Maximize Your Crappie Jigs

by AmateurMasterAngler in Outside > Fishing

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Maximize Your Crappie Jigs

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Disclaimer: I did not come up with this idea and deserve no credit. I'm just doing my best to pass it on.

Why bother going to the trouble to modify your crappie jigs this way? Every crappie fisherman knows that eventually your plastic will get mangled and will start sliding down to the bend of the hook. This technique stops that, providing a few benefits. It'll make a single crappie jig last well over 50 fish -- in my experience -- without the plastic no longer holding true to the jig head. That means less frustration on wasted casts, more time with your line in the water, and less money and tackle space spent on plastics. It also allows you to skip lures under docks and tree limbs with the confidence that your plastic won't move.

Supplies

1. Jig of choice (featured: Bass Pro Shops 1/16oz round jig head )

2. Soft plastic of choice (featured: Bobby Garland Baby Shad, Patriot)

3. Super glue

4. Dental floss

5. Pliers with wire cutters

Remove Bait-keeper If Possible

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If your jig had a lead bait-keeper, it will need to be removed. Begin by gently cutting through the lead down to the wire just behind the ball of the jig head. Then twist the keeper so it comes free. Squeeze off chunks of the bait keeper with the tip of the pliers until it's all removed.

Note: a wire bait-keeper does not need to be removed, and actually will make this technique work better.

Wrap With Floss

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Beginning partway down the shank of the hook, begin tightly wrapping the floss up to the head and then back down. Secure with a square knot and trim the tags. This will give the super glue something to hold on to.

Rig With Your Soft Plastic of Choice

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Rig the the plastic straight as you normally would. Then, back the plastic toward the bend of the hook, run a bead of super glue down the floss wrap, and slide the plastic back forward.

A Comparison of Weights

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An unmodified 1/16oz jig head rigged with a Bobby Garland Baby Shad weighs 43.1 grains in a powder scale. A 1/16oz jig head modified as described and rigged with a Bobby Garland Baby Shad weighs 42.5 grains in the same scale. That's a weight retention of 98.6%, so removing the bait-keeper should have negligible impact on the lures performance in casting and in the water.