Over the years, I have noticed the majority of the crappies I’ve caught exceeding two pounds have fallen for just a handful of lures. In no particular order, these are my top producers of large crappies. They are not lures that will fill a cooler every day, but they are lures that will fill your memories with images of monster crappies.
1. Thin minnow plugs – Rapalas, Rogues, Rebels, etc. We are talking bass size now – not the size that you would usually consider panfish bait. Select models in the 4 1/2 to 5 inch range. Vary your retrieves. Sometimes slow and steady is all it takes. Other times a twitching retrieve gets more strikes. This kind of bait can also be trolled with great success.
2. Soft jerkbaits – Hawg Shads, Bass Assassins, even stick worms can fit in this category. Texas rig them without weight. Use a slow, stop and go twitch retrieve to appeal to a crappie’s fondness for weak and dying minnows. The dart and glide action of a weightless soft plastic mimics this perfectly. And again, we are talking about bass size baits around the 5 inch mark.
4. Bunny Leech pike fly – This is the one that started the wheels turning. Many years ago while pursuing pike and bass with the long rod, quality crappies started appearing among my catches. The undulating rabbit strip, and stop and go action are irresistable to big crappies. Now, I’m not suggesting you take up flyfishing just to use this lure/fly. I am suggesting that if you are already a flyrodder, try a 5 to 6 inch rabbit strip leech on your favorite crappie lake. You will be pleased with the results.
What do all of these lures have in common? Size and shape is the most obvious. Consider lures with a 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 inch length along with a narrow profile. Although they dwarf typical crappie lures, we are not looking for typical crappies. We are targeting the biggest in the lake.
