Artificial bait for Crappies

[Neiko]

Plan on fishing a lake in Voyegeurs that doesn't allow live bait so what should I use? I have never really used artificial bait before. I was at Mills today and picked up some 3 inch Berkeley Gulp Smelt minnow and Pupmkingseed minnow grub. I also picked up a small bottle of Berkeley Gulp Glow Tip bits. Tell me what you think? Has anyone used canned corn for crappies? I remember as a kid we used it for sunnies and perch but not sure if it would work for crappies.

[Borch]

Fleet also has the 2" Power minnows and 1 1/2" Power Tubes. We've had ecellent luck with these baits for crappies even through the ice.

Have a great trip.

[Neiko]

Thanks. I will have to look for them next time. The crappies up there are 12-14 inches and we found them last year trolling with Rapala Shad Raps so that is why I went with the bigger 3 inch. What do you use for a jig?

[juggs]

You should have no problem catching crappies on artificial. Many guys on this site (myself included) hardly ever use live bait and do very well. You can even fish plastics under a bobber if you like. In that case try using a slip float (if the fish are deeper) and either a maribou jig or a hair jig. These two will flex a little once soaked with water, reducing the need to impart any action. Otherwise, just about any type of minnow imitation should work. I use power minnows, tube jigs, beetle spins, small crankbaits, etc.

[slipperybob]

All the aforementioned works.

Big Crappies sometimes behave like bass...I've caught them on poppers, prop baits, spook jrs, rocket shad spinners, rapala's #9.

They behave like trout's...I've caught them on popper flys, muddler minnows, divers, streamers.

Also, inline spinners like bluefox, panther martins, mepps, rooster tails. Spoons, Kastmasters, Johnson's silver minnows, Eppinger's DareDevil, Mepps syclops.

[Borch]

The pre rigged come with a 1/16 livebait jig and that's what I use for the most part. Although I also use the Little Atom #6 Optic jig with them. It's nice for deeper water or when I go hole holing when using them ice fishing.

[btetzl50]

I've had luck recently with just a chartreuse flu flu jig under a slip bobber, and the crappies and sunnies went after it hard.

[Flamefox]

hello all. i like to say i use plastic crappie jigs and a bobber. i found the slower the presentaion the harder they hit. the last 3 weeks been great on sunnies and crappies, what i use is sountern pro crappie tubes 1.5" blue and white on a yellowish orange jig head at 3 ft deep setting. the nite i forget my pail i caught lots of them, i threw them all back. size wise was smallest was 9" up to 14", i also broke the line 2 times.

[Bob/Mn]

For a action jig I use a twister or paddle tail with a 1/16 or 1/8 head, # 8 or 6 hook. On ocasion I have had good luck on the hourse head jigs.

For a suttle approch I use a fixed modified stick bobber. I buy the thill bobbers with the spring and remove the spring. I thread the line through a 3/8 in. piece model airplane gas line and stick the end of the bobber into the gas line. No more cut lines or tubing. The bobber fished vertical and will up set when a up bit happens.

I use a ten foot spinning rod and fish this rig down to 12 feet.

For lures I use a tube with a 1/32 once inside head/#8 hook or a jigfly with a dubbed body. The lures are attached with a easy clip for best action.

[image][/image]

[slipperybob]

I was fishing the St Croix with a Salmo minnow #9 and got a barely 7 inch crappie engulfed half of it. It was a total hassle trying to get the lure out of it's mouth. There was barely room to slip a forcep down that.

[Grant Pearson]

2 inch GULP! in chartreuse has worked for me. Out fished minnows last 3 times out for crappies. Use it on either 1/16 or 1/32 oz. jig head of same color.