The last couple of years I’ve had very good luck with tiny jigs and a waxworm or eurolarvae. Good enough that I don’t even bother with minnows any more. Little jigs like the Genz Fat Boy or Genz Worm have worked very well. The hits aren’t vicious so a spring bobber helps. A lot of the time the Crappies just slowly pull it down. Once it starts getting dark out I like to use any jig that glows in the dark. They definitely work better. Get yourself one of those little LED flashlights to shine it up and you’re in business. I spent an evening on Forest Lake a few years ago and the only thing I had to light up the glow jig was the flash on my camera. I intended to throw the film away when I got home but my wife developed it instead. She called me at work and asked me why I had 24 pictures of a jig!
Where I fish It seems that I do better With A plain hook/minnow combanation….It does’t seem to matter what I have down… more than the TIME of DAY….AND/OR the depth… The fish are at…I think thats more Important than what I have on …Because when they are “bitting” its a short window….But thats only trough the “ICE”….
The Flirty Girty jig. This bait has saved my supper on numerous occasions. It comes in two sizes for ice fishing, and several colors. Orange has been my favorite
For me it seems when you are on the crappie and they are hungary, they will hit on just about anything you have on. A also beleive orange is a great color as well as glow jigs. What I really like to use and have great success is the Rocker jigs in orange, green, or blue and tipped with a waxie.
Great topic!!!. There are many great ice crappie baits on the market today– endless to that matter. I believe what counts the most is the line and rod your using. From my experience, most big crappies(slabs) will suck in bait and spit it out with a blink of an eye. Get yourself a good pole like a Thorne Bros http://www.thornebros.com sweetheart stick. Spool up with some P-line and depending on how deep your fishing will depend how thick my line will be, the deeper your jigging the less of stretch line you will want. I will address this more in a future IDA article. keep your eyes open.