Types of Panfish Plastics

[Rick]

Hi CrappieTom and everyone. The

CrappieTom Stub grub

and

CrappieTom Rat-tail

are now ready to roll.

Click Here to see CrappieTom Plastics.

[Matt Johnson]

Outstanding! Now Oldtyme doesn't need to make a road trip That's unless he'd like to fish with a few Minnesotan's...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[CrappieJohn]

This is going to be so much easier on my e-mail!

[BDR]

This is one product that has really impressed me. So far this year I have caught more Crappies and Gills than ever before. I was very gracious to get my hands on some early. I have alot of great new pictures to back up these plastics. The slow fall of these ribbed bait is the ticket for fishing some of the neutral fish.

[Dan Thiem]

I agree Brian, I was also lucky enough to lay my hands on a few of Crappie Toms plastics. I definatley have put more crappies and gills in the boat this year because of them. I truley believe that the secret to these plastics is the deep ribs on the body and their shorter length. Fished in a 1/32 ounce jig they really have a slow fall.

Thanks Crappie Tom!

[markkstanley]

About time. I've run out of my initial purchase. While they are tough they don't last forever. Great plastic. I've also had good success slow trolling them and snap jigging.

[ikeslayer]

Does this tackle city place have an actual store or is it just an online purchasing place only???

[CrappieJohn]

It is FishingMinnesota's on-line tackle center. There is no physical store. JRs Tackle is a store that carries them....Twin Cities though.

[river-rat4]

I dropped by and chatted with Rob (JR) today after a job I had in Plymouth, he is top notch and very knowledgeable. Sounds like I just missed you Brian. I picked up some things and headed out to battle the traffic.

I headed out on the lake at about 8 o'clock till 10:30, picked up a few. It was kind of a hard night out there. I did manage to hook 15 or so. All seemed to be on the small side. I just went out for a ride and ended up dropping a line in. I did not keep any for supper, but was glad I was able to find the crappies with the High temps. Most seemed to be in 18-22 FOW.

Stay cool- Brandt

[CrappieJohn]

Brandt.....

Indeed, you have found one of the true treasures of JRs in Rob. He is always willing to help and has a level of know-how seldom found in shops of this nature. Everyone there is friendly and there to do a guy good.

[Lost]

What color scheme seems to work best? And are they preferring the rat tail or the thumper tail?

[CrappieJohn]

Lost....

If you are fishing water with some color, try the purple,blue, or black with the chartreuse tails. The glow white body with either the chartreuse, pink or orange tails will work there too, as will the solid chartreuse units.

If you are fishing clearer water, start with the lighter glow whites with the dfferent tail colors and work your way to the very bright combos.

Personally I really lean on the purple/chartreuse combination heavily in all types of water....just a frce of habit and a person has to start with something.

Both the Stub Grub and the Crappie Rat will get fish right now, but people will find me turning more toward the rats at this time of year.

[Mr. Pike1]

Crappie Tom. I notice on the online store they are sold in quanitied of 50 at a time. Does JR's sell them in smaller quantaties. I would like to get some of the stubs and rat tails but in many different color schemes not just one large quantity.

One more question. Do you find these more effective then the other paddle tails you were using prior to launching these.

[CrappieJohn]

I'd try giving the store a call and ask if they will send a smaller quantity. Drop me an e-mail by clicking the TSJigs and I will send you a phone number. Ask for Rob or Joel.

The Stub Grub is a unique one.It has a ringed body that dramatically slows the drop rate, thus keeping the bait in the strike window much longer. This is an asset when you are staring at cold front or cold water fish that are very inactive. When the fish are "on" it won't really matter if it is the Stub Grub or the Culprit paddletail I like so well. Look for a bit of an article to be posted soon in this forum on my findings for this spring's fishing. It will help to steer you through this question and even touch base on scented vs un-scented.

