I believe the new law that will probably take effect Nov 7 regarding the zebra mussels in 17 North Texas counties including mine , Palo Pinto, is going to really affect my minnow fishing. I am 66 and have always caught my own minnows in the river then go to the lake. Now you will not be able to do that anymore, and being on a fixed income I cannot afford $20 for a pound of minnows several times a month. So now I must get serious about jig fishing. I have jig fish many times half heartedly and caught a few, but have always done much better on minnows. Okay all that being said I guess what I am asking is who should I turn to, to teach me how to fish jigs for crappie and be productive in my area. I am willing to pay and to travel in November as far as I need to in order to learn. Or should I wait till next spring, thanks in advance to all reply's.

If you're a die-hard minnow Fisher maybe you should try to learn how to catch minnows in the lake , I see guys throwing their thrownet at the ramp and around docks all the time.

Yes I have seen people throw those nets too up at Lake Graham off the bridge but all the were catching was shad about 3 to 5 inches long, I thought those were to big for crappie. Have not seen anyone catch minnows with throw net in a lake around this area.

My wife prefers three inch minnows to the smaller ones for crappie. She believes the bluegill and smaller crappie won't bother the larger minnow.

However over the last two months she has been catching a lot of 6"-8" crappie on her 3" minnows so I am not sure it makes that much difference.

But it does seem to make a difference with the bluegill.

I am also seeing a lot of 1" minnows swimming in the lights around the slip.

PM sent

PM sent. There's a guy named Jerry T. up in your area that is extremely good at catching fish on a jig. I'll send you his number.

Tom,

If you are using a pound of minnows three times a month. Chances are you already know a great deal about how to catch crappie. Using a jig is as simple as getting it down to the same depth in the same locations you've been catching them with minnows. It should be a fairly smooth transition especially if you get to fish with someone like Jerry T.

I don't mind driving and would be happy to buy ten pounds of minnows if you ever decide you still want to fish with them and someone to share what little they know about jig fishing. I haven't fished PK in a long, long time and never fished Graham or Palo Pinto.

Good luck!

With jigs, the clearer the water, the smaller and more natural colored jig . In stained water, use a larger profile jig, that they can see better, orange and black, or yellows and black in very stained or muddy water. Sometimes when u aren't catching them on jigs, movement is just what the doctor ordered, give it a little more ropa dope. Sometimes jigs will actually outfish minnows, because you cannot always find the same size minnows that the crappie happen to be feeding on at the time. Starting off with small jigs, and work your way larger is usually most productive. Equalizing the equasion with scent added to a jig by using shad spray, or Berkley crappie nibbles will get u a lot more bites. On sunny bright days, try chartreuse, white, bright greens,. under bridges or real shady areas, something with some red in it is a must. Deep dark water, try blacks and blues with some fleck in it. shortly after spawn, try small jigs, because the minnows and shad are newly fry, and the crappie instinctly and observantly know this, you will get a lot more bites on a small jig, Like a crazy angler small size slab bandit. Towards the end of fall the bait is getting bigger, and the crappie more voracious, try breaking out the longer profile baits, and lob them near some piles or structure, like they are swimming by.
Everyone has their favorite colors, brands, sizes. You will eventually gain confidence in your own. A lil fishie by cr�me lures is not to be overlooked, it is a great baby shad imitation.
This is how I try to choose what jig to use. you want to offer the crappie a jig that he can see in the present conditions, but not too good. Because if he can see it too good, he can id it as a phony. Sometimes it doesn't matter because it a reaction bite. They instinctively attack the jig, because it is in their area and moving near them. On days when its not a reaction bite, and you must trigger a strike, then it becomes almost an art form. Trial and error, patience, and experience come into play. That's the fun part. Sometimes you must try several different offerings until you find out what they want. And that can change by the hour. Sometimes you can catch a couple fish and they quit. You tie on a different jig, and catch 2 more, and they quit.

I've been super busy right now, thus, I haven't post much lately. But if you PM me your contact info and don't mind drive to Arlington, I'll help you with all the jigging technique you need to know next month.

I must have missed something here??? What new law are we talking about here? I assume you mean you can't catch minnows in a river and then transport them to a lake? I don't use minnows but, am curious about this new regulation.

http://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/public_comment/proposals/201311_water_draining.phtml

- no off-site tournament weigh-ins would be allowed if live fish are being transported off a body of water in one of the targeted counties;

- live fish could not be transported in water that comes from the water body where they were caught; and

- personally caught live bait could only be used in the water where it was caught;

Thanks P!

buts its still ok to pump the zillions a gallons a water back and forth here and there thru all these water bodies ?
ketchn must be confused again ? these here lil micro organisms they speak of must just only get in live wells and ballasts and bilges ....
and the underside of boats ? zebra mussels and them there moicro organism babies never ever get in the pumped water ?
golly I find out new interesting things all the time
I would a never thunk them zebra mussels and families was afraid of the lil ole six flags ride from this lake to that lake

Piscattor: I'll buy you a pound of minnows and all the gas if ypu can show me where you can catch crappie in PK. I think Bass and Stripers ate them all. I haven't caught one at PK all year.

Locals tell me Palo Pinto Lake is even better than Lake Graham for Crappie.

he ONLY uses road runnerz btw.....