Jigging vrs bobbers for crappies??

[BLACKJACK]

Was up to Red Lake Thursday and Friday, the bite was especially light on Friday, my brother without a Vex thought he noticed his bobbers moving but they'd never bite. I had one bobber rod out that was catching nothing and then with my Vex I was jigging spoons, Angel Eyes, red phelps, buckshots, etc. I'd get fish to look at them but no bites. Finally put one of my bobber rods down and watched it with my Vex. The bobber barely floated, yet the crappies were detecting it, I could see the bobber barely move, then the fish would swim away. Ended up getting three on that rig, by watching the Vex and setting the hook with any bare movement.

So the point of this whole story is that it got me thinking that maybe jigging with a spoon for crappies isn't really very productive, the only crappies that I've ever caught that way in the last two years that I've ahd my Vex have been aggresive biters, that maybe I should go back to two poles with bobbers? Maybe the jigginging with spoons is best left for walley fishing? Or maybe its my technique, but I'm concluding that jigging for crappies is not very productive. What do you guys think?

[Guest]

Jigging spoons have there time and place for crappies. However, as you mentioned the fish you are getting are usually agressive. When the fish are agressive a jigging spoon is a great way to ice a lot of fish fast. They fish fast and allow you to get up and down quick.

When the bite is tough and the fish are finicky, a slower appoach is usually required. Usually a nice small glow jig with a minnow hooked near the dorsal fin is the key. A very natural presentation that sometimes a finicky slab can not resist.

If this approach isn't working, then I make the switch to a genz worm tipped with a waxworm. I have actually got more crappies on this then anything on Red Lake. However, I usually seem to hit the lake when the bite is tough. My first time to the lake the fish were really aggressive and you couldn't beat the Glow Devils or Angel Eyes, but some days they aren't the answer.

If you really like to fish jigging spoons think about how you hook your minnow. If the fish are really agressive, maybe just a minnow head. If they are finicky, try a hole minnow lip hooked. Sometime however, you have to hook that minnow near the dorsal fin to a more natural look. This will slow down the rate that the spoon falls and may trigger a bite. Don't assume that the fish are not biting, keep experimenting. Scott Steil

[protrapper]

I have a few tips that will help u with those red lake crappies.

First, jigging spoons and minnow heads are for extremely aggresive crappies, witch in most cases is not the case with this exterme cold, and on pressured fish.

Two, we have found pinching the crappie minnows tail off and hooking to a horizontal fat boy or marmooska is deadly on light biters. I also am a firm believer in no bobbers some of the time u will not even feel the fish suck in youre lure. My friend swears by spring bobbers, i dont. I rely on my genz rods spooled with 1 - 2 pound test and a heavy enough jig to take all the kinks out of the line. Make sure the jig is not spinning cause they will never hit it if it is.Also i hold my rod in my hand the whole time and as soon as i feel the slightest tap i set the hook. I i also hold my reel in the palm of my hand when i jig. And when u watch youre vexilar, when that red bar is over youre jig u most likely have a fish on. I firmly believe u must hold the rod in youre hand the whole time and pound the lure. Try this jig youre rod with youre eyes closed, and have a buddy slowly lift up on youre jig and u will feel how the line goes slack and the pounding stops, that is how a crappie feeds up. hope this helps, and try them minnow tails.

[BLACKJACK]

Scott and Protrapper, thanks for the tips. You confirmed what I've been finding out, jigging is only for aggresive crappies. Scott, you're right, a person has to keep trying different things. Thats whats nice about the Vex, you can see if there are light biters down there and it keeps you trying. Protrapper, what size Genz rod do you use? Was looking at them and they come in different lengths and strengths... And what kind of reel do you use with it?

[protrapper]

BLCKJACK,
I have 2 24in, and i believe my other 2 are 28 or 30in. I spool these with 2 pound micro ice on silstar tiny 20 reels on the 2 24 in reels. the other 2 rods 2 pound micro ice on pinnacle reels. I use these 4 rods all night in case i get a break off or one color or lure isnt working, bang i just grab another rod instead of tying new jigs on etc.

