Beyond the basic jig, which other lures catch crappie?
Most of them are the basic jig with something added. A 5 cm (2 in) paddle tail on a light head, swum slowly and steadily, is the modern choice for roaming and suspended fish. Jig-spinners and underspin heads — a small blade on a jig — add flash and lift, and are fine search baits for scattered spring fish in stained water. Small jigging spoons are a solid second rod under the ice and over deep brush in winter, especially at dusk when fish turn aggressive; tip them with a minnow head. A drop shot holds a minnow or small plastic just above brush. In-line spinners and cast spoons take the odd fish but twist light line. Surface lures are out: crappie feed upward, but from below the film — tiny fly-rod poppers are the one exception.
The full story
This answer is one piece of a longer lesson — setups, diagrams and the reasoning behind it.
More questions about What this means for fishing
- What is the basic crappie jig setup, and why so light?
- How does a slip float work, and why is it the crappie rig?
- What is spider rigging?
- What is dock shooting and why is it deadly?
- What are the core tactics for ice-fishing crappie?
- How have modern electronics changed crappie fishing?
- How many crappie should I keep, and what size?
- What does the crappie year look like at my latitude?
- How do I unhook and release crappie so they survive, especially in summer?
- Are crankbaits any good for crappie?
- Can you catch crappie on a fly rod?
Same topic, other species
- Can you troll for largemouth bass? — Largemouth Bass
- Can you catch a muskie on a fly? — Muskellunge (Muskie)
- Do perch hit spinners, spoons and small hard baits — or only jigs and bait? — Yellow Perch
- Spoons, inline spinners, or soft baits — when does each shine? — Northern Pike
- Can you troll for smallmouth bass? — Smallmouth Bass
- Spinners, spoons, or flies — when should I throw which? — Trout (Rainbow · Brook · Lake)
- Do walleye hit topwater lures? — Walleye