I have fished my whole life but just recently got really interested in crappie . .. used to always catch them on minnows . I would like to kniw how to use jigs.for example when fishing deep do you just drop it and twitch it or cast and reel in slow. .its embarrasing im lost.catfished all my life,but no fish tastes as good as a crappie!

In crappie fishing, presentation is everything. Find a spot where crappie are hanging out and put your jig about eye level right in front of their nose...let it dangle there and if your jig type, size, color, angle of your jig is just right they may bite it...if they don't bite it, try to swim it, raise it slowly and then drop it, or move it around and maybe they will bite it...if they are hungry OR if you make them mad enough....if not, go find another bunch of crappie and repeat the process....I hope this information helps....

Ok i`ll chime in with my worth.You never know with this species.It just depends on their mood that particular day.Sometimes they want it still with very little movement and other times they want it swimming you just have to be versatile in your techniqe.I went out to Waxahachie Lake on the 3rd of July and fish a brush pile actually it was a tree in about 12 fow with a few fish stacked on it and they wanted it swiming other times I`ve fished it and they wanted it still i`m sure there are others that will echo this statement "that`s why it`s called fishing"

Start fishing with minnows again. Put a minnow on a crappie hook, sit it on the floor of the boat, then pick up a jig pole...see which one gets bit first...keep trying this approach till the jig work starts paying off. Then start trying to figure out what you did to catch that fish...Repeat that process. Move to another similiar location and do the same thing again..

I have to say this is what you do this is fishing.
trust your fish finder but if they are not biting move to a new place.
Minnows are always a good for fishing why do us jig tiers work so hard to make them look like fish?

I truly believe in to each his own when it comes to choosing which bait and lure to fish with. However, I can only offer my personal advice. It is not intend to say which way is wrong or right, but it is the most speedy way I have taught some friends in the past...

The best way to catch crappie with a jig is to force yourself to learn. Since you haven't done it, it would be best to find an experience jig angler near you. Offer an open seat on your dime. While out on the water, ask question on size/color/type... Etc... Then listen, watch & learn.

Once you have the basic knowledge and technique, you MUST force yourself to leave the minnows at home. No matter how tough it may be at the beginning, having minnows along side will only slow you down in learning and subsequently going back to what you have been successful at. Just think of it this way, there are plenty of crappie anglers who rarely (or never) use minnows, yet it is rare for those anglers to come home with empty livewell.
It is not hard, but it is different!!!!!

From time to time, folks asked me if I'd ever take some minnows with me for some of those occasion where the crappie only prefer livebait. My answer is NO! I never have minnows for "just in case". And this goes for Spring, Summer, Fall, & Winter. No minnows year round, and I do fish year round!

My philosophy is that if I can't trigger the crappie to hit a jig on such particular day, I'd gladly bound to the crappie and accept my defeat. After all, I'm only human, and fishing means fishing, not catching! Just like I always use 6# test (not braid). If a crappie broke me off, he/she truly deserves to swim away. It was my fault for not checking and retying my line.

For what it is worth, use Berkley crappie nibbles while using a jig to help add scent as if it is something edible to a crappie...
Hope it helps!

Ps: the hardest part in crappie fishing is locating the fish. If you already located the fish and have caught them with minnows, there is absolutely no reason why you won't catch them on jigs if you learn how on your presentation. Soon after, you will routinely catching more fish on jigs than you ever did with minnows. Keep in mind, fishing with jigs takes work; not sitting and waiting for the crappie to come to you. You are hunting it down by finding it and put that jig infront of its face!!!! Think of it if you will... Using minnows is passive; using jigs is proactive...

Good post Slab

SlabmeSilly great post

Another catfisherman crossover... WELCOME brother! A year ago I decided I would set out to catch crappie with a jig all year. I personally slowly weined myself off minnows as I became a better jig fisherman. Good thing is, fishing with minnows teaches you some of the tendencies of how they bite. Slacked lines, walking lines, pretty much everything but a thump. IMO start fishing where you minnow fish. Take half as many minnows as you normally would, but only 1 minnow rig and your jiggin set up. Let your minnow find your fish. When you get bit on the minnow match your depth from the minnow rig to your jig set up. Knowing the fish are there will help with your confidence, which for me was KEY! This was the start of my process and it may help you as well. Dont be afraid to ask questions either. No one here knew it all when they started!

good info, I use the Berkley liquid Crappie scent I think it helps..

This is a great thread. I am a die hard jig fisherman and keep a jiggin rod in my hand always with 4# test. I like the chalange of both the jig and lite line battle. If the fish wins I bow down in defeat. This doesn't happen very often. Lol.
But fishing with my 12 year old daughter almost always. She fishes the minnow that we catch in our lights at nite and always droppes 2 rods on each side of the boat and fishes a jig rod at the same time. The minnow rods help to find fish and establish depth and keeps her occupied. Plus we hope to hook stripers is the main reason for the minnow dunkin. But 9 times out of 10 the jig out fishes the minnow every trip out. And all the bigger fish come on the jig. It's a different bite on the jig almost no thump just line watchin for any subtle differences. Takes alot of practice to get use to it. Don't give up and if they stop biting one color switch it up. Size to. I like 1/64 oz jig heads for the slow fall and the lite line adds a very natural presentation and presentation is key to success. it works for me and my boat always lands its fair share of slabs. Good luck. Keep that rod jiggin it will pay off in the long run.

Thanks for all the advice everyone

So true

Yea we all started with minnows...
But once u get that first "Thump"
As the others wrote "repeat " again...

Good Luck