what is the best artificial bait for crappie

Crappie Artificial Bait Options

• Jigs – The Go To Crappie Bait Ask any angler who regularly targets crappie specifically what they prefer to fish with and almost every time you will get either minnows or jigs as the answer. ...
• Lures such as Spinnerbaits, Rattletraps, Topwater Plugs ...
• Rubber Worms as a Crappie Bait ...
• Fishing Crappie with Flies ...
• Other Artificial Bait Options for Crappie ...

Full Answer

What are the best hooks for crappie fishing?

• Aberdeen hook is one of the shapes for crappie fishing. ...
• – Large hook eye: Aberdeen hooks are best for beginners because it’s easier to hook and unhook light baits like crappies.
• – Long hook: The hook has a long hook that can help hook into fish easier and not slip off the bait because the point is sharp.

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What are the best crappie jigs?

• Best Overall: Southern Pro Lit’l Hustler Tube
• Best Versatile: Z-Man 2-Inch GrubZ
• Best Crankbait: Rapala Ultra Light Shad
• Best Hair Jig: Jeff’s Jigs & Flies Panfish Leech
• Best Jig: Bl akemore Road Runner
• Best Spinner/Blade Lure: Strike King Mr. ...
• Best Dock-Shooting Bait: Bobby Garland Mo’ Glo Slab Slay’R
• Best Pre-Rigged: VMC Tungsten Probe Jig

When to use a hair jig for crappie?

“Marabou jigs are especially effective in the winter because you can keep them fairly still and that hair will still undulate. “The crappie don’t want much action on a bait in that cold water. They won’t chase a bait. But if you put it right in front of their face and it’s still moving a little, it drives them crazy.”

What kind of bait is used for crappie fishing?

What Bait Do You Use To Catch Crappie

1. Live Bait. Hands down, one of the best baits to be using to catch crappie is live bait. ...
2. Jigs. Another great type of bait to use for crappie fishing is the jig. ...
3. Spinner Bait. Yet another prime crappie fishing bait to go with is the spinner. ...
4. Grub Baits. Yet another great bait option for crappie fishing is the grub bait. ...

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What's the best artificial bait for crappie?

Best Overall: Strike King Mr. ... Best Feathered Jig: Lindy Little Nipper Jig at Amazon. ... Best Soft Plastic: Bobby Garland Stroll'R Soft Plastic Crappie Lure at Amazon. ... Best Plastic Tube: Strike King Mr. ... Best Swimbait: ... Best Shallow-Water Crankbait: ... Best Deep-Diving Crankbait: ... Best In-Line Spinner:More items...•

What is the best color crappie jig?

In deeper water, blue-white and purple-white are excellent. In stained water (coffee color or with tannic acid) with bright-light conditions, my four predominate crappie catching colors are: green, chartreuse, lime and orange. Lures that contrast two of these colors, or matching them with brown or white are great.

What are the best jigs for crappie fishing?

Best Crappie Jig: Blakemore Road RunnerPony-shaped jighead with chin spinner.Willowleaf or Indiana blade.Weight: 1/32, 1/16, ⅛, and ¼ ounces.Must-have colors: white, black, and chartreuse.

What scents are crappie attracted to?

Crappie baits are injected with old-school anise oil. Toledo Bend Guide Jerry Thompson's a big fan of accenting his live minnow rigs with Berkley Powerbait Crappie Nibbles — a tactic he calls “adding cheese to the burger.” Chartreuse is his favorite, but pink gets bit, too.

What do crappies like the most?

Crappie Love Jigs, Grubs and Spinners Try using a crappie jig. The Bass Pro Shops Maribou Jig might be one of the oldest, most well-known crappie baits out there. It's a favorite of many crappie fishers. With a feather tail and a little furry body, they usually come in either 1/16 or 1/32 oz.

What is crappie favorite food?

Crappie dine heavily on small baitfish like minnows, shiners, and small bluegills, along with aquatic invertebrates such as insect larvae, crayfish, and freshwater shrimp. To a lesser extent, crappie feed on terrestrial insects as well such as grasshoppers, worms, and moths.

What is the number one crappie jig?

The Eagle Claw Crappie Jig is a very simple one, yet it is undoubtedly the best crappie jig as far as feathered options go. You can fish this by twitching below a bobber, using vertical jigging, or in several other ways. Consider using this in spring when crappies spawn and gather shallow in large numbers.

What colors do crappie see?

Just like people, they have both rods and cones in their eyes, so they are able to see contrasting whites and blacks in low light, but also recognize color when enough light is available.

How deep do you fish for crappie?

The perfect crappie fishing depth is between 4 to 6 feet. But they can also drop to 8 or 12 feet depending on the light conditions and water temperatures. And if you're ice fishing, then you might find crappie as deep as 20 feet below the ice. A lot of variables come into play when you're fishing for crappie.

