Crappies Coming Unbuttoned

On Monday I was fishing in about 9 feet of water and lost 6 crappies at the hole, one under the ice and it was a biggun… wouldn’t have kept it anyways, but would have been nice to land! Then fast forward to Thurs and I lost every single fish (wasn’t keeping, but still annoying). Some at the top that I was able to grab, the rest just under the hole, this time I was in 2.5-3 feet of water. I was using my TUCR noodle and a variety of different plastics/jigs. 8″ hole, so no problem with them hitting the hole and coming off.

Anyone else have this happen? I think it was because of the soft tip on the noodle not allowing me to get a good hookset and penetrate all the way to the barb, since I was in such shallow water I wasn’t really setting the hook but just letting them load the tip and then pulling back and reeling.. like I’ve always done.

I’m having Trumar make me a 36″ solid carbon rod to try and help a little bit with this problem, maybe it will work.. I dont know…. I just don’t understand it. I’ve never had this problem before, and I’ve caught A LOT of crappies on that TUCR noodle.

What action rod do you use? What lb test line? Size of jig/hook? Kind of bait/jig. All these are contributing factors.

30″ TUCR PN 2# sufix ice magic. Baits ranged from a #16 3mm tungsten jig with a micro noodle, up to a 1/64 hair jig with a #8 hook… and everything in between.

Sharpen your hooks

I’m not sure its possible to get sharper than a checkai jig’s hook. Darn things are dangerous! Twice I’ve buried one into my thumb, thank goodness the barbs are tiny… doesn’t hurt too bad ripping it back out.

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thank goodness the barbs are tiny… doesn’t hurt too bad ripping it back out.

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Looks like you answered your own question. If the barbs are that tiny, any slack and they will unbutton. Off-set your hooks on your jigs. It will help increase hook sets and keeping them hooked up.

I’ll try that, thanks!

Sometimes I think they just don’t grab it very well. If they just nip at it, it gets tough to get them through the hole. And Crappies have such soft mouths it’s hard to think that you’re not setting the hook well enough. Maybe you could try opening up the hook a little bit….in other words bend the point out away from the shank a little bit so it grabs better.

I’ve had some Bass fishing days where they all fell off on the way back to the boat, I know how frustrated this gets! Then the next time i go out I boat every one that hits. The only conclusion I’ve ever come to is that some days they just don’t hit it right.

Playing them out enough before you get to the hole? Seems 9′ you had less issues maybe BC the fish was tired by then, where out of 2′ that fish still has some giddy up to it and will give it its all not to come to the light! That shallow of water I would want a bigger hook that would really latch into the fish in order to yank it out immediately.

Stop fishing brute crappies or fish for them deeper where they get paralyzed by the time they get to the bottom of the hole. Need to get those fish pointing horizontal.

I should be nicer on your birthday.

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Playing them out enough before you get to the hole? Seems 9′ you had less issues maybe BC the fish was tired by then, where out of 2′ that fish still has some giddy up to it and will give it its all not to come to the light! That shallow of water I would want a bigger hook that would really latch into the fish in order to yank it out immediately.

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No such thing as playing to the hole with a 10″ crappie in 2′ of water. By the time I’ve set the hook the head is sticking out of the hole and the jig is over my shoulder.

Just jerk real hard in 2′ of water. The momentum should propel the fish out of the hole.

Are you finding crappie in 2′ of water in a lake or river? I’ve heard of people getting crappies in super skinny water column near brush, but I have yet to try it.

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Playing them out enough before you get to the hole? Seems 9′ you had less issues maybe BC the fish was tired by then, where out of 2′ that fish still has some giddy up to it and will give it its all not to come to the light! That shallow of water I would want a bigger hook that would really latch into the fish in order to yank it out immediately.

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No such thing as playing to the hole with a 10″ crappie in 2′ of water. By the time I’ve set the hook the head is sticking out of the hole and the jig is over my shoulder.

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Hence the larger hook. And make it barbless, if you get good you can whip that fish over the shoulder, snap that hook right out with your backstroke ending back into the hole, now that would be sweet. Said you and your old man used to shoot ducks in a way to have then land right in your boat, flip a crappie man, flip a crappie!

We’ve boated a few ducks, mostly teal buzzing right at us.

I’ll rig up my 3″ shortened Trumar Custom with 65# braid and whip them right out of the hole.

I’ll have to keep a small trout net in my left hand, set the hook, catch the fish in mid-air, then drop back in the hole.

Fishing river backwaters, don’t have much choice on depth.. the whole backwater is 2-3′ deep.

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I’ll rig up my 3″ shortened Trumar Custom with 65# braid and whip them right out of the hole.

I’ll have to keep a small trout net in my left hand, set the hook, catch the fish in mid-air, then drop back in the hole.

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I was having the same problem a couple days ago, with fish coming unbuttoned, when I remembered a trick my old man taught me years ago. Take and bend the hook out just a little bit. It creates a better angle to drive the hook home. It worked for me the other day and it might work for you. This is definitely an issue with small jigs but sometimes you gotta use them.

I was having that same problem many years ago in some Mississippi shallow back waters. I was in a tent so I looked down the hole to see what was going on. What was happening was the crappies were just barely hanging on to the wax worm, not even close to the hook. So what I did was SLOWLY bring the line up until they were starting to come up the hole, then I would reach in and lip them. That was back in the day when I could be on my knees for hours looking down the hole and still be able to breath.

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I was having the same problem a couple days ago, with fish coming unbuttoned, when I remembered a trick my old man taught me years ago. Take and bend the hook out just a little bit. It creates a better angle to drive the hook home. It worked for me the other day and it might work for you. This is definitely an issue with small jigs but sometimes you gotta use them.

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Yep. Bend those hooks out and off to the side like randy said. Kinda surprised someone hasn’t come out with jigs like this all ready. Have snapped a few hooks bending them out but if the jigs keep missing fish it wasnt worth much in the 1st place.

Try bigger baits…spoon or something with trebel hooks.

Kevin, take this from a guy whos done this type of fishing on the Mississippi River for 30 years, nothing wrong with your equipment….it takes a whole new mind set on setting the hook! I’m sure when these shallow water crappies are hitting it is hard…first reaction is to set the hook as hard as they hit..results in banging them off the ice and loosing them. When they hit, snap set the hook set then stop any upward movement, keeping pressure on the fish slowly pull them through the hole. Greatest invention for this… the pulsator fishing pole. The depth your fishing is the funniest crappie fishing you will ever have!

You wouldn’t think it but there is such a thing as too small a hook for crappie fishing. When using a lite action rod you gotta give your hook set a little something because your rod will bend. In deeper water I like to use a medium light action rod with a good spring bobber for crappie with 2lb test and like a #6 size hook/jig (ratso.) I’ve noticed that I’ve had fewer problems with them not being hooked. Shallower I like an light or ultralight 1-2lb test little smaller jig. Im no pro but I’ve not lost nearly as many at the hole as I used to but its good practice to always get on the knees by the hole and be ready because its not if its when and when you start getting comfy thats when they pop off

I have been having the same problem on crappies. I will hook them and bring them in a couple feet and they are just gone. I am using small teardrops and tried switching to a small bait holder hook. Same thing happened on that one. I don’t know if the fish were just sucking on the minnows and not taking the hook deep enough or what the issue is. I will go 6 fish lost and then not lose one for a dozen. Last night I lost 8 or so and caught 3. It’s frustrating when you are having a slow night. I might try switching to braided/no stretch line since the fish have been kind of deep…20 feet or so. Maybe that will help with the hookset. I might try bigger hooks and sharpening them better.