After all, does it really matter that much? Deeper still, as you go beyond 15 feet, there is very little light available. If you tip them with the right bait, such as wax worms or crappie … The Rapala Ultra Light Rippin’ Rap is a realistic … Backwat… Going to a well-stocked fishing supply store makes the task no easier of course. A heavy snow pack reduces the amount of light getting through the ice. Fishing for crappie during the early spring is generally done in shallow water, less than 8 feet deep, around docks, fallen trees or other woody structure along the shoreline. Typically, shallow water has more light, and the deeper you fish, the less light is available. If the water is not clear, do vertical … So the color change or tint (to black) is as a result of the change in season and water, and their preference for pink is as a result of the fact that they are sight feeders and may be experiencing a mood swing. The Rapala Jigging Rap is one of the best ice fishing lures for crappie and other fish on the market and has the profile of a minnow. “It’s what hides them from predators.” But his diving revealed it’s not foolproof, Toalson said. So, just in case, take along several dozen silver minnows, too. Don’t just … Conversely, if there is no snow on the ice, more light will be getting through. Hopefully with these suggestions you can come up with your own crappie fishing system on your own lake and feel confident you will catch them with a handful of colors in … During the winter months, crappie typically hold … So what color light is best for crappie fishing? Email . They’re still roaming around in roughly 25 feet of water, in the mud basin area. Although it may seem odd, the best colors in the low-light conditions of deep water are the dark colors. It is best to identify what kind of bug they are eating and select accordingly. Yet even the most seasoned crappie anglers can take more fish this winter if they learn the crappie color basics. Finding a color the crappie like for any given session drives me crazy…and I’m not sure there’s any reliable science to it, apart from the standard, natural colors in clear water, dark colors … If you are going to be fishing … Something that you may not realize for night ice fishing for crappie, colored light will attract them. One would think dark colored jigs should be used in clear waters and bright colored jigs should be used when the water is muddy or dingy and generally that axiom bears true, but not always. monitoring_string = "68ec033d54c4f3b1ca4aca7f4c1e01ca", Wingsuit Skydiver Andy Farrington Was Born to Fly, How to Take A Dual Sport Adventure With a Limited Budget, 6 Tips for High Water Spring Trout Fishing, How to Fish for Trout in the High Sierras, 3 Things to Remember Fighting Big Bass to the Boat. We are still bottoming out augers with a good amount of half-melted snow on top. I suppose in the final analysis it is the fish themselves that ultimately decide which jig color is the most preferred, but anglers still stick to their favorites season after season. The mood swing is why it seems crappie likes some colors like pink, over others. Modified date: February 2, 2021. He begins, “Water color has a big influence. Spring is one of the very best times of the year to target crappie. Be Patient. Best Plastic Tube: Strike King Mr. Crappie. sizes and colors, and glow-in-the-dark options. Green also doesn’t have as much glare to it as some of the other colors. Crappie vertical jigging is basically the same technique, only you are in a boat and not out on the ice. The long tube shape of this lure allows it to rock from side to side creating a natural action. Black, brown, purple, green and yellow will work well, but the color that is the most visible is blue. A nice thing about crappie is that when you find one you usually find a bunch, especially at this time of year. This tube jigs set comes with … In this depth range, brighter colors become more of a factor. You might also want to think about using a soft material, so it wiggles as it moves through the … Best Ice Fishing Reels for Crappie [2021 Buying Guide] By. If you want to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, please submit the form below. While each angler may have their … This means that white jigs will reflect the most light, so they are highly effective in this depth range. When crappie fishing with lights, the trick is to be patient. Jigging for Crappie Ice Fishing. Crappies are a favorite for many anglers when it comes to ice fishing because they are prevalent and fairly easy to catch throughout the winter season. At this depth, light colors reflect light fairly well, and the lighter the color, the more light it will reflect. Ice Fishing for Crappie: Tips & Tactics January 12, 2016 By Mike Bleech With due respect for all ice fishers who think they know how to find