Must have crappie equipment ( On ice version )

[Jim Uran]

Have at 'er my fellow anglers!!

[pushbutton]

every year i try out "new and improved" and different types of lures......and always seem to end up going back to simple jigs!

[Chris Barlage]

Well i can think of 3. T.H.E. Jig, fiskas, Buckshoot spoon. If you are talking jigs only.

[ozzie]

spoons of all sizes, ratso's, shripo's, many different plastic tails, and a ml st croix legend rod spooled with 2-4lb test of Pline flouro ice!!! must haves!!

[fisherdog19]

Thorne Brothers Quiverstick, Gamma Ice line, red glow tear drop jigs size 10-16, and assorted horizontal jigs sizes 10-16. Those are my panfish must have's.

[OnAFly]

TB PowerNoodle - Gamma ESP Ice line - assortments of demons, shrimpos/ratsos/ratfinkies and lots of scud/nymph flies with tungsten heads and rubber legs.

Sometimes I'll use an unweighted fly 6 inches under a splitshot. This way I get get my fly down, then let it very slowly sink. This slow sinking motion seems to pull in fish that otherwise wouldn't bite.

For sight fishing, a fly reel helps tremendously to reduce jig spinning.

[Jim Uran]

My go to jig has always been the demon, no matter what, sometime during the night I always end up going back to the demon. My second favorite is the Lindy Frostee, usually in a size 6 and in red techiniglo! I always have one of those two tied on one of my crappie rods, they show up well on the electronics and they produce year after year.

I've never been too big on horizontal jigs, but Lindy's slick jig, and genz worm have put plenty of slabs on the ice. They show up really well on electronics and come in a variety of colors, as do all of Lindy's jigs.

I always have a float rod rigged up for a good one-two punch. I was introduced to a new float system last year and was VERY pleased with the results. Venom adjustable float system has leaped into the scene with a great great product that takes float fishing to the next level. No cutting foam to get the right buoyancy, Infinitely adjustable with a translucent bottom marked with hash marks for micro adjustments. It sounds complicated, but all of these adjustments are done with ease. It can even be adjusted for a slow sinking presentation that has proven deadly. They have also made some improvements over last years products, they have made the components tougher and even more precise,they have also added a new line of NITE-BITE floats that I can't wait to get out and try.

Now for the most important part of the arsenal, the flasher. Once you fish with one for a while you soon come to realize how important they are to your success on the ice. I won't go out with out mine. I have a Vexilar Fl-8, I've had it for 10 years or so, which speaks for it's durability. I couldn't begin to think how many times it's been on the ice with me over the last decade and how many fish it's helped me catch. There is no way I would have caught as many fish with out that ol flasher. Fishing blind, I wouldn't have noticed the suspended fish, or wouldn't have made adjustments to my presentation to get the lookers to bite. Marcum makes great products with adjustable zoom features so you can zoom in on suspended fish or the ones that are hugging bottome. Humminbird introduced a new line of products a couple seasons ago and has gained quite a following, with good reason, they make a great product.

[mr_jman]

A flasher(Vexilar for me) to show me the suspended fish, and a spring bobber on a light to medium-light action rod with a Forage Minnow (pinkish-purple/blue) tied to the business end.

I've caught most of my crappies on that set up..... The "Bro" series from Northland also does well for me.... and all of these: small jigs tipped with Dupees or Wedgies, & Ratsos, Shrimpos, Demon jigs, Frostees, Genz Worms, etc.

A good reel from ANY number of makers is also a must.... for any species!

[south_metro_fish]

You can never go wrong with Demons, different sizes and colors depending on what they want well your out, tipped with a live minnow. I like different small glow jigs when they want something smaller, like Kens Famous Jigs or Moon Glows, something on that order, tipped with live minnow. Plain red hooks with a small split shot tipped with a live minnow is also a must try. My all time favorite thing is to take a Buck Shot spoon or a Forage Minnow, and take the treble hook off and attach a light leader, you can try different lengths 6-8" is usually good, with a plain red hook or small jig with live minnow attached at the end to make a dropper rig. A good sensitive rod is a must too, I hate messing with floats they just get in the way, you also dont want something so stiff that you rip their lips off when you set the hook. Flashers just make it so much easier to find the fish and what level they are in the water column and also what level the fish are most active at.

[Drewski]

Gotta have the TB power noodle paired with 3 lb P-line, my fl-20, and and assortment of jigs and plastics. My go to rigs are Diamond and jalapeno jigs tipped with either Gulp! Alive waxies or Little Atom Micro Nuggies. Also if the fish are really aggressive I like to use forage minnows or a 2" power minnow rigged on a collarless jighead.

