# Jigging Crappie



## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

This was my first attempt at actually single pole jigging for crappie. I post a lot of crappie reports but they are always from trolling. Today a buddy that has done it on several occasions with success took me and showed me the ropes. We jigged a little private lake next to I-4 in Polk City. 

We were using 10ft jigging poles with handtied jigs for Lights Out Jigs and Flies. There were three of us fishing and we all used different colors and caught fish. Probably caught 10 crappie or so and kept 6. Threw some back and lost a few at the boat. We were jigging the edges of hi-synth in 12-5ft of water the fish didn't really nail our jigs. A real subtle bite that was tricky to key in on. We also caught 4 or 5 bass and 30 bream or so. Those big copper head bluegill were nailing our jigs. 

Pic is just the few we kept. I'm looking forward to trying a little more jigging on Pate's, Talquin, Seminole, and maybe even in the Choctawhatchee. 











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## Mac1528 (Mar 24, 2012)

Nice mess o'fish there. Thanks for sharing!

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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Great report. Starting to get the crappie itch up here, but I'm off to a mullet hole this morning.


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Nice mess mess of fish ,Skiff.


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Nice, healthy looking fish. Those bass look like footballs.

Those subtle crappie bites can be torture to get the hang of. My Pop was the master of it. Lake Purdy near Birmingham was notorious for light-biting crappie. Pop called it Crappie University, because it was a higher level of learning to be successful there. He always caught 10 to my 1. His secret: set the hook when you feel one looking at your jig.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

The light bite is challenging and you really have to be concentrating...I caught a couple in the nose last weekend.... I felt them smelling my jig!


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## bamacpa (Nov 8, 2013)

If you don't mind me asking, what jigging poles (brand) and reels were you using? I'm wandering if I need to use something other than my 7' light action star rod. Read a recent article where the guy was using a 10' BnM Duck Commander jigging pole. Do you ever use braid to help detect those subtle bites?


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

bamacpa said:


> If you don't mind me asking, what jigging poles (brand) and reels were you using? I'm wandering if I need to use something other than my 7' light action star rod. Read a recent article where the guy was using a 10' BnM Duck Commander jigging pole. Do you ever use braid to help detect those subtle bites?


I have a 10' BNM Duck Commander Double Touch jigging pole. All my crappie stuff is BNM and have no plans of using anything else. I've broken rods and called them and they shipped me a replacement for free. I would suggest getting something bigger than 7' but anything over 11' is overkill imo. 

I am new to this and spooled up with 6lb mono like I have on all my trolling rods. Funny you mentioned braid, I follow a professional crappie angler, Kevin Rogers, pretty close. He and his dad are known across the country as being the best jiggers out there. They win tournaments all over the country jigging and do it year around. In his video below he talks about his rod and reel set-up. He uses 15# Spider Wire Invisibraid (white) and I plan on switching to that. I am also gonna order one of those reels from grizzly jig that he has. I put a small shimano reel on my Duck Commander Rod and it is a little heavy and distorts the balance of the rod. I like the set-up Kevin has but I will stick to my BNM rods. 

Here is the link to Grizzly Jig's Online Store. Good folks there and if you have any questions about their products just call. The guys there actually know what they are talking about. 
Reel: http://www.grizzlyjig.com/p-67-mini-crappie-reel.aspx
Rod: http://www.grizzlyjig.com/p-434-duck-commander-double-touch-crappie-rod.aspx
Rod:http://www.grizzlyjig.com/p-266-bucks-graphite-jig-pole.aspx (Cheaper alternative to Duck Commander)

Here is the video of Kevin Rogers talking about his set-up. Any of you guys here on the forum looking to get into jigging should watch his videos. Theres a lot to be learned from him and his dad.


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## Jeffbro999#2 (Feb 17, 2014)

See a lot of guys out there jigging the long rods on Seminole. Looks very productive. You have the trolling down, I'm sure you'll get the jigging dialed in quickly.


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

Jeffbro999 said:


> See a lot of guys out there jigging the long rods on Seminole. Looks very productive. You have the trolling down, I'm sure you'll get the jigging dialed in quickly.


Trolling is addictive, man. Hard to put the trolling rods up to jig but I'm gonna try and stick to it!


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

I guess I don't understand jigging. I use a 10-12' pole rigged with either a minnow and weight or just a jig. Ease up to a treetop and drop it over in it. I use 17# power pro - 6# would last about 10 seconds. This is a very frustrating way to fish as I really hate hanging up. You can get the "hang" of it and do a little better learning to feel the limbs on the way up but if I get a fish I usually lose control of the boat and run over the treetop. Sometimes it's the only way to catch one but I don't like being that close and prefer fishing above or next to submerged structure casting a jig or below a cork


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

Try'n i'm probably about to dive into jigging head first and regret it but the little success I've had with it has enticed me. 


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## bamacpa (Nov 8, 2013)

Skiff, thanks for all that information!! Makes me want to give this a shot. All I've ever done was fish with a cane pole and cork for crappie.


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

bamacpa said:


> Skiff, thanks for all that information!! Makes me want to give this a shot. All I've ever done was fish with a cane pole and cork for crappie.


Well man I hope you have some success trying this. If not, hit me up and I'll give you some trolling tips. Trolling is a lot of fun and a good way to cover a lot of water trying different baits and depths. It's teaches you something almost every time you go out no matter how long you've been doing it. The cane pole and cork days of crappie fishing are over lol


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Nice haul of eats....bass were hitting the crappie jigs or were you throwing fer them too? Also, you just wanted to get that foot in there I see.....hahaha


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

Jason said:


> Nice haul of eats....bass were hitting the crappie jigs or were you throwing fer them too? Also, you just wanted to get that foot in there I see.....hahaha




We caught them on crappie jigs. Didn't even see the foot. I took the pic but that's my buddies foot haha


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Jason said:


> Nice haul of eats....bass were hitting the crappie jigs or were you throwing fer them too? Also, you just wanted to get that foot in there I see.....hahaha




I caught 4 cats on jigs one was about 3 pounds and I thought it was a 18" crappie for sure. I was hollering get the net!!!


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