Spring Crappie Baits?

[BowSlayer101]

2" pearl white grub is my go to bait. I find that my baits vary depending on the lake. Anyone else find that?

definitely, one lake they'll only hit a micro jig for me and the other they'll hit bass bait size rubber crayfish, however in the spring i find they hit anything as long as you're on them, or at least thats how its been for me,

[Big Cliff]

X2. If the FinS minnows or smaller shad bodies aren't working that means there are no fish! Lunker City makes them. Arkansas Shiner is my #1 color choice. I also think there jigheads are the best jigheads on the market and I only fish the unpainted ones.

I have tried a lot of different things over the years but FinS minnows are by far the best producer! (although I do use colored jig heads)

 

As for places to look for them; back bays, canals, marine basins (if they will let you fish there). Don't be afraid to fish shallow, I often find them in as little as 2' of water early spring.

 

Also play with your line depth below your float, sometimes 6" more or less line can make a huge difference even over 3 or 4' of water.

 

I find that they seem to be most active when the water temperature is between 58 and 62°F, doesn't mean you won't catch them outside that but if you and find them in that temperature range you are going to be catching a lot more fish.

 

Lastly, if you are getting hits and they quit, try moving slightly one direction or the other, they tend to move as a school and sometimes if you just relocate a few feet you can stay on them.

[BillM]

Guys, can I get the Fin-S minnows locally? (BPS even?) or do I need to order directly from LunkerCity?

[Big Cliff]

I get them from local bait shops, if you have any trouble finding them, just let me know and I can pick up a couple of packs for you. One minnow will catch you a lot of crappie, they stand up really well!

Edited March 25, 2014 by Big Cliff

[BillM]

Thanks Cliff, I appreciate the offer I'll have a look locally and see what I can find.

[muddler]

1' tubes are my personal favourites. I have used 11/2" curly tails and marabou jigs successfully also. Live bait is just to cold on the hands some days so I gave up on that. One thing I have noticed is that there are days were they definitely will have a colour preference. One day it's pink next it might be blue head and yellow body. I bring a variety of colours. Once I figure it out it's a blast.

 

A small slip bobber on 4lb test is ideal. Sometimes a slow lift and drop will help turn them on as the water warms up. With some wind and choppy water the bobber will bounce enough for the jig to look alive.Warmer water will usually be on the north side and around logs, dock piling and just anything else that will absorb sunlight and get the water a little warmer than the surround area. That's why darker bottoms work so well.

 

muddler

[moxie]

FinS minnows. That is all.

 

S.

Forgot about those. Very consistent as well.

[Beans]

2" pearl white grub is my go to bait. I find that my baits vary depending on the lake. Anyone else find that?

Oh ya !!! Tony Specials and what Crappieperchunter, Cliff and Sinker said about the FinS minnows/shad baits...

 

There goes all our secrets...LOL

Edited March 26, 2014 by Beans

[Stoty]

XZone pan slammers. By far my best producer.

[mike rousseau]

XZone pan slammers. By far my best producer.

I was thinking about those as well...

[Christopheraaron]

1' tubes are my personal favourites. I have used 11/2" curly tails and marabou jigs successfully also. Live bait is just to cold on the hands some days so I gave up on that. One thing I have noticed is that there are days were they definitely will have a colour preference. One day it's pink next it might be blue head and yellow body. I bring a variety of colours. Once I figure it out it's a blast.

 

A small slip bobber on 4lb test is ideal. Sometimes a slow lift and drop will help turn them on as the water warms up. With some wind and choppy water the bobber will bounce enough for the jig to look alive.Warmer water will usually be on the north side and around logs, dock piling and just anything else that will absorb sunlight and get the water a little warmer than the surround area. That's why darker bottoms work so well.

 

muddler

Wow, those are some big tubes you're throwing!

Edited March 26, 2014 by Christopher k

[Stoty]

Big baits catch big fish! LOL

 

Mike - get some!!! Trust me!

[crappieperchhunter]

XZone pan slammers. By far my best producer.

I was given some last fall while perch fishing. Tried them head to head that day with the Finesse baits. The Finesse baits out fished them by a large margin. Gave them another shot through the ice this winter. Same results. Perhaps it was just those 2 days in particular that the fish preferred the Finesse. I will keep trying them. Just don't have much confidence in them after my first 2 attempts.

