This might seem like a stupid question to yall. But I've mainly catfished and bassed my whole life, so I've never really used a jig for crappie.

My question I guess is how to you use it? Like what is the best technique to work it? Just reel it or what?

Sorry for being stupid



-Bryan

Just leave it alone, try different depths around trees, over brush piles, under boat docks or next to bridge pilings...they may be in the shallows this time of year as well...You can fish that the same way but under a float...Very little movement is always best...Watch the line for anything different or feel the thump...You don't have to cross their eyes, just a solid lift usually does it...

Cast and retrieve will work but I have done much better being still or very slightly moving the jig...

You're not being stupid, first. Second, many have wasted their whole loves on drugs, gambling and fishing for largemouth bass.

Jigs are usually fished vertically, from shore when the crappie are shallow and spawning or from a boat when they're deep over structure like brushpiles and bridge columns in the summer and winter. Most advocate not moving the jig at all, and trying different depths until the crappie are located. Crappie tend to like slow-moving baits at their depth or a depth just above them, and generally don't hit fast-moving (reeled) jigs and jigs fished below them in the water column.

That said, you can still catch crappie - especially this time of year- by casting jigs, but I think that slow to very slow presentations work best. Try casting around standing timber, flooded brush, docks and pilings. Jigs are also very effective fished under bobbers, very slowly.

Hope this helps. You'll get plenty of better advice on the Forum, so you'll be into crappie soon if you listen to these guys.

LMAO. Thanks for all the info. What are jigs do you prefer to use? I have several different kinds.

I will be the first to admit I am no pro, nor am I one who can catch them left and right. Well maybe everynow and then I can, any how,(back on subject) I like to vertical jig tube jigs and bubble bellies. I like to cast and slow reel marabau/feather, road runners, and currly tails. Hope that helps! Take it for what it is worth

If you are where you can vertical jig... try a little bit of everything... Sure slow works many times but I've also had times where they are very active and bite on reaction to a fast moving jig (Holding it at one depth then a quick jerk of the wrist up a foot or more and then letting it fall back to the original depth). Bottom line for me in these situations is just keep varying your approach until you find out what they want that particular day.

LOL, well as far as what jigs, I like mine best, but some like soft plastics and tubes. I like feather jigs best though since they have such great action.

Skip

leave it alone for the most part but twitching it down every so often has worked best for me by the way no question is ever stupid good luck !

Like young Anthony said not a stupid question. We all had to learn somewhere. I always work my jig slowly. A little twitch now and again and move the jig around side to side. I also usually rig a jig pole or 2 and lay it down beside me in the boat. That produces strikes to. The boat movement makes the jig twitch. Just my 2 cents.

My brother and I caught Crappie twice this week on jigs. Most of them weere caught fishing vertical, with a little twitch of the line, less than two inches up and down, from time to time. But, I caught them pulling a jig with a little spinner in about 8 feet of water. He caught the fish of the day, 16 1/2 inches long, pulling a jig slowly through the water, with a little vertical pull from time to time - maybe a six inch rise. We also fish jigs under popping corks, but did not use that method this trip as they were hitting the jigs good like we were fishing.

Oh, the Lake. Palestine. Location? Flat Creek. Time of day? All day, but slow. Color? Blue and white and black with hot pink.

Start out with minows, find some crappie, catch a few with minnows. Then put you on a jig, put that jig at the same depth as you had your minow, and see what happens. Just like bass fishing your looking for that tap tap/ fish own. Then after you get some confidence do all of the above statements.

Good-luck

Marc

If you like to cast and retrieve like spinnerbait fishing for bass, you can use Blakemore roadrunners to catch crappie in brushpiles, near the bank (depending on time of year) and sometimes in timber (this time of year in places).

an important thing everyone missed is line size . 6lb is good to jig with . a loop knot is also good to use or be sure to move your knot to the top everytime you bump into something or get a strike

Tube jigs and crappie nibbles made me quit using minnows completely. I think of minnows now as a waste of time and money.

Here's the best way to learn how to fish jigs. STOP BUYING MINNOWS. With that said, if you keep taking jigs and minnows, you will never be forced to use jigs only. You have to be confident in what you are using to catch fish. I notice you live in Mesquite. Drive out to Lake Ray Hubbard, go to Harbour Bay Marina, and watch some of the guys out there. Copy what they are doing. You will see many different techniques, and you decide what works for you. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Most of the guys out there are pretty nice. If you meet somebody who is a a$$, you probably don't want to learn from him anyway. Pretty much any jig with chartruse in in works. Start with basic colors like black/chart, red/chart, and chart/chart.