Snag Less, Catch More: Lure of the Month is the Brushoff Jig
by Terry Madewell
I heard it first as a youngster from my crappie fishing mentor: “If you aren’t hanging up occasionally, you’re not fishing in the right places for crappie.”
While his sage advice rang true based on our experiences, I didn’t like snagging my lures then, and I still don’t.
Warm weather means crappie often orient to features that tend to snag crappie lures. So, I’m always looking for lures that can go into the snaggy recesses of tight, thick cover but also work through it to elicit a strike from a slab.
A lot of emphasis is placed on the grub body, the visual stimulus that attracts a crappie to eat a lure, and it’s crucial to success.
However, the vehicle carrying this precious load is essential. When fishing snaggy over, any jig can be cast deep into cover, but many don’t return.
However, I’ve found one that has an excellent track record for always coming back to the boat, and it’s often hooked in the mouth of a slab crappie.
The Sept. 2025 CrappieNOW Lure of the month is the Bobby Garland Lures Brushoff Jig.
Multiple features of the Brushoff jig make it unique and adaptable to many crappie fishing situations.
Skylar St. Yves, brand manager at PRADCO Fishing for Bobby Garland Lures, said the first key is that the hook is very sharp and strong.
“We use a nickel hook that we tested in many situations to hook fish when working around heavy cover,” St. Yves said. “Even though the number 4 hook size is relatively small, it’s so strong that the hook holds big fish, plus we found it retains that holding power all the way to landing the fish. Few fish were lost at the boat, regardless of where the fish was hooked.
“Also, the twin guards are stainless steel, not titanium,” he said. “Titanium guards used on many variations of hook guards don’t tend to stay in position, plus they are large and heavy, actually reducing effective hooksets.”
St. Ives said the Brushoff guards can be adapted to specific fishing conditions and moved to different angles for targeting specific fish, or even trimmed to be smaller, as needed.
“Adapting the lure’s size, such as pinching pieces of a grub off, is common when working out crappie patterns, and the same philosophy applies to the jighead and the guard,” he said. “Anglers can move it into different positions or trim it to catch more fish.”
Just as the size of the grub body is essential, so is the size of the jighead. The Brushoff is available in 1/16-, 1/30-, and 1/50-ounce sizes, but during the warm weather, the two smaller versions dominate catches in many areas, St. Yves said.
“Our testing shows that smaller baits seem to produce better results during warm weather, into the fall,” he said. “The 1/30th and 1/50th ounce heads are the most popular with our guides and tournament pros at this time of the year. Also, a smaller jighead pairs well with smaller grubs.”
St. Yves said Bobby Garland Pro Staff team members tell him the jighead pairs well with Forward Facing Sonar (FFS). Some anglers peg a weight about a foot above the lure to help the lure sink quicker, but a slow, specific presentation with a small lure is often more successful.
“The key to seeing the lure on the screen is not in the size of the jighead; it’s ensuring your unit is set properly,” he said.
The Brushoff can be rigged for most crappie fishing scenarios, including vertical fishing, cast-and-retrieve, dock shooting, fishing under a float, longlining, and spider rigging.
Regardless of the technique, getting your lure in and around thick cover is often the key to success. The Brushoff jigs can not only go into deep cover, but they’re also reliable about coming back.
And personally, I’ve preferred it that way since I was a youngster.
Terry Madewell of Ridgeway, S.C., has been an outdoor communicator for nearly 50 years. He holds a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Management and has a long career as a professional wildlife biologist/natural resources manager. He’s passionate about sharing outdoor adventures with others.
