All the Tackle You Need…in the Palm of One Hand

If you are an experienced fisherman, you don’t need this advice. Stay with what works for you and enjoy your time on the water. 

For the rest of you, listen up. We have had great results here in the upper Midwest with a very limited amount of gear. We regularly pass over hundreds of dollars worth of tackle in our boxes for these proven lures: jigs in three colors, tails in four.

Like most fishermen, we vary our presentation based on time of year, water and air temperature, weed growth, and water clarity. 

In April our first crappies fishing starts with slip bobbers. Cold water fish like to study the bait...a small minnow.

In May, we slow fish a jig tipped with a minnow. Most of the lakes we fish are clear to tea colored. In these waters our favorite combination is white jig with a purple creme tube jig. 

In June, as the water warms, we fish minnow-free. The crappies tear up the tubes, so always have plenty on hand.

Size of the jig seems more important than the color. We use the smallest size jig possible for the wind and casting conditions. Crappies sometimes wait for the jig to rest on the bottom, but more active fish will chase down a slowing falling jig. The slower the fall the better.

White jigs and purple tails work well most of the time. Chartreuse sometimes work better if the water is on the murky side. Black jig heads can boost the bite on sunny days. Bass are particularly fond of the black jigs and rusty tails.

It is amazing how many big bass, northern pike and even Muskies we've landed on jigs as small as 1/32 oz. while crappie fishing.

We always maintain a good supply of white, black and chartreuse jigs in sizes 1/32 to 1/4 oz. When you discover what the fish are hitting on, you don't want to run out.