Product Buzz
by Tim Huffman
Mini-Planer Board – Off Shore Tackle
Planer boards serve several purposes when trolling for crappie. Their most important advantage is to get baits away from the boat. CrappieNOW Publisher and Off Shore Tackle Pro Staffer Dan Dannenmueller says, “The boards catch a lot more fish than you’ll catch trolling straight behind the boat. We use them to pull crankbaits and jigs. You reach crappie that are not spooked by the boat, and you’ll have a wide area of coverage along your trolling path. I like using the Mini for trolling jigs, and for the inside boards with my crankbaits.” TheOR38 Mini Planer Board is reversible (left or right side) and specially designed for crappie. It comes with all the needed hardware, an easy-to-see yellow, and a design that allows light line and rods to be used. MSRP $25.77 each
Mr. Crappie Sausage Head Jig – Strike King
Mr. Crappie, Wally Marshall, has designed many good jigs. One of his best is the Sausage Head Jig Head. He says the head will help you catch more fish because it swims in perfect balance whether it’s casted or vertically jigged. The jig comes rigged with a Crappie Thunder with tail tentacles that wave and dart. The extra-wide jig face of the jig head prevents the bait from rolling over in the fish’s mouth, enabling a perfect hookset every time. It comes with an Eagle Claw light wire platinum black hook. 1/16 or 1/8-oz. A 3-pack pre-rigged jigs, MSRP $3.99
Dip-N-Glo, Chartreuse, Gamefish – Spike-It
All crappie fishermen enjoy different color jigs. It’s part of the fun of fishing and a way to give yourself an upper hand on the fish. Spike-It makes it easy with Dip-N-Glo, Soft Plastic Lure Dye. Unscrew the lid, dip the bait and it becomes whatever color you’ve chosen, including the popular crappie color chartreuse. Soft plastic lures are permanently dyed, and it dries instantly. It is scented in one of several different scents including Gamefish and Garlic. Don’t miss the fun of quickly dying your plastic jigs to a different color and in your favorite scent. 2-oz bottle, MSRP $7.33
Team Crappie Cam-Action Hooks – TTI-Blakemore
Crappie hooks are like Rodney Dangerfield. They get no respect. They are used, abused, and ignored. They are hung up in the brush, bent, re-shaped, hung again, and so on. But make no mistake, these little tools can be a minnow fisherman’s best friend or worse enemy. So why not fish with a quality hook? Team Crappie cam-action hooks will help you catch more fish because the cam action puts the point of the hook into the fish’s lip a higher percentage of the time when compared to regular hooks. Try these hooks in code red, gold or blue/black. Sizes range from an 8 to 1/0. Qty 18 per bag for 8 thru 1; 16 per bag for 1/0, MSRP $4.50.
