieve speed, lure size, lightly popping the rod tip, etc.

[no1son]

I jig the fishing docks here in Minneapolis. With a solid foam float they provide overhead structure to compliment the bottom structure that can be over 20' deep. I use the same technique I used on the ice, a complete drop to the bottom and then a slow reel in. I start at the deep T of the docks and move along the dock shadow from deep to shallow. Our black crappies tend to move along the bottom rather than doing much suspending. Our docks here will often have a cross current; so I tend to fish the dock side that gets swept back under into the shadow. ON 2# line I use a 1/48 or 1/64 oz jig head with a 1" shad tail. On 4# 1/32 head with an 1.5" LiL Hustler or maybe a 2" Bobby Garland Baby Shad. On the tinier baits the takes are very soft, the 1/32 jig is more apt to get the "tunk" and generally produces bigger crappies, too. While normally bottom oriented the crappie take can happen anywhere on the drop or on the lift. Sometimes all you see is the line gone slack well above the bottom, or some sideways movement. At the bottom even at 20+ foot deep the crappies normally don't take in the very bottom 2 or 3 ft. I have not found it necessary to impart any additional action to the straight down drop and the slow retrieve back up. The best takes seem to be when the jig comes up from the below the fish, which is why I start at the very bottom and continue to do so as I move up the dock arm. We noticed that happening on the flashers through the ice, and it seems to hold in open water. The docks provide a nice stable platform but if one can get a stable anchor, no reason why it should not also work from a boat, in fact I have had it do just that in a couple of cases where there was no wind, not even a breeze, but I do not normally fish from a boat.
The key is to fish the dock shadow and then to get your bottom depth right.
This also works along walls, especially if they shadow the water. In current you will need more weight and perhaps larger tails, but might also get rewarded with largemouth or smallmouth bass or maybe pike. Jigging tight against the walls say along a river bank with larger jigs and twisters can produce some real nice smallies, and often pike, largemouths, and even some real dandy carp. They all eat plastic from time to time. (Also catfish of course in any river.)