crappie under the ice, a huge majority of ice fishermen just go where other ice fishers go. Rip-rap or rocky structures can also be good places to look. In fact good numbers of crappie can be caught even on days when the water is very dark and churned up from the spring rains and winds. Winter crappie locations might be a flooded brush pile or submerged tree along a channel edge. You might also be able to get great results by using smaller baits, which resemble the foods that they tend to eat. As you fish deeper, in say 10-15 feet of water, the light is reduced significantly and you will lose the contrast factor with the light filtering in through the ice. Buy on Amazon Buy on … That super bright florescent yellow-green jig color seems to work regardless of water clarity. Ice Fishing for Crappie: Bait Color Selection. Pinterest. ReddIt. And of course, if you are fishing at night, there is no light getting through, so the deep water colors will be your best choice at any depth. Try a blue jig body with a contrasting head in yellow or green. Colors that give off a glow effect: Green; Orange; Blue; Yellow etc. White lights are sometimes used in conjunction with green or blue to intensify the effect. Buy a few of these to test out. In general, the natural colors work best in clear, shallow water, while bright colors, chrome, and glow colors work best at the deeper depths and low light times. Often crappie hunters will go through a boatload of jig colors before they find a winner. Watermelon is a great color too that will catch fish. Black, brown, purple, green and yellow will work well, but the color that is the most visible is blue. There are several types of jigs that can work, but small ones made from tungsten seem to work the best. When this is the case, it’s best … Garmin 93sv Ice Fishing Bundle; FOR MORE INFO on Garmin LiveScope Ice Fishing Bundle; Rapala Jigging Rap, size #3; Rapala Ultra Light Rippin' Rap; Sufix 832 Ice Braid, 6lb Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon, 4lb *See remaining products at the bottom. It all depends on a few factors of what colors of ice fishing crappie jigs to use. Estimated Price: $15. Well that certainly makes sense, but lake waters are not always crystal clear and yet fish are caught regardless of the dinginess of the water. In this situation a dark jig, tipped with a bright color will be especially effective. The first thing to remember about color is that it is highly affected by light. Make sure to carry wide range of colors of both jig heads and bodies, so you can experiment with color combinations. Spring is officially here, which means things will be changing quickly if you love ice fishing crappies. Facebook. Seasoned anglers will tell you that all else being equal, fish can see better in clear water. Twitter. Red and chartreuse and yellow with black work well. Crappies have exceptional sight, so color is especially important when it comes to the baits they will pursue. Light-wire hooks are a good option, as it won’t bend or free up if snagged, plus are more noticeable among crappie; There are also different hook colors to choose from, and for crappie, a gold, red, or bronze color works best. Regardless of the … This is true even when they lack good cover, provided you’re fishing … Dark jigs in black or brown will be easy to see against the light filtering through the ice. I had a chance to get out and finally start ice fishing crappie the other day. However, generally speaking green and blue lights are the two most effective nighttime fishing colors. Vertical Jig: Perfect crappie ice fishing jigs. As these soft plastic designs became more popular, ice anglers demanded even larger profiles like the Maxi Maki and the Minni XL. The magnitude and range of crappie jig colors can certainly be a little unsettling and confusing especially to the neophyte angler going after white perch or crappie for the first time. Viewing row after row of crappie jigs in varying sizes and colors is daunting. You will have to adjust your depth range a bit, depending on these factors. White is very visible in cloudy waters and in water that is choppy and confused due to wind on the surface of the lake or pond. But in this shallow water, the crappies will also be able to see bright colors like pink or orange. Crappie do have a fussy side when it comes to lure colors. Finally, seasoned crappie angler and guide Steve Coleman from the B’N’M crappie poles company pro team told me once that no color of jig beats a live minnow. Crappie are color-oriented fish. Choosing the colors of the jigs and spoons you plan on using should be determined by the body of water you intend on fishing. ==> The colors of the jig is even more important than the size. Crappie Buster Tube Jigs. Chief among those is the clarity of the fishing waters the day you decide to cast forth, as