I have used Roadrunners on sandies in the rivers with deadly success, but I don't really know how to use them on crappie, especially when they are deep. I'd like some advice on how to present them to fish, especially fish on vertical structure.

Thanks and I appreciate it.

I don't use Roadrunners for a vertical presentation unless nothing else seems to be working. Roadrunners are a great "all around" bait, but I think that there is a time and place for them.

I use Roadrunners when casting and bottom bumping over ledges and quick drop offs. I also use them in spring to cast up onto shallow spawning flats and slowly (very slowly - just enough to keep it off bottom, but still touching bottom) retrieving it.

For a vertical presentation, especially around brush piles where you tend to lose a few jigs, I use the hand tied Jigum Jigs or bare jig heads with plastic tubes, crappie thunders or bubble bellies/stubby butts.

If you are using them in a vertical presentation, just use them like you would a regular jig. Hold it down there and give it an occasional twitch and/or slowly lift and lower it. Just the same as you would a regular jig.

Hope that helps.

Road Runners are awesome baits. As mentioned above I believe they have there place and time. During winter months they are great in creeks where there is a decent amount of current. Work them 2-3 inches off the bottom and they will surely treat you right. Ive never fished them vertically, so I cant say anything beneficial in that respect

The advantage that roadrunners have over regular jigs is the spinner blade. In most vertical jigging the blades don't spin so logic says that it isn't as much of an advantage especially considering the extra cost.

I like them in stained to muddy water for vertical jigging, especially during the spawn. I believe the size, vibration, and the clanging noise that the spinner makes when jigged aggressively attracts more fish. I have caught a ton of fish at night vertically jigging rocks in some of our red clay colored West Texas lakes and have enjoyed much success. More often than not, if you are confident in what you are using, it will work.

i troll with mostly only road runners and they are deadly for crappie, whites and any thing else ie gar catfish [censored]

I've used them under floats in the spring at Fork with good luck.

i use roadrunners for crappie and white bass.
i will tie 2 on then you can catch 2 at a time.
works good for me.
also i like the feather tail better that the rubber tail.

they are great baits! I would use more of them but they are too darn expensive! I went through about 3000 jigs last year. I cant afford to use any jig that costs as much as those do. Now if the manufacturer would like to hook me up with a deal than I might use them more.

chuck my uncle made a mold for the jig heads and i use them unpainted and painted heads and the only thing i have to buy is the plastics so that it really isnt that expensive.

I've used them casting into shallow (sparse) grass beds. Cast, let it sink to bottom and begin retrieve, slowwwwwly. When you encounter grass pull the lure through slowly until you've cleared the grass. This is usually when I had my roadrunner (blue/white) hammered.

My wife and I do use them while vertical jigging. A snap of the wrist every once in a while will cause the spinner to vibrate and flash, thus (hopefully) causing a reaction strike. Sounds exactly how it suppose to work on the retrieve!!

Lunker Luck - Billy

thats probably what I need to get. Thanks

Thanks very much gentlemen; I use that word advisedly. I'll just keep after it. I do agree that they are pretty pricey, but last year they were on sale at Bass Pro, or they were improperly marked, so I bought a bunch of them.

I would also like to know more about spider rigging and trolling for these rascals; sounds pretty interesting.


Thanks again, and

Later

This last Fall I had two of my buddies out fishing on different occasions. They both caught their "personal best" slabasaurus' vertical jigging small roadrunners. These fellas were not rookies either. Different days different depths. Murkey water on both occasions. Not sure if it was the flash, noise, neither or both, but I believe something helped.
Almost as good as my hand tied jigs... hehehe

Roadrunners have been deadly on creek crappie and sandies all winter so far! I don't use them as much as I used to but i am sure not gonna argue with the success others that have been fishing them around me this winter have been having with them! I love fishing roadrunners, They are awesome on sandies and crappie in creeks! Almost as good on sandies as rooster tails are! ALMOST!!!!!!!