Question for CT, MJ, CB, UJ, anyone

[eyepatrol]

This coming Thursday I'm heading to URL for a couple days of fishing. From the posts I've read on the URL forum, the crappies seem to be more than finicky...almost to the point of being in a negative mood. Some guys are saying that any jigging motion will cause the fish to back off and swim away. I'm wondering, in this situation, if it would be best to "super downsize". Something like an ant jig with basically just the tail of a Custom Jigs & Spins plastic? Any suggestions on the approach I should take if the fish are still in this mood when I get there? Is my thinking on the right track? Sounds like guys are seeing lots of microbial insects in the water with their underwater cameras.

thanks for the help!

[CrappieJohn]

I think I'd take a few Marmooskas along in the size 12, yellow/orange, and use a half a euro larva. You may want to try a shortened Custom plastic tail or a Techniglo tail that has been nipped off. The Techni glo split tail micro that has been shortened a 1/4 inch has some incredible action and is almost a "do nothing" plastic.

[Bobb-o]

I got all my crappies with a #10 blue glow genz bug and a small crappie minnow on a deadstick.

[delmuts]

you may also want to go back in the forum and reread the post CT had about using the heart beat hula??( i think!) a super post about only using the pulse of your heart to finese very finicky fish , along with the lures mentioned.

[eyepatrol]

I hear ya delmuts. His article on that helped lead me to the best crappie fishing I've ever had. I've got that post printed out!

[CrappieJohn]

Something to be aware of is that those fish have been hammered to death and while downsizing might need to be the way to go for the "general bite", they'll still have periods of flurry feeding and larger, more aggresive baits will be the ticket. Go well armed, my friend. That means take about three of every size, in every color and not just in a couple of lures.

Here is what my "crappie" tackle looks like and is found in one of three tackle boxes that go with me every time I hit the ice.

demons, three sizes, perhaps 150

ratsos, shrimpos,ratfinkes, about colors in a couple sizes , maybe 50-60

Jigging Demons, Frostee Jigging spoons, Jigging Eyes, Go Devils, Forage Minnow Jigging spoons, all 1/16 or smaller, maybe ten colors, about 100

JB's Varmints, Rattlin Varmints, horizontal tears, rainbow tears, weasels, gem-n-eyes, all told over ten products and perhaps a total of 80 pieces

sizes 8,10,12 of the Genz bugs in three different glow colors, 100

marmooskas are new to me, but I have three sizes down to size 14 and five colors of each size, at least two of each

Fatboys, FlirtyGirtys, Moonglows frostys, forage minnow,....the list can go on for aways yet

Then there are the replacement or add-on plastics. I carry Exude products, Custom's product, Techniglow.....and generic other plastic products that literally fill a 15 inch zippered pocket! In the Custom's line of plastics use to replace torn bodies on Ratsos and Shrimpos I carry about four different basic colors in two sizes and then I carry every color of their finesse plastic!

While this may seem like over kill, I am seldom caught short on something I need. Creativity is a big part of successfulness and all this gives me a tremendous amount of adapability. I am able to go from larger profiles down to mere bits of baits in a minute.

You'll be traveling a long way to fish. Go well prepared and don't be afraid to do something that is not the norm there....you might come away the winner. Above all, travel safely and have a good time!

[eyepatrol]

Wow.....ummm....holy cow!(had to use cow there for the word I typically would use!) Well, in the past I've tried to follow as closely as possible the things you've mentioned on here...but...uhhh....I gotta wait for tax returns before I can get to that point! HA! That's a LOT of equipment which I'd assume took some time to accumulate. I'll probably try and find some marmooskas for the finicky/negative fish and then I'll probably buy a few of the jigging spoons for trying to entice the more active fish. Everything in between though will have to wait...for a little while.

That's great info though and I appreciate you sharing that will all of us CT. Sounds like fishing on URL is starting to pick up a little with some people getting 10 or so in the late p.m./evening bite. I'll give them everything I got when I get up there.