it were. Not only does shallow water and dark colors make catching them this time of year unique; it also allows shore stuck anglers a chance at nonstop action. Curly-Tail Jig: I love fishing for crappie with a curly-tail grub when it is bluebird skies but they can also shine under overcast conditions too. There are endless two-color jigs with the lead head as one color like red, black, white, yellow or orange with the “feather” skirts another contrasting color. Lateral viewing sonar technologies like Garmin Panoptix have advanced … Understanding colors and how crappies see them at different depths will significantly improve your success this winter. They will be highly visible to the crappies and are more likely to draw them in. Color Of The Water. If you are struggling to get bites, try using the YZD crappie jig. It also has a single hook on each end with a treble hook hanging from the middle. What about combination colors? White is another favorite color choice among crappie fans. It’s best to try to use lures that use that glow in the dark. Your best bet is multiple trips that allow you to track changes in water temperatures, such that you don’t hit before the front end, or after the spawn. Try jigs in orange, chartreuse, yellow and white. For every lake or river system, certain colors or color combinations will out-produce all others, so knowing this early can make your days fishing much more interesting. I’ve dedicated an entire post to … As a collaboration of pro angler Wally … When fishing for crappie, you always want to have different lure varieties, so this package includes 12 jigs with 3 color options. If you are looking for simple, shallow water fishing – this is it. Having said all that, what are the most-favored crappie jig colors? To catch crappies with color, you need to imagine what the fish are seeing. … Green is the best color, but clear works just as well. If this sounds like you are ice fishing, then you are right. It’s all part of the big game of the fishing challenge. 1. I like the Strike King Slab Slanger in Hot Chicken or Refrigerator White or the Jenko Paddle Fry in Watcha Mocallit, Blue Moon and Pink Ghost. Regarding location, when warm water is scarcer in the early season, those shorelines that are even a few degrees warmer can be full of fish. Other colors work well, but maybe not quite as well. Many crappie ice fishing jigs are made of tungsten, a metal that is denser and heavier than lead, which means you can have … Home Product Reviews Best Ice Fishing Reels for Crappie . Other colors work well, but maybe not quite as well. Chum Charlie. 4. The neon colors will no longer be visible to the crappies. Natural lakes might have weed and reed patterns. Other colors work, but do not penetrate the darker water as well as green. Think about the first 10 feet of water below the ice. You can choose between different combinations of white, orange, rose, yellow, purple, and green. The neon colors will no longer be visible to the crappies. If your fishing in dark/murky water then you would want to go with bright colors. Invest in a long-shank hook to get the hook out of the crappie’s mouth. My favorite colors for these conditions is dark green, chartreuse, white, and black. Always have pure white, full yellow, and black jigs too, when water is super-clear. That super bright florescent yellow-green jig color seems to work regardless of water clarity. So, what are the best ice fishing lures for crappie? To answer this, let’s first revisit how fishing lights work. Always have pure white, full yellow, and black jigs too, when water is super-clear. As you take light and color into consideration, you must also factor in the conditions above the ice. Although it may seem odd, the best colors in the low-light conditions of deep water are the dark colors. Now here is a topic sure to generate some debate on the boat dock or around the rows of jigs hanging at the local bait shop. And there are other angling factors to consider as well. My color … First, foremost, and forever you must always maintain a good supply of chartreuse crappie jigs. Yeah, I am afraid it does. It’s true that baitfish are colored in ways meant to keep them alive. Best Plastic Tube: Strike King Mr. Crappie Thunder Bait. First, foremost, and forever you must always maintain a good supply of chartreuse crappie jigs. It has the most light during the daytime hours. Try a blue jig body with a contrasting head in yellow or green. Go big or go home empty handed. Asking an angler who has spent countless hours studying aquatic insects and 30 years perfecting color selection, and the answer he’ll give for color selection is lengthy. WhatsApp. “The color of a minnow, for the most part, is supposed to be camouflage,” said Darl Black, a crappie fishing guide from northwestern Pennsylvania. Rapala Ultra Light Rippin’ Rap.