Does wd40 attract fish?

Others say it covers the human scent (it might, but this seems unlikely to make a big difference). WD-40 addresses the myth on its website, saying: “While WD-40 can be used to help protect fishing equipment from rust and corrosion, WD-40 Company does not recommend using it to attract fish.”

How do you catch big crappie instead of the little ones?

5 Strategies to Catch Big Early-Season CrappiesFish Open Water, Too. Cold-water crappies often hold on deep cover and structure, making them difficult to pinpoint. ... Toss Giant Jigs. ... Try Bass-Size Lures. ... Tap the Tailwaters. ... Fish the Storms.

What are the best months to catch crappie?

any time of year. Crappie can be caught all year long and we recommend to get out and fish when you can. If you're on the ice belt, then you'll need much more equipment and clothing than you do during the summer. For this reason, we don't recommend ice fishing unless you're determined to stick with it.

What color jig works best?

The jig usually imitates crawfish; therefore, color matching works well in context. Green pumpkin, watermelon, and other related natural colors are excellent choices. If fishing dirty or stained waters, it helps to use a black and blue combination. Certain jigs often imitate bluegill and shad with color matching.

Does jig head color matter for crappie?

Even live bait anglers commonly find the crappie to strongly prefer a minnow on a pink head over a minnow on a chartreuse head (or vice versa). Color theories vary. Some anglers favor warm colors for bright days and cool colors for cloudy days or certain colors for specific water colors.

What colors do crappie see?

Just like people, they have both rods and cones in their eyes, so they are able to see contrasting whites and blacks in low light, but also recognize color when enough light is available.

How do I choose a jig head color?

Conclusion. If you're fishing in clear water, red is a good idea to choose for the jig head color, but if you're fishing in murkier water, chartreuse is a good idea because it will attract more attention.

What is the best jig for catching crappie?

Solid plastic jigs are great all-rounders. They come in a variety of colors and styles, although small shad or minnow shapes work best. If you want to add scent, try tube jigs. Their hollow shape is perfect for holding fish attractants like Crappie nibbles. Lastly, feather jigs are the best ones to use in combination with live bait, as they let the fish move naturally.

What kind of jigs are used for crappie fishing?

They can even outfish live bait, especially when the fishing’s hot. You don’t need to deal with keeping them fresh or changing them after every bite, either, which is an added bonus. The three main types of Crappie jigs are solid, tube, and feather.

How to catch minnows in a bobber?

When starting out, rig a few baits at different depths to find where the fish are holding. After that, fish on a bobber to stay near the surface or add some weight to hold deeper. If the fish are getting spooked, try letting a minnow swim free on a weightless line. You can even rig bait onto a lure for added visibility – but more on that below!

How do crappies hunt?

It’s not just about the way your bait looks, mind you. Crappie hunt by sight, smell, and by detecting vibrations in the water. Vibration and scent are especially useful in low light conditions or murky waters, while realistic shape and motion are key in clear, shallow waters.

Do you need a big spoon to go fishing?

You don’t need to go big to go home loaded with fish. Small, simple spoons work best, although you should switch up a size or two if you’re fishing really deep. Color-wise, stick to the tried-and-true chartreuse. Combine it with gold in low light or silver when the sun’s shining. If you really want to up your chances, trip your hook with a bit of fresh bait for added scent.

What baits are good for crappie?

The two-inch baits come with 2 jigs and 10 bodies and the three-inch baits come with 2 jigs and 8 bodies. These jigs are fantastic for crappie and are a great alternative to using live minnows. These baits are scented and have a life-like presentation in the water.

What is the best way to catch crappie?

Crappie fishing has come a long way since minnows on a float being the preferred method to catch crappie. Crappie has become a highly desirable sportfish that are a blast to catch on light tackle and are a good fish to keep for dinner. Black crappie and white crappie are the only two types of crappie.

How much do crappie nibbles cost?

Estimated Price: $4. Crappie nibbles come in glow chartreuse, glow pink, glow white, and glow yellow. These colors work during the day but are great for low-light conditions and night fishing. Crappie are most active during, dawn, dusk, and nighttime so glow baits are often a great option.

How long are Bobby Garland baby shappy baits?

Bobby Garland Baby Shad Crappie Baits are 2 inches in length and come in over 50 patterns including glow-in-the-dark patterns. These size 0 bodies come in packs of 18.

How many eggs do crappie lay?

Crappie are common in lakes in all 48 continental states. Crappie lay between 5,000-40,000 eggs. The fish mature in two to three years and typically live seven years.

What do crappies eat?

The crappie that surface feed can be of all sizes and feed on larvae and insects. When these fish are surface feeding they cannot typically be caught with large lures. We will discuss strategies to catch surface feeding fish later in this article. Crappies also feed heavily at night.

What size hook should I use for trout?

