What's too big for a bait?

[CrappieJohn]

In another thread there was reference made to a fella that caught a small crappie on a three inch twister and 1/4 ounce head. I have caught crappies in the 8 inch range trolling for waldos using a-get this- number 13 rapala! So what is too big for the "ole paper mouths"? I have seen people fishing with spinner contraptions that look as thought they would do a better job of knocking the fish out, but they catch them. I have caught them while using bait for walleyes at different times of the year. I was fishing a tailrace below the Alma Dam on the Mississippi River on fall day using a 4" paddletail grub and caught an 11 inch crappie on it. I fished thru the ice for northerns one afternoon and my fishing buddy took a crappie on a 4" sucker minnow!
My crappie arsenal does not include anything over 2" in it and I do darned good with what I have. Maybe I am missing the boat here for some dandy fishing, but that is ok. The point being here is that these fish- notorious for dainty eating habits- can ,and do, exhibit some heavyweight hungries once in a while. If you happen across a stray dump while chasing something else and what you are chasing seems to have left Dodge, maybe you should go back through that area and see if there are more craps there with an active hungry button.
The norm for fish is exactly that...the norm. There are plenty of opportunities by ditching what is supposed to be working, size up, and see what you come up with. That rapala was a blue/silver floater. On that day I took home more crappies than walleyes, all to the rap. When asked "what, is too big for crappies?", I answer very carefully.

------------------
Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!
[email protected]

[united jigsticker]

For consistent action, I rarely venture over 1/16 oz. But I have also been casting for a straggling "toothus Pikus" and caught a Crappie or two on skirted spinner baits.

It's all childs play in the end.

------------------
Good fishing,
UJ
[email protected]

[simplefish]

I've caught/snagged panfish on musky/northern lures. I think they hit it just for the sake of hitting it... I caught a perch on a jig and pig once and when I pulled it up to the side of the boat a big northern grabbed it. Caught both fish, and I believe the perch made it through the ordeal with some minor scrapes and bruises. Probably the only one in the whole school who could say that.

[can it be luck?]

My wierdest crappie catching story goes like this. A buddy and I ice fished a flowage, fishing in 18 FOW. From sun up to early afternoon we had 0 bites. We were allowed 6 poles between us and constantly changed depths,jigs,hooks,wigglers.minnows,grubs,etc. This area had a sand bottom and no weeds. While changing depths on one of the poles, I had a big orange depth finder on and as it got halfway down the hole it stopped. I lifted my rod and felt weight and thought I had some "floating" weeds or something, even tryed to shake it free! Well a depth finder on a jig pole is heavy enough and takes away a lot of the feel you have with a light jig pole, especially in deep water. After not being able to get my depth finder to break through these "weeds" and hit bottom, Frustrated I started to reel in and the "weeds" finally gave a little tug. Frustration to jubilation in the blink of an eye! Our first bite! And on a depth finder! The fish turned out to be one of the bigger crappies I've ever caught, and the only one for that day. And yes, I did bounce that orange depth finder around for the next 5-10 minutes, wouldn't you! Tom, I had a couple of experiences when a floating rap worked better than anything else. I would slow steady reel and twitch the tip very erraticly. can it be luck?