Where exactly it started may be up for debate…but its origin is TN. Be it Dale Hollow or East TN is up for debate. Crappie anglers were complaining they couldn’t keep the smallmouth off their jigs when fishing for crappie. So smallmouth anglers started fishing the same way. I have fished it for several decades. The term Float N Fly is not really a crappie term, although many think it is. Punisher jigs created a very popular Float N Fly kit decades ago. The most used jig back in the day was a hand tie from duck feathers. We would fish it on the worst winter days that came along. Using 9 foot rods with braided line fishing about 15 feet deep. The float was weighted for the size jig we were using. The more wind you had in the winter the more fish you caught. Under brutal conditions one could boat 50-60 Smallies a day.
Regards
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