[CALVINIST]

Since I want to increase my hook-up percentage on gills, I bought some of the Exude micro-shads, a product I noticed many panfish guru's use, so it must be good, right? Anyway, since the hook from JR's collarless jig is a bit big for the gills (I theorize, anyway), I bought some of the Bett's 1/32 oz. jigheads and ripped the collar off. I haven't really been able to test this setup, since the winds were a bear this weekend (a few fish only on this presentation). How do the panfish experts fish Exude micro shads? What species do you target? Under what conditions does this presentation excel? BTW, Tom, I am still using the stub/rat-tail grubs. A great bait. The ribbed design helps it stay on the jig much better than the Paddletails.

Thanks!

[Matt Johnson]

The Exude Micro Shads have been a go-to plastic of mine in recent weeks. It provides a different profile (typically smaller and mimics more than just a minnow). It's less of a morsal for these fish to take in, which can really increase your productivity on certain situations. Right now would be one of those situations in my opinion.

I like to fish the Micro Shads with a collarless jig, just like you've mentioned. A 1/32oz jig is perfect, as long as the hook size doesn't extend out longer than the plastic. I like the hook to come out at the base of where the tail hits to body section of the Micro Shad, maybe slightly further down even. That way, it's not really affecting the action, and your hooking percentages are very good.

You also want to keep the weight of the jig as light as you can go. Reason for this, it allows the plastic to seal the deal and create the action it's suppose to. A slow fall approach is a must in certain conditions, like now. Let the plastic and the glide incorporate the desried action, it will do so.

I'll use the Exude Micro Shad in a variety of conditions, and a panfish angler could use them throughout the open water period if they choose (and even under the ice). However, there are times when a larger profile bait is needed, and I'll switch to a different plastic. Short biting fish, negative fish, times when fish are herding minnows... these are just a few ideas of when to rig up the Micro Shad.

A great plastic for both crappies and sunfish.

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[hawkeye43]

Crappie Tom, Which color of the stub grubs seem to work the best on bright days and which on dark days???

[CrappieJohn]

Hawkeye....

Sorry for the delay, but I have been gone.

What kind of water are you fishing? Clear, stained, dirty?

In the clear water situation I find that the white bodied baits are best, while playing between tail colors. Next would be the chartrueses, again toying between tail colors.

Stained water , hands down, the purple chartreuse and the blue/chartreuse followed by the black/chartreuse and the solid chartreuse. Body style will be dictated by the mood of the fish.

In the darkest of waters, I usually start looking for the darkest color combos, but more than anything I slow my fishing way down, including the retrieve.

[CrappieJohn]

As Matt has alluded to, these MicroShads are a solid bait for right now. I just returned from the Lake Minnie Belle and Alex area where I was shore bound. I fished with hair jig, Exude Micro Shads (four different colors), Sub Grubs and CrappieRats. I caught fish on all of these, but the Exude and the Rat was the producing pair....about equal between them.

[CALVINIST]

Thought I would bring back this post. Lot's of good info here. Maybe someone can sticky it? I have been using the Berkley Micro Shad and on a #8 short shank collerless jig from Panfish Pro. Also using Culprit paddletails on a 1/32 or 1/16 collerless..#6 hook. Sometimes I free line these, or work 'em under a #3 Mini-Stealth float. These presentations are catching massive #'s of quality gills and crappies...and some very nice ones at that! What plastics are working for everyone else?

[bgreen82]

was out this last weekend. brought some angle worms along, but no success for about 20 minutes. threw on a pumpkinseed 1 1/2" berkely power tube and the crappies started hitting. i will still always bring live bait(worms or minnows) along, but plastics are top of my list now.

[Rick]

Happy B-day Tom Johnson

{Matt's dad Guys}

[harvey lee]

HAPPY birthday Tom.

[Matt Johnson]

Ahh yes, dad is another year older

Only problem is that he's at work right now, and he'll be there all day. A day spent on the water would have been much better. But after so many years, I suppose it's just another day

I don't think he'll read this, but happy birthday dad!

[Corey Bechtold]

It sure was windy yesterday, must have been Tom trying to blow out all the candles.

Happy Birthday Tom!

Corey Bechtold