Deep water Crappie rigs and jigs...

[moto999]

Just wondering what some of the favorite deep water presentations are? Some setups can be very frustrating to fish in that deep water... Plastics, hook and minnow or some type of wacky rig???

[Kyle Sandberg]

When I start to get into deep water is when I like to use small jigging spoons and very light line. A 1/8 oz lure will get down there and if your fishing with a superline, you'll be able to feel even the tinniest bites.

[Coach1310]

Don't be afraid to use jigs that "fish heavy" either. I use a lot of jigging spoons in this presentation as well, but don't be afraid to try jigs like a marmooska. They allow you to fish deep and still have a good feel because they are heavy.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'm a huge fan of the Diamond Jig... both Custom jigs and spinns and JR's make one... They fish real heavy and have a greathook gap on them.

Also, For deep water crappie, I use the #8 Moon Glow by OutdoorProstore.. Its heavy enough to get down in my opinion.

I also like to use swimming lures, the smaller nills master jigging shad, or the smaller Rapala jigging lures... both fish very heavy and get down in a hurry.

[PerchPounder]

If you are looking for something marmooska like but fishes a lot heavier check out Fiskas Wolfram jigs they are made of tungsten but are the same shape and size but fish like a ton of bricks compared to anything else that is made of lead. I have tried some of the jigs like the neon tiger jig and neon football jig from the outdoor pro store and they also work very well in these situations.

http://www.outdoorprostore.com/kitsjj.html

[ole matty]

optic stealth tip wtih plastic or swedish pimple spoon tip with waxies.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Perch pounder.. I have tried quite a few of the wolfram jigs.. And while I love how heavy they fish, I dont like the hook size and gap for the lure. I lost a lot of fish on them.. Now they collect dust in my tackle boxes.. I lost all confidence inthem.

[Borch]

I use several of the horizontal jigs. Some include the Diamond jig, optic stealth, marmuska, as well as the Neon Tiger and football jigs from the outdoorprostore . I generally use plastics with these jigs.

[Rick]

I like JB Lures Ju Ju - great fish attracting profile especially the eyes that attact those crappies and very quick drop for whatever size you use.

[Team Otter]

The Fiska Wolfram jigs are my "go-to" jigs for pan fish (crappies, 'gills and perch). They are dynamite in shallow water for quick drops and "heavy" jigging and they also excel in deep water for getting to the fish as quickly as possible. As for hook gap, I learned that if you give the shaft of the hook a slight twist out and away from the eyelet of the jig that this will provide enough gap to increase your odds. Used to lose fish on them but not anymore...

[fisherdog19]

I have to agree with Matt on the diamond jig, they go down fast and I use them often. I do have some wolfram jigs but mostly use them on finicky gills as the hooks are very small. I'm also a big fan of the 1/16 oz frostee or varmit spoon with or without a dropper rig.

[PerchPounder]

 Originally Posted By: Deitz Dittrich

Perch pounder.. I have tried quite a few of the wolfram jigs.. And while I love how heavy they fish, I dont like the hook size and gap for the lure. I lost a lot of fish on them.. Now they collect dust in my tackle boxes.. I lost all confidence inthem.

That is a very true statement but with jigs of that sort your are bound to lose a few now and again. BTW if you have lost hope in them I am more than willing to take them off your hands for you.

[muc33]

Dietz, same offer here, if you want to misplace them into my box, tell me what that tranfer is worth.

[blackdog1101]

 Originally Posted By: Deitz Dittrich

Perch pounder.. I have tried quite a few of the wolfram jigs.. And while I love how heavy they fish, I dont like the hook size and gap for the lure. I lost a lot of fish on them.. Now they collect dust in my tackle boxes.. I lost all confidence inthem.

Take a pair of needlenose pliers and bend the hook so it's offset to one side. Your hook-up rate will increase dramatically. I do this with a lot of small jigs that I feel don't have a good gap between the hook and jig head.

BTW, how deep is "deep water" crappie fishing?

[Matt Johnson]

I oftentimes like to fish larger than average presentations when targeting crappies. Usually I'll tie on a 2-inch Power Minnow with a 1/32 or even 1/16oz jighead. This will get down relatively fast in deeper water and oftentimes resembles what those deeper water basin fish are chasing... minnows. When the water is deeper that say 20 feet, I'll usually tie a swivel on about 18-inches up from the jig. This helps reduce line twist.

When I'm not running and gunning with a Power Minnow, I'll use a size 4 Ratso or a larger Fatboy and Nuggie. Either one of those will also do the trick.

I like PerchPounder's technique of using a heavy, smaller profiled jig like the Fiskas and such, but like Deitz mentioned, sometimes the hook gap can be a little too small and in deeper water you can lose some fish on the hook set. Might have to switch to a 1 or 2 pound test Fireline Crystal to get a more solid hook set and avoid the stretch. The Marmooska jig is another good option for this style of fishing.

Typically I target most of my crappies in less than 20 feet of water, and mainly in the water of 6-15 feet. I'm not a huge fan of fishing the deeper holes for crappies, you usually sort through way too many smaller fish. If I'm fishing deeper than 20 feet then I'm more than likely targeting basin fish, and in that case a size 3 Chubby Darter, smaller jigging rap, or a jigging spoon can come in handy. Those fish out there are meat eaters and will definitely take the larger presentations. This not only allows you to drop down quicker, but you can attract and trigger fish from a distance...