Page 7 - Crappie NOW - July 2017

SHALLOW-WATER CRAPPIES UP NORTH

In terms of a spinnerbait, you might which are in a more aggressive mood,
be surprised just how big a spinnerbait I don’t take a lot of time to really fine-
that a crappie will hit. One day I caught tune colors. For clear water, I like normal
four oversized Shenango Lake crappies minnow/shad colors, along with smoke
on a 3/8-ounce double willow while fish- and clear sparkle. For slightly stained
ing for bass. However, when actually tar- to somewhat dingy water, I rely more on
geting crappies with a spinnerbait, I in- baits with a watermelon, reddish, blueish
tentionally downsize. Booyah offers a or white main body and a chartreuse tail.
3/16-ounce willow-leaf spinnerbait which If the grub does not have a chartreuse
works well; I remove the skirt and place a tail, I use Spike It dye to create one.
shad body on it. For post heavy rainstorm conditions
You can make miniature spinner- when water is downright coffee-with-dou-
baits with a jig and a safety-pin overhead ble cream muddy, I prefer to stay home. If
spinner, creating a lure similar to a Bee- I must fish, then I stick with all black or all
tle Spin – except I use an action-tail grub white tail dyed orange – and hope for the
body on it instead of the Beetle. This past best!
winter, a tackle-crafting buddy made sev-
eral crappie-size spinnerbaits for me to Now it’s time to Go Fish!
try. I am looking forward to giving them a
work out.
Because I am searching for crappies - Darl Black

7 Crappie NOW July 2017