Crappie crankbaits

[MrTom]

Crappie season is fast approaching so I stripped the last of the finish off the top two baits that are no longer available and then painted them and three blanks. The purple over pearl and chartreuse belly is a hot color combo here.

This spring has been so screwed up weather-wise. I was shore fishing in shirt sleeves three weeks ago and then we got a major dumping of white. Since the snow we've had a couple days in the 50's but the next day highs struggle to get out of the thirties. Today is shaping up nice but very windy. Yesterday was the pits so I stayed in the shop and got these puppies ready for when some heat comes in earnest. I'm ready and these baits are ready.

 

[LBAhunter]

MrTom,
You are a arteest!!!
Do you troll'em, cast'em,, or both? I would love to throw'em on 4 or 6lb line on my ul spinning rods around brushy boat docks or really anything!!!!

 

[snapbang]

Look good for trout or just about any other fish.

 

[LBAhunter]

I bet big ol' fat bass and crappie love'em!!!!

 

[MrTom]

MrTom,
You are a arteest!!!
Do you troll'em, cast'em,, or both? I would love to throw'em on 4 or 6lb line on my ul spinning rods around brushy boat docks or really anything!!!!

It depends on the time of year or season. I cast them if I am fishing immediate pre-spawn to actual spawning , but I try to not fish while crappies are on beds. They work real good on suspended crappies over deep water, fished behind a drop-shot weight and trolled slowly.

Pike love them.

 

[LBAhunter]

They are beautiful baits!!!!

 

[deermanok]

Those are cool looking. Bet they'll work good.

 

[ast472]

Those looks beautiful. Sounds like you're all set for crappie season!

 

[NWFwoodie]

Crappie season is fast approaching so I stripped the last of the finish off the top two baits that are no longer available and then painted them and three blanks. The purple over pearl and chartreuse belly is a hot color combo here.

This spring has been so screwed up weather-wise. I was shore fishing in shirt sleeves three weeks ago and then we got a major dumping of white. Since the snow we've had a couple days in the 50's but the next day highs struggle to get out of the thirties. Today is shaping up nice but very windy. Yesterday was the pits so I stayed in the shop and got these puppies ready for when some heat comes in earnest. I'm ready and these baits are ready.

Those look like mini wiggle warts. I’ve had good luck with the strike kings also.

 

[MrTom]

SStrike Kings are all too flat and narrow on their smaller cranks baits.

The Wiggle Warts are a 2" bait [body measurement without the bill] and have a longer, integral bill. The tail hook hanger has a different placement too. The bottom three baits bodies only in the picture are just a hair under 1-1/4" and are an Asian made blank. The Asian blanks have a ton more detail than the Warts too.

The top two are maybe closest to a Wart but are balsa and are from Yugoslavia. They're called Ugly Ducklings. They're probably 30 years old and needed a redo on the paint job.

 

[LBAhunter]

Crappie season is fast approaching so I stripped the last of the finish off the top two baits that are no longer available and then painted them and three blanks. The purple over pearl and chartreuse belly is a hot color combo here.

This spring has been so screwed up weather-wise. I was shore fishing in shirt sleeves three weeks ago and then we got a major dumping of white. Since the snow we've had a couple days in the 50's but the next day highs struggle to get out of the thirties. Today is shaping up nice but very windy. Yesterday was the pits so I stayed in the shop and got these puppies ready for when some heat comes in earnest. I'm ready and these baits are ready.

MrTom,
How much they weigh? How deep do they dive?

 

[MrTom]

LBAhunter

They weigh between 1/16 and 1/8 ounce and will dive to about 6 feet on real light line. They float when not being brought in or trolled. They're perfect for bedded crappies if the barbs on the hooks are turned down so the fish can be released without harm. I troll them behind a simple dropshot weight of about 1/4 ounce three feet ahead of the lure. The length from lure to weight can be adjusted easily using that type of weight without any cutting anywhere to adjust to depth/current needs. Trolling and retrieve need to be kept slow. With the shorter bill they'll roll if towed to fast.

I found a source for these about five years ago and bought 100 blanks. I'm down to about ten now and just found out the place I have gotten them from no longer exists... such is the case when dealing with Asian markets. I'm seeing some very similar blanks and will likely request some samples soon and if another blank will fit the bill, I'll be ordering another 100 but I'll have to wait and see what the samples yield. A similar, but somewhat larger, blank from a US source is running about $2.00 per blank. The three in the picture cost about .75 cents total. Including postage even. From the Orient. And were at my door in 9 days! The last time I ordered from the US source it took 11 days to get what I ordered and they shorted me.

I'll be ordering some nifty blanks very much like the Rapala Ultralight Rippin Raps. Already this spring and last fall we got on a bite using the Raps like I could not believe, but the pike seem to have an affliction for them too and at $8.00 a pop for one it's hard to enjoy jigging them. I can buy the blanks for less than a buck a pop so that'll take some of the sting out of losing them. They'll mostly be done in the same purple over pearl over chartreuse again as that color scheme is hot around here on all the waters we fish.

 

[ADV09]

Flicker shads and shad raps are my go to crappie crankbaits. They both come in a #4 and #5, which is my preferred crappie size.
They can be deadly when the crappie are shallower.

 

[bronko220002]

Nice. I used to love to go fishing. Before I moved to FL back in '99 I would go just about every weekend - mostly fly fishing for trout. After fishing the 4 years of living in FL fishing the ocean in my 18' center console, when I came back to PA, I lost interest. Almost all the fish I catch here I used to use as bait! I should just sell off my fishing gear but first I'll see what my grandson wants. I must have 30 rods and reels and not junky ones either including some high end fly rods and reels, spinning reels and bait casters for anything from crappie to king salmon.

 

[NWFwoodie]

Nice. I used to love to go fishing. Before I moved to FL back in '99 I would go just about every weekend - mostly fly fishing for trout. After fishing the 4 years of living in FL fishing the ocean in my 18' center console, when I came back to PA, I lost interest. Almost all the fish I catch here I used to use as bait! I should just sell off my fishing gear but first I'll see what my grandson wants. I must have 30 rods and reels and not junky ones either including some high end fly rods and reels, spinning reels and bait casters for anything from crappie to king salmon.

We are spoiled on the fishing here.

 

[bronko220002]

We are spoiled on the fishing here.

My mom loved to fish. When she came down to visit me I took her out. After catching some bait on sabiki rigs and putting them in the live well we were heading out to a sunken ship when I saw gulls swarming and diving in an area and as I got closer the water was boiling. I cut the engine and drifted withing casting distance. I put a pilchard on a hook and tossed into the swarm. Within seconds I had a strike. I gave the rod to my mom to reel it in. after about 15 mins she gave up and handed me the rod. I reeled in about a 15 lb bonita. Boated it and rebaited and cast back out. Bang, another on. Again gave to my mom with the same result.
After boating that one I said to her "enough of this. Let's go out and catch some big fish!" The look on her face was priceless.
My wife loved king fish. I caught several monsters the locals called smokers. I would slice them into 1" thick steaks and grill them and we both thought they were great.

 

[Ron Huff]

My go to crappie crankbait color was Royal Shad very similar to your color. Unfortunately, Bandit dropped the color several years ago. Bandit 200 and 300 sizes I use a lot. They used to have a tiny 1100 size that really worked well but also discontinued.