By Bob Riege & Ginny Riege

Crappies are one of my favorite fish, and jigs are probably my favorite way to catch crappies. Sure you can catch ol’ Papermouth on live-bait rigs or with a hook and minnow below a bobber, but day in and day out jigs will be my most productive method of presentation. Let me share with you some of my tips for fishing crappies with jigs, and maybe they’ll become your favorite bait as well.

Crappies will be found in different areas in different bodies of water. In some lakes, they’ll be in thirty feet of water over a rock reef. In other lakes, crappies will be on the drop-off near a weedline, and in other situations they’ll be in the rushes. Where they are will determine the size of jig you’ll use. You’ll have to go to a heavier jig when the fish are deep, although I seldom go much over the eighth ounce size. I probably use more sixteenth and eighth ounce jigs than anything else. For the record though, 1/32 and 1/64th ounce will work at times when nothing else will. When fishing is tough, go to the smaller size.

When crappies are holding tight to cover because of a change in water temperature or barometric pressure, or because the water has suddenly risen or fallen it is essential to fish the crappies in a vertical motion. The problem may be that they are tight to cover and usually shallow, with adjacent deep pockets or holes near by, but not enough to position a boat over the top of them.

Therefore, a vertical presentation with a slip bobber might do the trick. It will allow the presentation of the bait over the top of the crappie (something that is important to remember is a crappie always feeds on food that is in front of them and just slightly above them). The bobber should be set so that it will present the bait in a suspended offering, and once you find the depth you can work the shoreline around structure like stumps and points.

Be flexible when selecting a color. Chartreuse, pink/white, and black have all been good in the past, but keep experimenting until the best color is found. Be sure to try two color baits. Slide the plastic body of a jig of one color onto a jig head of another color. This gives the fish two colors to respond to and improves your chances of showing him the color that he wants.

When crappies are really active use an action tail jig like a Vibro-Tail. You can work this style jig quicker and show it to more fish while they’re going. When the action slows down, go to a straight tail bait like a Foxee Stand-up. Tip these jigs with a small leech, tiny minnow (1-1 1/2 inches), or a piece of crawler. It’ll be tough even for inactive fish to pass up a meal like that.

Crappies can very very spooky. You must be quiet. When you find a school, anchor up a short distance away and cast to them. If they’re deep and you think trolling is the best way to get to them, use an electric motor if at all possible.

Equipment is basic and small. Light line is best for fooling these wary critters. Four pound test spooled onto a ultra light Quantum rod, will signal the lightest strike. When you hook into one of those slab crappies this equipment will allow you to fight the fish instead of the equipment fighting the fish.

Crappie fishing can be enjoyed by all members of the family. The action can be fast and the filets are delicious. Crappies are usually quite abundant, so take some for supper. Next time you find yourself on the water and you want some action pick up that light equipment and jig a crappie.