crankbaits?

[fastribs85]

hey guys saw an article the other day about useing crankbaits for crappie. has anyone ever done this before and any suggestions.

[pondpro]

i tried it, i rather stick with jigs or blade dancers.

[fastribs85]

blade dancers? same as spinners

[pondpro]

blade dancers? same as spinners

there made by berkley
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=57973&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=8&hvarSubCode=3&hvarTarget=browse

[Lobo]

I did pretty good last summer with Beetle Spins. They seem to like black, white or chartuese.

[devil-man]

has anyone ever done this before and any suggestions.

I think you would need some really small cranks! I do have a couple that might work, and I'll definitely try them this spring. Sometimes it seems they will hit anything if they're in the mood.
I have always used small jigs and a slip-bobber.

[pinche]

I have tried it a few times just after ice out last year and had better sucess w a pinkie and a shiner.

[fishinboy]

I have tried using tiny crankbaits for panfish before and managed to catch some bluegills on them.  The only time I have ever caught a crappie on a crankbait was while casting an orange and gold hot' n' tot' for bass and pike.  I'm not sure what the crappie was thinking; the lure was about 1/3 of his body length.. ??  On the same day, I had a perch hit on the same lure.  Maybe the fish were just really active that day.

[bassjunky]

I love crankbaits for crappies.....I have  that I switch back and forth using.

1) Norman Crappie Cranks
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=15605&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

2) Rebel BumbleBug...RED
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=39957&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

3) Rebel CrickHopper...Green
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=2958&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

Sorry for all the BPS links but it was the only place I could find pics to show. I used them constantly last season with success. I also caught some nice bonus bass on them while crappie fishing.

[YR bender]

I have had success catching larger crappies on small #5 shad raps over sunken trees on a small pond. They busted it like bass. It was a blast.  Most of the time it is jigs of various types and colors either by themselves or under a bobber.

[rich81]

just watched a 10-12 year old boy crush them last week on a crankbait . we were fihing worm and bobber and doing well also. looked like it was a bass crankbait his dad kept yelling "leave the crappie alone and go for bass"

[BlueDuck]

I have done well with the Rebel Minnow.   The smallest one.   Usually add one med. split shot 3' above the lure and troll it slow.   I usually target crappie with this lure, but you will catch just about anything with it.   Works good on trout and bass too.......

[Jimmy]

I bang up the big Crappie on my lake just after ice-out in the shallows with a small (3-4") jointed rapala...

Crappies swarm on minnows, and the Rapala is just a little bigger than the fatheads or dace they usually eat...  They loved 'em until about mid-May...

The Crappie have since dropped into their summer patterns and are considerably deeper now...

But little crankbaits were the ticket...  Outfished small jigs and flies 10-1...  It's just a short 'window' to utilize them, that's all...

[panfishman13]

crappie will most likely hit crankbaits while they are suspended feeding on baitfish, you can get some pretty big crappie on them, up to 16" in the right places. not only that but other fish will hit them as well, good way to make a mixed stringer all in all it's a pretty good way to get into the specks

(smaller crankbaits work best, yo zuri has a good selection)

[luv2fish24/7]

i use a 3 in. rapala at a small lake where i live and i hammer the crappie most of the time.. it even catches perch, gills, and bass