Favorite Open Water Crappie Lures

[Oldtyme]

Thanks Tom. I will get back with you on Tuesday.

We have a large store about 30 mins from me (Lunkers Edwardsburg,MI. Heard of it?) I don't work Mondays so I'm going to write all these down & head up there.

Back on topic. Anyone else have any hot lures that haven't been mentioned? I went to the tackle box & the only thing that hasn't been mentioned are Fuzz-E-Grubs.

Also sort of on topic. What kind of bobbers do you all use?

I really like the Boss Bobber (slip). It has a spring on the upper shaft, when a fish hits, the spring compresses before going under so the fish will feel no resitance until hopefully it's too late. It's also weighted & sits perfectly in the water & easy to see on windy days.

Has anyone tried the Wave Buster bobber offered by FM? Link

(guess it's ok to post a link since it's too this board)

They look big (see walleye pic). Any comments on these?

Or others.

[Matt Johnson]

The Wave Busters are a phenomenal panfish bobber. They may appear big when you first see them, but they can be cut down to match any presentation and balance out. I also use the Ice Buster Bobbers during open water as well. However, the nice thing about the Wave Buster is that it has a weight added to it that helps you get those tiny jigs out a little further when you cast. The weight also keeps the line under the water and the wind doesn't affect the bobber as much, an excellent tool have. They're also a slip-bobber that can be easily taken on and off without cutting the line. I use them for panfish quite regularly. A must have in my book.

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[delmuts]

i use mostly the thil brand floats.( the tear drop shape ones) they will slide on the line but are held in place by a rubber sleeve. i will add small split shot under neath the float to add casting weight and to counter balance the float so a fish can pull it down with less resistence.there are many good floats out there. try several and decide which one or ones you prefer.

[deeky]

What about mister twister type twister tails or curly tail grubs, whatever you want to call them? I always thought they were kind of an old faithful, but nobody has even mentioned them. You can get them down to an inch, so they have a nice, small profile. Any words of wisdom?

[delmuts]

oh yah ! we have them too! some of our problem is that we have so many different types of plastics/lures that we forget to mention them all. i too have the twister tails in 1" and 2" in my panfish box.at times they can be the hot lure.

[CrappieJohn]

I find that twisters have their place in the box, but that they have their own "productive" time as well. I might, during the very first open and cold water period, use a 1" twister under a small float if it is scented and IF the fish will not respond to other plastics. Other than that my twister use is limited to only summer fishing and then again only as a last resort plastic. There are simply too many other plastics that do better at catching quality fish vs. twisters that tend to catch run of the mill fish.

Del has hit the nail on the head with his statement about there being so many on the market. It seems that everybody has some kind of twister and that anymore a twister is a twister unless the tail has been increased in size. The plastics market has been twistered to death and they are all , in the end, about the same. There are far more tube variations than twisters. Paddletails, rat-tails and other "finesse type" plastics are pushing these older more generic baits to the back of the productivity line.

Twisters started the plastics hey-day and earned a great deal of respect not only as panfish tools, but in every fishing arena including salt water. Ideas and technology have yielded a new breeds of plastic which focus so much more on profile and subtle action than on wild movement. These are the baits that are doing so much better than the twister.

[JHansel7]

Well i checked everywhere and cant find and of the stuff that was talked about on here, at least they dont care Culprit or Southern Pro, also dont ahve anything that resembles a paddletail.

[CrappieJohn]

Try doing an internet search of culprit tackle. Better yet, e-mail me at my address below and I'll send you another address to contact for direct ordering information.

[jltimm]

Hi Crappie Tom,I tried a search,and also an e-mail to ya about the Culprit paddletail,and was wondering if there is somewhere local to get these baits?Also,how do they work in stained water,and what size of jighead do you recommend?I tried to find them at Cabela's and Bass Pro online,and could not find them there either?Anxious to try something new when the open water season is here!

[CrappieJohn]

JL.....I answer about twenty e-mails a day on average and can't keep up with names. If you e-mailed me, I would have sent the e-mail address for ordering the Culprits. If you did not get it, try mailing me once again. And mention the forum you connected with me in....crappie/panfish.

If I am using these under a float on a jighead, the head is never any heavier than 1/32. If I am casting/retrieving without a float, I will do the 1/32 or 1/16 and let the fish dictate the weight, usually heavier when they are aggressive.

The water we have here in the Rochester area and in the Mississippi River backwaters is always colored. These baits are phenominal in stained water. The absolute best color to use in dark water is the Junebug/chartreuse tail....hands down. Then the black/chart. tail , followed by the chartreuse pepper. On bright days the bubblegum/silver is a dandy.

In cleaner water, the blue/white, silver tail is good and the brown/crawdad are excellent. Motoroil is also a good clear water color on dark days along with the black/silver, as are the Junebug and blank /chrt.

Quite honestly I could go fishing just about anywhere and take just two of the colors along and feel comfortable....the Junebug and the Chartreuse pepper.