| Springtime is here and the crappie are on the | | | | Usually the tube works best when the fish are a |
| banks. Most people will employ the ever popular | | | | bit sluggish after a cold front while the curly tail |
| minnow and bobber. There are those however | | | | grub works best when the fish are active. |
| that prefer to use artificial only presentations and | | | | Now finally the benefits of bobber jigging over |
| for those this technique could be of interest. Early | | | | just a straight jig. The beauty of bobber jigging |
| spring is a great time to be on the water in | | | | for crappie is the ability to place your tube or |
| search of crappie. Crappie tend to take up | | | | grub smack in the middle of the thickest brush |
| residence in some impenetrable brush that can be | | | | but from a distance. The amount of water that |
| hard to present a crappie jig effectively, without | | | | covers the brush determines the depth you |
| hanging up. These brush piles can be tough to fish | | | | should set your jig or tube. You want your jig to |
| but they also tend to hold a lot of crappie | | | | penetrate the brush without getting hung up. |
| because it is so hard to fish and many anglers | | | | Crappie will come up and get a well placed jig |
| just do not risk hanging up to fish the thickest | | | | especially when it is jigging in the same spot for |
| part of the brush leaving behind a gold mine for | | | | several seconds and this can be accomplished |
| the bobber jiggers. | | | | with the bobber and jig combo. |
| Many of you have probably heard of or read | | | | My favorite way to bobber jig is to throw into |
| about the float and fly technique, a great | | | | thick brush placing the jig into a hole in the brush. I |
| presentation for lethargic smallmouth bass when | | | | let the jig soak in this hole for a few seconds. |
| the water is cold. This same method is deadly on | | | | Many bites come on this pause, especially if the |
| springtime crappie whether they are active or not. | | | | color is right, without ever moving the jig. After a |
| A crappie tube or grub is tied below your favorite | | | | few seconds you should twitch the bobber ever |
| bobber at a depth that fits the situation. Usually in | | | | so slightly. Many times the crappie will strike |
| the spring the crappie can be found in one to two | | | | immediately on the pause. If the fish are sluggish |
| feet of water unless a cold snap hits then the | | | | you may want to twitch and pause in this spot |
| crappie are still there just back out a little deeper | | | | for up to a minute before moving to the next |
| to find them. You might have to use a slip bobber | | | | hole in the brush. No need to reel in and cast. This |
| in this situation but it works just the same. | | | | rig allows you to pull the jig out of that hole and |
| When bobber jigging in deep water you should pull | | | | place it in another. By pulling steady the jig will |
| the bobber toward you then allow it to sit. The | | | | glide up and over the limbs allowing you to set the |
| first sign of a bite set the hook as the crappie will | | | | jig in another hole in the brush where you can |
| spit the jig quick if it doesn't taste right. This is | | | | begin the twitch pause sequence again. |
| one time you should not wait until the bobber | | | | This technique is very effective for springtime |
| goes under to set the hook like when fishing live | | | | crappie and can help you catch crappie that other |
| bait. This method works great but this article is | | | | angler may not have even tried for. Presenting |
| directed more to the shallow crappie in thick | | | | your jig from a distance is key when the crappie |
| cover. Slip bobber jigging is another presentation | | | | are so shallow. The bobber allows you to present |
| that deserves its own article to fully explain it and | | | | your jig vertically and keep it there indefinitely |
| I will touch on that in the future when the crappie | | | | allowing for a slower presentation. Pulling the jig |
| begin to suspend in deeper water. For now let's | | | | from one hole in the brush to another takes |
| talk about bobber jigging in thick shallow brush. | | | | some practice but can be mastered in no time. |
| You can see the rig in the image above. Simple | | | | Another great thing about this rig is that you can |
| right? It is but this rig can do many things | | | | use a very light jig head. The weight of the |
| Important to catching a limit of crappie from | | | | bobber allows you to cast from a distance and |
| heavy cover. Normally the jig is set only one to | | | | the selection of bobbers on the market today can |
| two feet from the bobber. When the crappie are | | | | definitely help adjust for some very long cast. |
| moving up they are usually in water this shallow | | | | The lighter bighead makes it easier to pull from |
| but even if they are four to six feet deep they | | | | one hole to another as it will lift in the water much |
| will come up and get it as long as the color and | | | | easier as you pull the bobber toward you. Be sure |
| size is right which is very important. The size of | | | | to drop the jig in the hole and not the bobber as |
| the jig you use can usually be determined by two | | | | the jig is trailing the bobber and will hang on the |
| things. Water temp. and size of crappie your lake | | | | limbs you are attempting to clear. If the water is |
| produce. Now I have caught some slabs on tiny | | | | anything but muddy you should be able to see |
| tubes but to catch numbers you should adjust the | | | | the jig as you move it on the pull. |
| size accordingly. As for color it has been my | | | | Springtime crappie fishing is a popular pastime in |
| experience that a certain color seems to just | | | | the midwest and the lakes can become fairly |
| work better on certain lakes. You probably | | | | crowded with anglers probing the very brush piles |
| already know what color works best on your | | | | that you plan to fish. Bobber jigging can be your |
| home waters and if not just experiment with | | | | ace in the hole and will help you pull crappie from |
| many different colors until you find that magic | | | | seemingly impenetrable brush that has been |
| combination. On one of the lakes I fish red flake | | | | pounded for hours before you even get there. Be |
| body with chartreuse tail is the ticket. Sometimes | | | | patient and learn this technique this spring. You |
| it is a tube and sometimes it is a curly tail. It all | | | | won't be disappointed. |
| depends on what the crappie want that day. | | | | |