tackle adjustments

[CrappieJohn]

Anyone ever find themselves looking at thier tackle thinking that if a guy were to take a snip here and a poke there that things would be just right? Much of the tackle we already own is very adjustable in that regard. One plastic that comes to mind is one called a "nail". It is cylinder shaped with the tail being a miniature of the body. By taking a razor blade and splitting that tail in half lengthwise and shortening the body and tail by one-half each, you can turn one of these open water wonders into a hyper active plastic that works very well alone one a contrasting jighead. be sure it hangs vertcally, drop it to the level the fish are at and hold it at that depth while just barely tapping the rod with your finger. DON'T jig it! Just tap it! There are lots of other little change we can do if the imagination is turned up a bit. Think about the possibilities.

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

Tom, good topic, a lot of things in this one. You must have a ton of tips for plastics, I know you catch a lot of fish with them.

I'm not so fine tuned with my plastics but I have a few other adjustments that work for me.

On horizontal jigs, if you find that you are having a hard time hooking fish, its often times not the hook sharpness, its that the gap of the hook isn't large enough and that the fish don't get a solid set. I like to bend my hooks to the side slightly so that the point and gap are more exposed, that way you don't lose action and you can have a higher hooking percentage.

I also like adding split shot to a plain hook. Just pinch a split shot on the shank of the hook and you have a jig that can be changed into any weight or size. Add two split shot and you have a type of ant, and three...and so on. This comes in handy when weighing down a minnow on plain hook. You don't lose action and you keep the color scheme the way you want it.

Add a bead above the jig on the line. This adds noise under the water and adds appeal. When fish are feeding on plankton or small daphnia, copepods, etc, by adding a few beads above the jig it gives the effect that there are a group of plankton, etc, and the fish will strike the jig being the larger of the bunch. The beads almost free flow in the water too and look natural to the fish. Don't be surprised if the fish starting nibbling on the beads, it has been known to happen. Small blades can be added to the line as well with similar effects.

Tying a piece of yarn or thread to your hook ia another option for crappies and gills. This can add just the right amount of color and appeal that the fish are looking for. Red thread might be the most effective.

Rigging options for bait is another topic. The way you hook the minnow can make a big difference on tough days. Cutting the tail off a minnow can keep the minnow in the strike zone but not lose the wiggle and twitch that makes it so effective and enticing to those hunger crappies. An injured minnow is an easy meal for a hungry crappie. Tipping the minnow below the dorsil fin, through the tail, through the head, through the lips, upside down, etc, a lot of choices. Riggins maggots can make a difference too. I always rig my maggots through the backend. Barely hook the maggot and it will wiggle for longer periods of time. Hook the maggot deeper, causing the juices to release in the water, might make the maggot die faster, but it can add scent and trigger more strikes at certain times. Rigging multiple maggots or a single maggots have their place and time too. I've had success in the past by going with the "wacky rig" for negative crappies and gills. A "wacky rig" consists of hooking the maggots in the center of their body and using two maggots to make an X shape on the hook. The action of this is wacky, hence the name, and it will get some of those negative fish to bite.

A lot of interesing things out there to try with your presentation. Some work and certain times and some don't. Experiment with different things and see what works for you. Or come up with something completely new and see if you hit the jack pot.

Good Fishin,
Matt

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Catch-N Tackle and Bio Bait
MarCum

[united jigsticker]

Great points fellas!

On feather and hair jigs, I almost always will trim off any excess length of tail about 1/4" below the bend in the hook. I find that any more then that and I am getting more "bumps" then hooksets.

Matt: You take notes on this stuff, don't you? Impressive what you recall from last year.

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Good fishing,
UJ
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[Guest]

UJ,
I try to keep a good journal, some days its a little lacking. Just little things like what works and what doesn't, and times, season, body of water specifics, etc. Pays off in the long run when you want to target a certain fish at a certain on a body of water similar to what you fished in the past. Depths and locations are key, and presentation can be important. Weather is another variable well noted. Just putting all the pieces together so I can take care of business in the future. Gotta keep all the options open and be ready for what is thrown at you.

Good Fishin,
Matt

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Catch-N Tackle and Bio Bait
MarCum

[CrappieJohn]

Take a small bottle of super glue with you on your outtings as well as an assortment of small feathers (different colors), a spool of fly tyers thread and some short lengths of crystal flash.This will all fit handily in a sandwich size zip-lock bag.When you really find yourself amoungst finicky fish, you can simply glue a feather blade or two on a jig to downsize dramatically, yet retain some color. But one of the real killers is one strand of crystal flash about 3/8 of an inch long simply attached to a very small jig ( turn the hook's point out!)with the super glue. Even in turbid water the pannies can see this and it will drive them nuts. It has to resemble a mud worm or some other type of fluke...use these pups very early in the morning or very late in the afternoon. Color will ,of course, be dependant on the day and the fish.

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Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!
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[united jigsticker]

OK Tom...I'm not fishing against you in any tournaments anytime soon.

You guys really got your stuff down.

Getting Crappies to cooperate when conditions are not so favorable takes alot of work and effort at times. There are two different ways of "working" towards a limit of fish.

If you're on a lake where you know there has been an established color pattern in the past, often times you can stick with it and search different spots until you find fish that cooperate.

The other way of "working" towards your limit is by doing just whats suggested here, and that's changing up colors, weights, actions, shapes, baits, etc. I guess when ya' think about it, there really is almost an endless variety of combos and options a guy has to choose from.

At times, with the thought of all the jig tieing, scheme changing, bait choosing, and different ways of presenting it, I just ditch the spot in hopes of another one where the fish are more cooperable. If I don't find a better school, or even any fish at all, I can at least come back to that one and fine tune my presentation.

Either way, there is that satisfaction at the end of the day that says "I found them, and I made them bite"

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Good fishing,
UJ
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[river-rat4]

CrappieTom-

Does the super glue odor carry on under the water and deter any fish? It just seems to smell so darn bad when using it at home.Maybe it is a stupid question.

Thanx-RR4

[CrappieJohn]

Fish do not "smell" in the same sense that we do and , no, the super glue odor does not appear to have any adverse effects on the fishing. There is nothing on earth more pointed, smell-wise, than the head cement used in fly and jig tying and some of the lacquer based paints used in tackle making. I have painted heads, tied bucktail to the heads while still tacky and sealed the thread with head cement and used those very lures the next morning. They would still smell of solvent, but the fish hit them without hesitation. Maybe a new fish scent here, eh?

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Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!
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[This message has been edited by CrappieTom (edited 12-05-2003).]