When I posted this thread I should have watched how I worded it. This is on one specific lake and this time of year so this will not hold true everywhere else or even the same lake at different times of the year and I realize this.

By the way I don't use anything that I won't have confidence in and the first confidence bait that I go to is jigs. This was the first thing I tried and it failed, then I switched to minnows and started catching fish.

Given this situation jig fisherman would have passed these spots up with the perception that the tree did not hold fish which was definately not the case.

Like I said in this case minnows are passing up jigs BIGTIME and I have taken out quite a few people who can vouch for me. Sorry for the novel here guys.

here goes my .02 cents

Spring = jigs and minnows
Summer = minnows
Fall = jigs and minnows
Winter = jigs

sac-a-lait- if you are talking about Benbrook... You are dead on.. Minnows are kickng jigs butt right now!! I have fished that lake all my life and the fish have just turned thier noses up to the jigs-- scented or unscented.. This is the time of year I used to switch to live shad.... you think minners work goood - HA!! Try using 3" live shad!!! WOW!!! Hard to keep them alive(round bucket with strong aerator, with salt added) Gotta keep em in the shade(under steering wneel console). But they work very well! Havent tried em ye this year.

no not benbrook, but i heard its the same way

I like Mark's assesment per seasons, though I may fish jigs a tad more than minners even in the transition seasons (Fall and Spring).

Still, a good "to-the-point" preference. That's my .02 as well for the seasons for the most part.

--Eric
AgAlum93'

I have noticed that minnows are usually a little more reliable in the late Spring,Summer and Early Fall. Jigs tend to perform well in the late Fall, Winter and Spring.

Was at Lewisville Lake today messing around at the barge and pulled in about 24 fish. Six were keepers and one weighted about 1.75lbs. They were all caught on minnows. There was couple guys jigging but didn't see that much action.

How about riggig a pole with one jig and one minnow, spaced about 18 inches or so apart. keep count of which does better.

I've tried that a couple of times and they hit the minnow every time.

Ratmo i get the impression you are being a little facetious in that last post. If you read all the posts by sac you would get that he is not fishing "with what he likes" he is fishing with what is catching fish at lake x at x time.

Can't we all just get along? Uses whatever get you the result. I have use minnows before, but its just too much work. I think jigs is for pples with less patient waiting for the Crappie to bite.

Leeeetttttssssss get ready to rummmmmblllle!!!!!

Didn't mean to ruffle your feathers there Ratmo. I just thought you didn't get the point of sac's posts. I know I post on tff to get input from other fisherman, and when you get a response like, fish with whatever you want, that doesn't help you or others reading the post at all. I am only trying to become a better crappie fisherman that is why i even went on a guided tour of a lake and all I learned on that trip is that I will never go on a guided tour again. It was like another tff'r said in an earlier post, the guide is up in front and positions himself on top of the structure that he knows holds fish. JMO, but I think they, not all, do this to fill the livewell with fish so you dont leave empty handed. I rather catch one fish to take home than a stringer of fish I didn't.

0320 is pretty early. Maybe I'll just stay up extra late one day, lol.

Well My Wife and I went with a guide on RC. He set us up with minnows.

She was on the left I'm in the right seat and she catches them just as fast as she can drop it in the water. I'm fishing two feet away and can't get a bite so I drop one in her spot and BANG. Then they quit...switched to jigs and Bang here we go again.

It was amazing...thump the rod and bang get a fish. Don't thump...NO FISH!!

My Point! When you don't first succeed-Try try again with a differnt tactic.

I don't fish with minners unless I have to, which sounds like most everyone else here. I got something for everyone that wants to try, to give this a shot. Go to Wallmart and get you some Renegade 1/16th oz. Pink heads, and put you an albino bass assasin on (1.5"). Slide you a chartreuse crappie nibble on there, and try that along side the minners. I bought minners and got tired of going to the bait bucket a couple times. Both times I ended up dumping the minners.
One of the times I was planning on doing some night fishing. I caught fish on black and chart. all the way up till dark, and they just quit. I went to minners and caught a couple, then they just quit. I then went to black and chart. tipped with a minner and caught a few more till they completely quit. Went to the pink albino, and I caught fish the rest of the night that I was fishing.
You fellers let me know how you fair if you try it. I would appreciate it.
George