Crappie Questions

[Cherokee]

Been fishing a lake in Grand Rapids(Reeds) the past few seasons for specs both day and nightime. I've used jigging Rapalas and minnows with varied success. Most of the fishing is done in about 45 feet of water. Does anyone have a favorite pattern or set-up for fishing specs in deeper water. I use 4 pound test with fluorocarbon leader. I've seen guys use a variety of jigs and various baits with mixed results...what are some of your favorite set-ups? I'd like to be stocked up and ready to experiment come first ice.

Last year was frustrating ; marked a lot of fish ,but very few takers.

Thanks for any ideas and suggestions!!

[GVSUKUSH]

Hey Cherokee, maybe we could get together sometime this winter, maybe a west michigan Ice get together.

The guy to get info about Reeds is bigsid, he grew up in East GR and knows the lake pretty good. He'll help ya out ;)

[scottyhoover]

i suppose every lake is different, never been over there to reeds but if i was out there and needed a bag of tricks it would include.

- a nice heavy neon glow crappie jig (jammin jigs), flash it up bright, minnow
- plain treble #12 or 14 / split shot / minnow
- northland forage minows, orange, green, red all glow
- smallest swedish pimple in glow or white, tipped with 3 waxes or half a minnow
- you already know about the tiny jiggin raps, paint the fins glow for nighttime

- if you can see fish and they won't bite on all of the above fish the smallest jig you can with a small spike, try to make it look like a tiny bug, and also maybe try a dry fly. on days where they won't take a minnow you can sometimes get em to go on a bug pattern, might be a pain in deep water but do what you can to go small and light.

-others will say toss some plastic at them but thats not my bag really.

[DTSTrout]

Last year was like that in many lakes that I fished. I could see them but they would only occasionally hit. I fish reeds many times a year and find that if I drop my swedish pimple down with a mousie attached and it doesn't get a response, I head for home. I use an fl8 flasher and drop the lure down to just above the fish. They are either "on" or not, and I find it too bothersome to try tiny lines and tiny hooks just to get a couple. That's my 2 cents, see you on the lake!

[Radar420]

I haven't fished out that way before but I have noticed some different approaches that work when the crappie are finicky on the lakes I fish. I do a lot of sight fishing for crappie and I noticed that when they aren't hitting a plain hook with a minnow or a tear drop with a minnow, I'll use a jig that hangs horizontally and has a blue glow - like a techni-glo fat boy - and tip that with a small minnow. I've seen the same crappie turn away from a small green tear drop but inhale that fat boy when I drop it down.

This year I hope to experiment with some other brands of lures that are fished horizontally but have different profiles

Hope this helps

[RichP]

I second what ScottyHoover says about the neon glow Crappie jigs from Jammin Jigs. They work really well with minnows indeed.

One thing I found that sometimes works even better than minnows is tipping them with those "rosie reds", which look similar to goldfish and are available at certain bait stores.

[Cherokee]

Thanks everyone..I'll start compiling my shopping list. Great trying out new patterns and tips...

[Connor4501]

About the only thing I can add is to set your bait just above the fish...Crappies are notorious for feeding up...Set a bait below the crappie's eyelevel and they probably won't even see it... ;)

[Ugly Stick]

If they are not taking minnow or minnow lures try a tear drop with a big fat waxie.

[Hunt4Ever]

I use a #16 treble hook, split shot and 2lb Vanish on a slip bobber. Make sure you hook the minnow GENTLY so it can swim. I think a dead minnow is a waste of time. You need to fish ABOVE this fish. I start with two rods, and start moving one up and one down until I find the fishzone.

I use small ice floats as neutrally weighted as I can get them. The bobber will "pop" when the minnow gets sucked in then slowly go down. It's a great sight!

[Tattoo Mike]

Believe Hunt4ever he taught me all I know about crappie. I have found that red beads on the hook help. I will also use a red bead or piece of a red worm on a tiny hook and very very slowly jig up from the top of the weeds if present.

[Hunt4Ever]

Mike,

Good to see you are still around. I've got a new crappie spot I'd like to try. It's private and should have bigger fish than Chemung. I've never fished it so if I can get it going I'll let you know.

[Tattoo Mike]

Sounds good to me. And if my lake produces I'll get you out there too.