The small trout bait treble hooks come in sizes 14, 16, and 18. Size 14 is the larger hooks and is what I would recommend in most cases. If you use a small size 18 hook the bait will actually float on the surface of the water.

What is the best bait for crappie fishing?

Crappie Fishing With Jigs . Solid body jigs stay on the hook better than hollow body jigs. Jigs are the quintessential crappie bait . They are the king of spring crappie fishing. Really, any time the crappie bite is good, some jig configuration is typically your best bet. Crappie jigs are especially effective during the spawn when fish are shallow.

What color jig should I use for crappie?

use a color that matches what crappie are actively feeding on and 2. use a color combination that makes the jig stand out in the color water you are fishing, while still looking natural. As with anything, there are some exceptions. One notable exception is during the spawn. Crappie are much more aggressive at this time, and you can sometimes get away with using more vibrant colors than normal.

What size jig do crappies use?

By far, the most popular crappie jig head size is 1/16 ounce. And, the most popular shape is the simple round head. I’d say that’s what I use 80% of the time – a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce round jig head . It depends on the conditions, and more importantly the water depth, as to which one I’ll reach for.

What is a hollow body crappie jig?

Hollow Body Crappie Tubes. One of the most popular crappie jig styles of all time is the hollow body tube. This seemingly do-nothing lure is widely used for a reason – they slay the crappie. One nice benefit of crappie tubes is that they give you a hollow cavity in which you can insert scents.

How to keep crappie nibbles on hooks?

With 6 poles, it’s a pain to keep a crappie nibble on all those hooks at all times. The solution is to inject nibbles into hollow body tubes. When you do that, the scent stays with the jig for a long time, and through many caught fish.

How to attach a crappie jig to a mainline?

It’s best to attach a crappie jig to your mainline using a loop knot . Although this isn’t completely necessary, it does provide better action.

Why do you need to use attractant on crappie rods?

Using some sort of attractant typically increases your catch rate . Whether it’s crappie nibbles, slab sauce, or something else, I almost always add an attractant. It seems to make them hold on longer, giving you more time to set the hook. This is particularly important if you’re spider rigging or slow trolling. With the rods in rod holders, you need the extra time to be able to get your hand on the rod and set the hook before they let go.

What bait is good for crappie?

Although it is a little expensive as far as bait goes, the gold spinner is guaranteed to bring in productive standby any day on the water.#N#Artificial Minnow Baits- The Strike King Bitsy Minnow Bait#N#Minnow baits also work extremely well on crappie, and offsets the flashy appeal of the golden spinner. The best baits for crappie are generally small jigs, and if you’re looking for consistency, 1/8 ounce jigs are the way to go. One of the best for this is the Strike King Bitsy Minnow Bait, but you most likely have something just as good in your tackle box. The minnow is attractive to the crappie, and with a little up and down movement you’re guaranteed to get the most out of your day.

Can you catch crappies with minnows?

If you’re having trouble catching crappie, minnows are surefire bait, and if they don’ t bite with a minnow on the line then they’re not gonna bite at all.

What is the best crappie bait?

The lure’s plump shade gives it a unique, fairly wide wiggle, particularly designed to produce aggressive strikes. Upon learning that Norman Lures Little N is the best crappie bait for you, consider purchasing a boatload of lures in various shades.

What bait is good for crappie fishing?

The Berkley Power Bait is 2 inches long, making it the perfect size not only for crappies but also other freshwater species such as trout, bass, and perch. A black patterned jig is linked here along with smelt and firetiger. Each pack of this crappie bait comes with 10 minnows, two pre-rigged on the hook, and ready for fishing.

What hooks do rapala jointed shad rap crappies use?

Other highlights of the Rapala Jointed Shad Rap crappie bait are its top-grade black VMC treble hooks along with the tank-tested and hand-tuned quality.

What is the paddle tail of a crappie?

The paddle tail coupled with the soft, hollow body gives the bait a side-to-side and life-like swimming action that hungry crappies cannot resist.

How much does a crappie bait weigh?

Measuring 1.5 by 1.5 by 0.1 inches and weight 1/32 ounces, this crappie bait’s unique knuckle bend gives it a slow, tumbling, or tingling action. Therefore, it’s ideal for enticing finicky biters or mimicking the lethargic behavior depicted by game fish in icy cold water.

How deep can a Norman lure dive?

Featuring an angled and rounded lip, Norman Lures Little N can dive in a jiffy to soar to depths of 9ft to 12ft. It’s an ideal option if you’re on the quest for a deep-diving bait that’s perfect for fishing in fall when crappies delve deeper into the water.

How many ounces of crappie jig?

Some of the most effective crappie jigs are also usually the simplest. A great example is the Eagle Claw. Available in variations of 1/32 ounces and 1/16 ounces, it can be fished in a boatload of ways, from twitching below a bobber to jigging vertically.