tactics for night time crappies

[CALVINIST]

What are some tactics I can use to ice some crappies at night and early am (like when normal people are sleeping)? I am marking fish, and catch a couple here and there, but would like to try something new. I have tried dead sticking glo-devil/minnow combo's, and soft plastics. I fish both clear and not so clear lakes. Any ideas?

[Matt Johnson]

Go with some sort of blade jig tipped with a maggot. Like the Arnold Fairy Jig or the Maynards Flutter Bug. They provide a lot of flash and vibration and offer something unique and different for those pannies. They've been my go-to jigs lately and have been working well on the early morning and evening bites...

[CrappieJohn]

Try snooping around in the tackle/lure making section in a couple larger sporting goods stores where the sell powder or vinyl paint for jig heads and try to locate some of the glitter the use for mixing with the paint. This stuff is micro-fine and like talcum powder. See if they have the fire opal color.

While you fish and light gets low, take just a pinch of the glitter and drop it in the water in your hole. As this stuff slowly sinks, it will mimic bug life in the water....the stuff that the crappie, and especially sunfish, feed on. You may get some echos off this stuff on the locator to help you keep your bait in the "cloud" as it moves downward.

If you are wondering about it being visible to the fish, they can see microscopic organisms in the water very well at all times of the day, so light is not an issue. Water clarity may be something that will hinder the trick, but not likely during daylight hours.

Sometimes it is not the bait or jig so much as it is the illusion of available food that put the fish in the pan.

[CALVINIST]

Matt,

I bought one of those bladed jigs, and it worked pretty well at night.

Crappie Tom,

I use the Crappie Nibblers, the ones that sparkle...this has the same effect?

[CrappieJohn]

Cal....

All that glitter is on the outside of those nibblers and washes of quickly. You could dip them in a jar ans renew the sparkle though. And if you take a couple egg shells the next time you do breakfast, dry them well after wasing the crud out of the inside (especially the ends), and then crush them into very fine pieces you will achieve the same thing as the glitter....and it is biodegradable.

[CALVINIST]

Matt,

Now you got ME hooked on those Maynard bladed jigs...they are killer on the pannies!

[Matt Johnson]

Casey, shhhh!

Yep, those bad boys are definitely a panfish killer!

Pat Smith from Thorne Bros turned me on to them a while back, and ever since then I've been hooked!

Since you mention it, I just slayed some gills lastnight with the Flutter Bug, and the crappies and perch found their way to it this morning

Have you had a chance to watch the jig work on an underwater camera? It's amazing! What action!

[CALVINIST]

Nope. Wish I had one, but no. Just lookin' down the hole, sight fishing is all. Always good to add to the arsonal, right? I just picked up some of those "Lil Buggers" that JB Lures makes. Supposed to get down deep fast. Have you had any luck on those? BTW, when is the Medicine lake event? I can't make it, but I'll keep my eyes on the board.

[Matt Johnson]

JB's Lil Buggers are a good choice as well, only difference is that the Lil Bugger is one solid blade that is like a propeller, where the Flutter Bug has two seperate blades that act independently. However, both jigs are phenomenal on pannies and can be fished similarly.

The Medicine Lake event is on January 29.

[rangerforme]

What color of blades work best for you guys?

[Matt Johnson]

All of the blades on the Flutter Bugs come in gold, but silver/nickel blades will work just fine as well. Those would probably be my top two choices...

[rangerforme]

I have some fairy jigs, are those the same kind of deal as flutter bugs?

[Matt Johnson]

Very similar, except the Flutter Bugs are a little heavier. I believe the Fairy Jigs are made by Arnolds. However, they are also exceptional jigs on pannies, and they perform much like a Flutter Bug when fished in shallow water...