[curtistodd]

just googled "demon ice fishing jig" and i have seen them all over but have never used one, and never would, but now that they are endorsed by Leechbait, i will definately tie one on!

Glow red forage minnows with live crappie minnows have worked for me in the past, but that particular bite was really hot, and the fish were huge.

I like to use Lindy fatboys and little atom nuggies, together they look and swim like a tiny crappie minnow or minnow fry. The last couple years ive done some sight fishing, and thru trial and error and actually seing what the fish will and wont inhale, i have started to rip the ball end off of the nuggie leaving only the tail, and then threading that on the hook. This has been deadly on the gills. I know they make little atom spikes, but its just not the same. also, i have at times fished just the ball after its ripped off and gills have hammered that. but the tail alone hooked to a fatboy really draws them in.

I also always have Northland Bro Bugs with me. They have worked well. They glow well and have super sharp hooks.

[Jim Uran]

curtistodd, I detect a little sarcasm in your post, but thank you lol

Actually they are made by Custom Jigs&Spins..

The Demon, has been a staple in my tackle box for quite a few years!!! Definitely check them out.

[OnAFly]

Just a little note about the Demons. They sell a glow orange version available only on their HSOforum that is responsible for probably 4 out of my 5 biggest crappies on the ice. I highly recommend it.

Also, finesse plastics, probably already been mentioned. The thinner the better, in my experience.

[zeeLandy]

Custom Jigs and Spins has some of the best ice jigs and spoons imo. the demon spoons in the smallest sizes are dyno for panfish as well as walleye. the ratso and shrimpo jigs are awesome lures paired with a ul action rod with some 4 pound suffix ice magic. spoons are my go too lure for pannies. caught my biggest (15) on the demon glow red spoon. go with the custom jigs and spins and you will not be dissapointed.

[BrdHunter01]

I'll keep it simple and say flasher!

[Acemac]

if you put your house on them it does not matter...

[OnAFly]

Ask that question in February. During the hot bite weeks of December and early January, anything goes. Later on, they want only certain things. These things are usually small and move very subtly.

[Scott M]

Specific to the crappies, for just terminal tackle I like JB rattlin varmints, OPS fluttering jigs have been good, JB Orcas, Fat boys, Genz worms...I like a good variety of sizes and profiles, and when possible colors, so I don't get married to one jig or another as its best to have options. Remember that the same jig goes by a couple different manufacturer names, so just focus on the profile, size, and color. I'm a jigaholic so it takes up a few jig books for my fetish. Actually, that's another item. Rose Creek jig boxes. Gotta have my flasher, I'm partial to the LX-5. Love a good copolymer line, Gamma or P Line 3 or 4 usually serves me well for crappies. I've enjoyed playing puppet master with Berkley Power Minnows, 2 or 3 inchers. Finally, a great Thorne Bros. rod. I've got a Quiverstick, Power Noodle, Panfish Sweetheart, and Perch sweethearts with and without Thorne's spring bobbers. I can't wait to get on some slabs!

[Borch]

For me it's the fluter jigs, Ratsos, fatboys with Little Atom nuggies, wedgies or noodles or Lindy micro minnows, Lindy rattlin flyer spoons and then a 1/16-1/32 oz jig with a 2" power minnow.

[redneckiceman18]

small jigs and ratsos (or any small little plastic things) that come to a point on the tail (that is a key) and maggots.

a couple of my favorite jigs are diamond jigs, gill getters, genz worms, moon jigs, and any of the other jigs i got crammed in my box. i have noticed that with a smaller jig i catch more fish.

Gulp is good but it is getting to g****mn expensive it is cheaper to just by the real thing nowadays.

[OnAFly]

I tried the flutter jigs and had little success with them. They seemed to spook more fish than they caught. I stick to small horizontal plastics and a few verticals.

[half-dutch]

diamonds and mooskas (10's and 12's) and small rattail plastics or spikes.

Spring bobber or noodle rod with fine line (2# GAMMA ESP ICE which should be available again on line by the first of the year according to the new owners.)

Most of my presentations are also subtle (generally little more than vertical movement of horizontal or oblique jigs); most winter bite is soft to very soft.

I would be dead lost without my flasher and GPS (with lake map).

[slipperybob]

Forage Minnow, Doodlebug, Mud bug, Gill getter, for me.

[looneyducer]

I honestly haven't taken the little green frostee off my crappie rod in three years, other than to retie. I only carry the rest of that stuff because I'm hopelessly addicted to shiny little bobbles and doodads.