[Scott Steil]

Blackjack, I also use 24' genz rods for crappies and gills. However, I picked up a 24" IM6 Light action rod off this site made by Croxton Pond. It is there professional angler series. I have been very impressed with this rod. I broke one of my genz rods this year and I will be switching over next year to the Croxton Pond rods. In fact, they are so nice I tried to order 3 more but they were out for the year already. These rods are just as good as the Genz rods yet they are half the price.

Using the right rods/reel combo will allow you to detect the smallest bites. After fishing without a bobber for awhile you will notice that with the right equipment you do not need a bobber, spring bobber or anything to detect the smallest bites.

[Pig_sticka]

when using a vex you already know when a fish hits. doesn't matter if they bite light or rip it down. when i get a crappie in the hole i just bring him up a ways and when the colors come together and then blink i stick em good. bobbers do good all you have to do is pay attention to weird movement. i have caught many on a bobber when it didn't even go down.

[Guest]

You're saying you can tell when the fish has it by reading your Vex???

How???

[Guest]

Oh yes...

My brother-in-law can catch fish like crazy using his Vex as the bite indicator. I am getting better at it with more practice as well.

Pro Crappie Guide offers a good couple of explanations on how to do this in the "getting crappies to bite thread"

hope this helps,

thanks, Westlin

[Guest]

Sometimes the fish wouldn't hit on a jigging spoon. I switched colors and it helped, and then when I went to a BIGGER spoon they were slamming the town.

Too many options in the box, could drive a guy nuts!

craig

[Scott Steil]

Sometimes and only sometimes can you tell if the fish has your bait by watching your vexilar. This has been discussed in detail on another thread. No matter how good you are at reading your vexilar you will never be able to tell all the time. Some guys watch for a "blip" in the signal when the targets line up.

However, if you ever sight fished and use your vexilar you will notice that this is not very accurate. A vexilar is an amazing tool but there are just a lot of times your targets will line up and you the fish is just staring at your bait. Again, give it a try sight fishing, you will learn a lot.

[Guest]

When your bars meet up together on a flasher, it just means the targets(bait&fish) are in the same position of the cone at the same height. The bait could be over 2 inches away from your jig and your guessing when the fish has hit. Do that to pressured fish or negitive fish and consider them gone. I wouldn't get into the habit of guessing when the fish has taken a bait. Like mentioned above, get a good rod and good line and you will only get better.

Good Luck

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[Guest]

Those times you say that sometimes you can tell when the fish has the bait by reading your Vexilar, what does that look like?

If you can tell sometimes, with alot of practice and attention to detail couldn't a guy do it all the time?

Westlin, how does your brother in law do it? Anything I should be looking for? I miss alot of fish and I'd like to learn a better way of detecting the bite.

any info is appreciated, thanks a million

[protrapper]

That method only works sometimes and im and guilty of using it too much. If you think about you really dont know how close the fish is to your jig because there is some seperation on your dial. And sometimes I think you dont know if the fish is too the side, on top, or below your jig some times. But it does sometimes work its just if you think the fish is on set the hook! One note I want to make is crappies like to feed up and they are notorius for bumping a jig up with there mouths, we have run into this on Red and Cut Foot, and we would snag a few by the gills. This is because they werent sucking in the jig and we thought they were, so when I would set the hook the jig would go up through the water and just happen to snag them so you may have to watch out for that. just my thoughts.

[Guest]

I like using the vex and a noodle rod. IE: when you see a fish @ your bait on the vex I look at the noodle rod for a light twitch or a change in resistance. You can slighly raise the pole up to check for resistance changes to reveal the bite. This method works great.Move the rod tip up a half to 1".

[united jigsticker]

If the fish were never finicky a guy would never need a Vex or other form of sonar to aid him in his successful pursuit of Crappie fishing.

We all have seen times where the fish just didn't care. They race for the bait when it's 10 or even 15 feet away sometimes, and slam it like the last supper.

In the cases of the fish being "sniffers" and hesitating to bite, the FL-8 in my opinion can tell you more then you ever thought you'd know about behavior of fish. Of course, this short of real-optic underwater cameras, some time with your electronics in different situations and attention to detail with some experimentation will take you a long way in the finess of finicky feeders.

Good Luck