Page 10 - Crappie NOW - February 2019
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TIPS FOR ICING CRAPPIES
or 1/32-ounce jighead. Now your skill
with reading the flasher comes into play Choosing the right bait for the mood of the
as you must first attract and then tease crappie. A simple selection of tubes is good
a crappie to commit to the jig with some for finessing a crappie to hit.
fancy up and down moves. Color choice
also comes into play when finessing the
reluctant biters typically starting with presentation is critical according to
minnow-like colors if water is clear and Lefebre. He ties a keeper knot on the line
bolder colors if water is dingy. tie of each lure and jighead to prevent the
Line main line knot from sliding forward on the
bait, resulting in a nose up posture. During
“I do not use braided line when ice down time at home, he ties the keeper
fishing; not even as backing on reels,” knot on the line-tie of each bait and clips
stresses Lefebre. “Instead, I employ it close to the knot. Then he then adds a
fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon is the perfect small drop of glue to hold it in place.
ice fishing line for panfish. I’ll have 2-pound
test on the rods rigged with the flashy Rod & Reel
weighted jigging baits like the Jigging Rap “Perhaps the biggest mistake I observe
and Slab Rap. Then for feeding tubes to on the ice among anglers targeting
non-aggressive crappies, I drop down to crappies is their rods are too stiff. They
1-pound test.” may think their rod is soft, but in most
Keeping baits horizontal during cases it’s not soft enough. It’s easy to
10 Crappie NOW February 2019
