#9: Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad

A plain jig is an odd lure. It really does not resemble anything in
nature that a fish would eat.But dress it up with some color, deer hair, and perhaps a worm, minnow or grub and it becomes a formidable weapon in any fisherman’s arsenal.
It has been that way for thousands of years. Jigs were used by the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. Even cave dwellers carved jig-looking lures out of bone to catch their fish. So folks
today are just carrying on a long tradition. Lake Erie anglers use a variety of jigs (we also call them lead heads) to fish for walleyes through the ice and for several weeks after
ice-out in the early spring. The rest of the year jigs get shoved to the back of the tackle box in favor of other more productive lures. Why just jigs early? Presentation is probably the main reason. Ice-out water is extremely cold, just a few degrees above freezing, and the
fish are still in a lethargic state. So a slow deliberate angling style is required, making the lead head the logical choice. On my last jigging trip we were fortunate to have a calm day with only a slight drift. Schools of pre-spawn walleyes were congregating over a
rocky bottom in about 12 feet of water. We were all armed with six-foot, medium-heavy rods and reels spooled with Berkley Fireline. I picked out a quarter-ounce dark brown bucktail
jig and attached the line without using a snap swivel. Baiting up is a little more complicated. You want to give as natural a presentation as possible. To do this, start the hook through the
minnow’s mouth and out the gill, then twist and place the hook through the body behind the dorsal fin. When the jig hits the bottom, the minnow will appear in a swimming position. I made a short cast away from the boat and let the lure settle to the bottom before taking up slack. Once the line was tight I slowly raised the rod tip and I could feel the lead bump across some rocks. Then I slowly raised the rod tip higher this time, bringing the jig two-to-three feet off the bottom before letting it settle back to the bottom. During the fall, a walleye hit and I had my first fish. It was not a hard hit, just a tap before I felt the weight of the fish. This is a typical method of jig fishing for walleyes, but sometimes the angler will have to change lure weights and colors before finding the right combination. So keep the arsenal well-stocked. I have one plastic lure box that contains an assortment of jigs from an eighth-ounce up to a half-ounce. I usually purchase them in various colors from the likes of Walmart, Cabela’s and Gander Mountain. A second box contains soft lure bodies such as curlytails, worms and grubs in basic colors. If I do not do anything else, I make sure that the color dark purple is included. Purple is a hot color for walleye jigging. I do not know why. A third box contains store-bought lures that I have had success with over the years. These include the Lindy Fuzz-E-Grub, and a lot of Cabela and Northland creations in as many colors and sizes as I can afford. In recent years, tackle manufacturers have come up with rattle tubes that can be attached to the jig. They are small but add big benefits to attract fish. Keep them handy. As soon as the ice is gone from the Western Basin, fishermen will start gathering in shallow off-shore waters and around the many reefs. If there is a jigging heaven this is it. Capt. Tony Denslow

Capt. Tony Denslow is a retired news journalist who now operates a sportfishing charter business on Lake Erie.

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Crappie Fishing Tips: -2 Click Here! Crappie Gear & Crappie Baits

Old School Crappie Fishing Family Secrets

Crappie Fishing Gear

Schools of crappie were first found throughout the Eastern United States and into Canada. Over the years, stocking of crappie has occurred throughout the united states The crappie spread quickly to rivers, streams and lakes and if left unchecked can over populate quite quickly and crowd out other species.

No Need to worry that your area of the US or Canada getting over populated soon because the crappie is one of the most sought after game fish.You can catch them at several different time of the day. In all seasons, and weather. It has been said that Crappie fisherman bind all anglers in America together. I suspect that is why there is so much amazing fishing information available about this species.

Well enough with the background on the crappie so lets get to the teeth of this article and that is to give you some valuable crappie fishing tips about proper crappie gear,and crappie baits. To be consistent at catching the crappie you need to understand them and learn how to catch them. I have developed a list of fishing tips that I think will be very helpful when you plan on fishing for crappie.

#1: Crappie Gear Without the right fishing gear you will have a rough time catching crappie. You need to have a good long crappie rod with a sensitive tip, a graphite pole over 8ft long is better, but an old bamboo pole will work also. If you intend to get your self a a good graphite crappie pole you will need a matching spin cast reel that is rated for 4 to 6lb test line. If you are getting the bamboo pole it will have a crappie rig attached for you.

#2:- Crappie Baits: You can go in two directions, you can either use live or artificial baits. If you are new to crappie fishing it may be better to start out with live bait. You will have better success catching fish. You don’t want to get frustrated early and not give the sport a chance. If you you find you really like the sport after catching a few fish you can move on into learning how to use artificial baits. If you learn the art of fishing artificial crappie baits you crappie catches will be more consistent the more you refine your tactics.

Crappie fishing tips: If you are fishing stained low visibility water select a chartreuse color plastic tail attached to a 1/32oz to 1/8oz jig with a 8 to 12 inch trailer hook attached to the jig’s hook. Use a number 6 to 8 hook. Put two spit shot about 18 inches above the hook. This allows the minnow to move freely, while be held stationary. Use a live crappie minnow by hooking them right behind the eyes in the back of the head. be careful not to go to deep or you will kill the minnow.

Tip#3:When you are fishing for crappie in rivers,lakes or streams that have moving water you will need to switch between live and artificial crappie baits depending on the crappies mood. Remember crappies are cold-blooded and the water controls their body temperature.Look for places in moving water where crappie might be hiding waiting for bait fish to swim by, you will have to put your bait right in front of their nose’s but boy will they really hit!

When crappie are sluggish it is because the temperature is out of their comfort zone. Kind of like your neighbor that doesn’t have air conditioning or is still using a wood burning stove when things get cold. They just don’t feel like doing anything until its right in their face!

Crappie Fishing Tips #4: When crappie are in their beds and starting to lay their eggs, you can find them by what is commonly called the “crappie bubble”. it is a bubble like wave going across the top of the shallow water … a ripple.This means there is allot of crappie in the area.

Tip#5: The crappie has a keen sense of smell so scenting your crappie jigs does make a difference. you can buy canned crappie scent at any tackle shop or purchase on-line. It’s a proven fact that you will catch more fish by scenting your crappie baits.

Mark Fleagle is an Expert Author At Ezinearticles.com. and has over 30 years of fishing experience who has written 100′s of useful fishing articles. Would you like to max out your catch on your next fishing trip? Blow your fishing buddies out of the water and get your bragging rights today! Also don’t forget to get your free copy of “78 Fishing Discoveries Unleashed” <a rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” href=”{{{http://www.oldfishinghole.com”>http://www.oldfishinghole.com/blog|http://www.oldfishinghole.com}”>http://www.oldfishinghole.com

Click Here To Find Out More About crappie fishing tips

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