Crappie fishing was a New Years resolution that my wife and I made this year, and so far we've had a great time learning and actually catching some crappie.
Here's my question,..when and why do you (if you do) tip a jig with a minnow..?

I use the crappie nibbles all the time, but minnows are just too much of a pain.

If I use minnows, it is just on a regular hook.

On certain lakes during the summer it is essential to tip with minnows to catch numbers of good fish.

Not to hijack, but can someone explain the advantage of tipping a jig with a minnow as opposed to just fishing a minnow on a hook?

no hijack,..Thats what I wanted to know,...

My thinking is that by putting the jig where you want it, is not only better but more fun. I like to fish what I call cut bait using 3-5 inch shad cutting the head off and rigging the body on a collar jig head and fish it like a plastic jig. Think its the smell plus putting it where the fish is that makes it work.

Crappie fishermen know how temperamental crappie can be at times. Late summer especially. Tipping a jig with a minnow can produce bites when straight minnows won't. Crappie bite minnows different than a jig when they're not actively feeding. The minnow bite can be very subtle and not detectable many times. Using a jig with minnow seems to make them thump it more often. Not always, but it helps. Also, people normally fish a minnow with a weight above the hook about 12". This allows the crappie to bite the minnow and sometimes inhale it without ever moving the weight, making the bite very hard to feel. When fishing straight minnows, try using a jig head, no body, with a minnow hooked thru the lips. If you have a sensitive rod, like a ProAngler, you can feel the minnow swim. Bites are easier to detect.

If you are tipping a jig and lose your minnow you still have a jig in the water. I stopped fishing with minnows because I would get one bite and lose my minnow. I like jigs because I miss a lot of bites and don't have to check my hook every time. I am a firm believer that if they will eat a minnow, they will eat a jig. Not everyone feels this way, but I have done side by side comparison and couldn't tell a difference.

Great advice.

ive been using berkley gulp pink maggots soaked in shad oil. they stay on the hook alot better than a crappie nibble.
whats the diference in a jig and a minnow.
1 SIZE
2 MOVEMENT
3 SCENT.

If crappie are biting on small fry hatch that are 1,4 to 1/2 inch, a 3 inch minnow may not be attractive to them.
On the other hand, if the crappie have been feeding on schools of 3 inch minnows or shad, and you are presenting a 1 to 1.5 inch jig, again, it maay not be suitable to them.
Tipping jigs with minnows cetainly increases the size profile, adds scent and movement.
If your not doing well with a jig and dont have minnows, you can tie on a bigger or smaller profile jig, add scent and jig it a little more aggressively.
in winter alot of times the fish are sitting almost under the piles or deep in them.
I like to take a jig and find the top of the brush then shake the jig very aggressively, for abt 4 seconds, then hold it dead still.
This time of year, VERY small minnows or jigs should be tried, because the shad and minnow spawn is coming to and end and there will be lots of tiny baitfish as forage.
Do crappie instictively know this is the bait they should be persuing, ? I dont know, but ive learn to try and match the hatch as much as possible. in late all early spring, a 3 inch jig with a 3 to four inch minnow is great .

I have not bought minnows in years ,
But I have fished them on a plain jig head. Hook thru the lips. Then fish them just as if it was a regular jig.
Great for bridges and standing timber. , an active minnow tends to hang you up in Brushpiles .
This is a great tool to learn to fish by touch, not site. Good for beginners and kids . The fish will hold the bait much longer , sometimes swallowing.
Good luck
Mo

Fish strictly jigs with Berkley PowerBait Chroma-Glow Crappie Nibbles.

I like using THESE with rubber jigs. When I fish hand tied jigs I use a spray...

The glitter flakes off like a minnow losing its scales...and...its chartreuse!

I am right on with Larry. You can tip a jig with any size of shad cutting you need for the situation. I've caught MANY crappie on jigs and cut shad even when the minnows weren't always getting the bite. Smell, Sight and movement of a jig tipped with shad will turn on a bite. There are usually more shad in a crappie than minnows if the crappie are of any decent size. 3/4 of a pound and up. Examine their stomach contents. Minnows don't hang out at the depths that shad do in a large part of the year.

BTW... LOTS of other fish won't mind hitting that jig tipped with shad! CATFISH, STRIPER/HYBRID, SANDBASS, LARGEMOUTH won't turn down that offering and you have Color on the jighead that you can match to depth and water clarity.