[Stoty]

Those are about the opposite results of what I've had with them (for crappie). Last spring on a few Kawartha lakes I demolished the fish and my buddies easily 5-to-1 using them. If memory serves me correct, I was up 15-2 at one point in fish. My two buddies were throwing something different and just weren't getting much. My buddy in the back of the boat asked to use a pan slammer and he started hammering fish as well. Was pretty funny seeing the guy in the front and guy in the back hammering fish right beside the guy in the middle that refused to switch.

Edited March 27, 2014 by Stoty

[206]

i have had a little success with Strike King's tooty fruity tubes and crappie grubs as well as bass assassin/panfish assassin baits.

 

@ stoty how do you fish the Xzone for crappies? drop shot??

 

Locating them can be tough sometimes i have a few goto spots but try other spots that look comparable that hold none??

[Hooked]

So far the best bait I have used for Crappie is the micro Lindy Watsit jig in red. I started using them last year and was just insane how well they worked for me. Highly recommend them!

[sauce]

My 2 best are 1"gulp alive and 2" power minnow. I never use live bait for crappie now. If the bite is on 2" gets the nod. Slow/ finicky days i use the 1" gulp. Always under a float.

[The Urban Fisherman]

Live emeralds hooked through the dorsal with a #14 steelhead hook. Won't find much better then that if they are finicky... I do well on tubes and other assorted baits as well.

 

yeah man for you all of the above will work great - I love pink Slammers in panfish size after ice-out. But for your wee one, you can't beat a live Emerald!

[Big Cliff]

Live emeralds hooked through the dorsal with a #14 steelhead hook. Won't find much better then that if they are finicky... I do well on tubes and other assorted baits as well.

Only problem I find with live bait for crappie is that you spend more time rebaiting your hook than you do catching fish. The FinS minnows work just as well and stand up to a lot of bites. I hook them through the head so every twitch on the line makes them look like they are darting, works like a charm for me anyway!

[akaShag]

I sense cabin fever setting in here..............

 

.............and everybody keen as mustard to get out for the crappies! (ME TOO!)

 

Thanks to all for some new ideas. I do use a lot of different artificials for crappies, usually some kind of twister tail type grub. Last spring for me the hot bait was a 2" Berkley Power Grub in a garish pink/orange colour on a 1/16 oz plain round jig head.

 

Doug

[The Urban Fisherman]

Only problem I find with live bait for crappie is that you spend more time rebaiting your hook than you do catching fish. The FinS minnows work just as well and stand up to a lot of bites. I hook them through the head so every twitch on the line makes them look like they are darting, works like a charm for me anyway!

Agreed Big Cliff - Absolutely, but he's looking to do this with his 3 year old boy.... the youngster will have way more luck with a live minnow wiggling around... at three a little twitch tends to be more of a big jerk lol

[BillM]

Super glue on your small plastics will work wonders... I don't even bother fishing them without it.

[crappieperchhunter]

Super glue on your small plastics will work wonders... I don't even bother fishing them without it.

Bill honestly try the lunker grip jigheads lunker city makes specifically for the finesse minnow and shad bodies. Most times you will be replacing a body that is all beat up before the fish actually pull it off the jighead. I did the super glue thing for years...but haven't since I discovered these jigheads. They also have the sharpest and longest lasting sharpness of any panfish sized jigheads I have ever tried. Only drawback is the smaller sized heads only come unpainted...but after years of using them I have come to realize the fish don't really care.

[akaShag]

Maybe I missed this, but is there a Canadian distributor for Lunker City jigheads and Fin-S minnows?

 

They look very sweet indeed..........

 

Doug

[BillM]

Bill honestly try the lunker grip jigheads lunker city makes specifically for the finesse minnow and shad bodies. Most times you will be replacing a body that is all beat up before the fish actually pull it off the jighead. I did the super glue thing for years...but haven't since I discovered these jigheads. They also have the sharpest and longest lasting sharpness of any panfish sized jigheads I have ever tried. Only drawback is the smaller sized heads only come unpainted...but after years of using them I have come to realize the fish don't really care.

 

I'm trying to find them around me locally (No luck yet), going to definitely pick some up before the ice is gone The jigheads look absolutely perfect... Can't wait to get my hands on them.

Edited March 28, 2014 by BillM