Thanks for the help!

bc

[CrappieJohn]

Remeber, I take this stuff along during the warmer summer moths too. Much of this tackle has a dual duty to it in that respect. But really, this is three smaller boxes. You should see the summer collection, minus this tackle! Yes, it does take some time to collect this stuff. When you gotta have though, its sure nice to have it in reach instead of wishing you'd had bought it the week prior. I don't go out and spend a hundred bucks on any of this stuff. I simply spread the purchasing out so that when I stop at Gander or Sportsmans Warehouse or FleetFarm I pick up a few things I know I need to upgrade or replace. A guy can look stupid buying ice tackle in July, but that is when it is cheap and hey, its not going to rot is it?

[delmuts]

i buy a few things at a time,( and on sale!!) too!( and i don't even have to hide it from a WIFE !)

[Bobb-o]

I am in the same boat with Tom, I use all my ice fishing jigs in the summer for crappies and bluegills. plus you can normally buy them for aboot half the price come the end of april which is normally aboot the time i start stocking my summer tackle box. nothing beats a genz bug with a ratso tail for year round crappies and gills

[eyepatrol]

That's your SMALL tacklebox??? I figured that's what most guys do...buy little by little year round. I, on the other hand, have just gotten into crappie fishing this year, so I needed to go out and buy a number of things right off the bat. I don't think I could walk down an isle in a sporting goods store anymore without looking at crappie lures! Walleye fishing is still my favorite, but with the difficulty I have during hardwater season to find & catch them, crappie fishing is becoming more the norm for me. I used to almost always go fishing for sunnies during the hardwater season, but even now I'm finding myself fishing for crappies more than sunnies.

I'm still seeing reports on the URL forum of fish being scared off when people try to jig, so the "heartbeat hula" might really come into play here. Or maybe even less than that. This actually leads me to another thought/question. Do crappie have any sort of memory where when they see a jig get jigged, they know something's wrong? Also, another thought/question....can the fish detect the presence of a flasher signal? I'm just trying to figure out why the fish up there seem to be in such an alert mode.

[Matt Johnson]

I would definitely work some sort of dead atick for these fish. I would find some tiny crappie minnows (if possible) and hook them upside-down through the tail on either a vertical or angled jig. Go with a red, pink, or blue glow jig as well. An Ice Buster Bobber cut down would work well, or else rig up a rod on a Rod Rocker 2.

I would also rig up a spring bobber rod and work a blade jig with a maggot or two. By blade jig I mean something like Maynard's Flutter Bug or JB's Charmer. Both will work well. Those blade jigs will attract fish in through vibration and noise, they will also trigger fish once they get close enough to eat. They will actually pulse and dance like some of the plankton/organisms cruising the waters of URL when you quiver and bounce them. Make them hop in short incriments and they will incorporate a pretty unique action.

From what I've heard, URL is tough this winter, but I would expect things to pick up into February...

[united jigsticker]

I've been on the "spook" bite on URL.

I'm stubborn and didn't size down at all. I stuck with a 1/16 oz jigging spoon, but tipped it with a single maggot.

I like the idea of staying larger for the simple reason that it is very visual and presents the best chance to draw attention and bring in curious fish.

Slow manuevers were important once a fish was on the graph, but it was also key to try and play "keep away" by slowly trailing the lure away from the fish as they rose to the bait.

Best of luck

[hanson]

basscatcher-

"Normally", my URL crappie tackle IS my walleye tackle. This year has been way different though.

Size 4 & 6 Custom Jigs & Spins Demons in a variety of glow colors.

1/8oz Scenic Tackle Go-Devil jigging spoons as well as the Angel Eye, Jr. spoon.

I had made 3 trips up to Red around the New Year and absolutely got worked. I ran home with my head hanging low. There's promise though, the reports are getting much better than they were 2 weeks ago.