Go To Crappie Lure

I usually fish for bass, northern pike, trout and salmon. I usually don't catch many crappies so maybe I'm fishing the wrong lakes. I've had some success with Beetle Spin Jigs and Northland Panfish Tubes. Just wondering what are the best "go to" crappie lures that you guys use? Thanks, Big Hitter

My three preferred methods are casting/trolling a Roadrunner jig head with a Southern Pro Triple Threat tail, Mini-mite under a float, and when things get tough, an Erie Dearie 1/80th or 1/100th oz jig with a Gulp Alive 1" minnow under a float.

1/16 oz. white jig head with 2" Charlie Brewer Slider Grub in pearl or chartreuse. I'll switch t 1/32 oz. if I need to slow down or keep above weeds............

I like to use a 1" or 2" Northland swimin grub on a 1/32th or 1/64th oz head for all panfish. I also really love the powerbait curly tails. Especially the micro ones. Color depends on the water. For my rod i use my St. Croix avid premier with 4lb trilene 100% flurocarbon. My 2 biggest crappies came off the northland grub. A 17.5 and 17.25 on the northlands Bullgills and perch like em too!!

If I'm fishing open water I like to use a plain #6 short shank single hook with a tiny pink tube on it. Can't cast real far but it drops really slow. Catch gills on it too. I use it around trees or where fish are more concentrated in spring.

Berkley Gulp Minnows 2.5" on a Eerie Dearie Jig under a float. Great numbers and even greater quality! For livebait, fathead on a red octopus hook, split shot, under a slip bobber.

go to lure. best ever was 55 casts 51 crappies. 75% were small ones still swimming and rest were keepers. Most hits on way down

I've caught more crappies with 1" chartreuse twisters on 1/32 oz unpainted leadheads than on everything else combined. They're great 1'-4' below a bobber or just jigged solo with a L or UL spinning rig. That's for open water, of course... Best of luck!

I have tried most of them and still find it hard to beat just a plain old crappie killer jig.White or yellow 1/16 with 4 pound mono if I need a slower drop I go to 6lb mono rather then going to a lighter jig.The last time I bought them I found them on sale at Walmart for a nickle, can not beat that especially because pike like to bite them off.Bluegills like them to but most of the time a small piece of crawler will take more.Fish them with a 6 1/2ft light or ultralight rod.Last winter I built a rod just for fishing them 7ft 2weight fly rod blank made into a spinning rod what a hoot to fish with and it really protects 4lb mono from break offs.I have kind of babbled on here but I really like to fish weed lines with this combo for crappies,perch,eater walleye's.They also work great for bass but they have to be fought to long,and if I start to catch to many I switch to heavier tackle.

I like to use a 1/16oz round ball jig with a 1”Gulp Alive minnow under a slip bobber. My favorite colors for jig heads when fishing crappies are pink or white. My favorite color gulp minnows are the smelt or the watermelon pearl. When fishing vertical I like the Slender Spoons from Custom Jigs and Spins tipped with a minnow head. As mentioned, a plain gold hook and minnow under a bobber is hard to beat also.

In summer I like to use Kahlins or Southern Pro twister tails. Kahlins just came out with a new line called Slim 3 inch triple threat. They are perfect for big crappie/white bass/small mouth and walleye. Winter I'll use anything from a tiny Rat Fink to a 3" jigging spoon.

Nothing beats a crappie minnow under a float but the one artificial that I do use with pretty good success is a 1/16 oz white Northland Whistler Jig with a 2" white twister tail.

This will always most likely depend where and when you are fishing for them. I fish southern parts of the WI River flowage alot for crappies in spring and fall. Generally in spring when I am pulling fish off docks and the bank areas all I throw is a tiny ice jig tipped with a plastic, sometimes tipped with a waxy, suspended under a tiny float. Colors, sizes, etc. all vary. In the fall it usually depends how deep I am finding my fish and how agressive they are. I usually start out with just a plain gold #6 hook and split shot and a crappie minnow. If I find the fish more aggressive and I am actively working them I usually just use various jig sizes with various plastics, tubes, twisters, etc. I have favorite colors more then I do brands or lures.