Bonefish Flies For Crappie?

[Pup]

I've inherited quite a collection of bonefish flies that include many Crazy Charlie and Gotcha patterns with some variations. I have several other patterns left to ID as well.

Has anyone here fished those two particular patterns for crappie? They seem very similar to Crappie Candy. Most are tied with bead chain eyes, though a few have dumbbell eyes instead.

I'm intrigued by their looks and might pattern jig versions for crappie and/or bass. Would likely be using lots of flash, V-Rib, and Rexlace I think. Have to do a bit more reading about the materials necessary to tie them with.

Just curious...

 

[Fatman]

take a pattern listing and just downsize it. and the crazy charlie looks like crappie candy baits, whether hook up or down.

Have some wet and dry fly patterns that i've tied on jigs and they work well

 

[joe]

Technically, no...I haven't fished those two patterns for crappie. I have, however, caught some tonnage of slabs on streamers which are quite reminiscent of the two patterns mentioned.

Really, I prefer hook-up orientations to all crappie flies and beadchain or dumbbell eyes are a typical go-to for me there. Love the idea under an indicator and despite what some say about horizontal hang of jigs, I like the 45 degree-ish angle the eyes provide. The hook-up simply hooks crappies better and more consistently than downriding or random orientation.

These ideas also make for great "chop and strip" presentations in the last hour of daylight when big slabs move up for a feed. I like to false cast (dropped) and chop the surface a good bit first, then lay out and ripstrip a streamer through the recently disturbed surface. Seems to get them looking up by slopping the surface with the flyline, kinda like priming them for a snack. Looks ridiculous, results can be amazing. Bead chain rules to this, it's just heavy enough to get a dip in the strips and light enough to really hang high on snappy retrieves.

(I stole this from an old cane pole technique I read about long ago, it works well with flyline over large areas quite well.)

 

[Pup]

Really, I prefer hook-up orientations to all crappie flies and beadchain or dumbbell eyes are a typical go-to for me there. Love the idea under an indicator and despite what some say about horizontal hang of jigs, I like the 45 degree-ish angle the eyes provide. The hook-up simply hooks crappies better and more consistently than downriding or random orientation.

These ideas also make for great "chop and strip" presentations in the last hour of daylight when big slabs move up for a feed. I like to false cast (dropped) and chop the surface a good bit first, then lay out and ripstrip a streamer through the recently disturbed surface. Seems to get them looking up by slopping the surface with the flyline, kinda like priming them for a snack. Looks ridiculous, results can be amazing. Bead chain rules to this, it's just heavy enough to get a dip in the strips and light enough to really hang high on snappy retrieves.

(I stole this from an old cane pole technique I read about long ago, it works well with flyline over large areas quite well.)

Interesting post. Thank you.

I've read several posts from other forums which mention fly fishing at dusk. Seems extremely interesting to me and will be passed along to others. I like trying out new-to-me techniques.

Have many of these bonefish flies in different sizes to try out. They sure look like they'd be deadly for crappie.

 

[hookup]

I've noticed that its the manufacture (or tier) that names his jig for a particular fish.

Fish don't care .... get them wet & post some pix of the slabs

 

[joe]

I've read several posts from other forums which mention fly fishing at dusk.

Yeah, it's one of those "windows of activity" in my local gravel pits. Really, if you can find the slabs the flyrod will take 'em all day long given the offering is presented at the right depth. Flytackle can kind limit things there, but the bonefish tie is a killer most of the time. Dusk just brings the crappie up higher and more attentive to the evening bug hatches, thus we capitalize.

Take an objective look at how clean the path-to-point is on a bonefish fly versus a regular jig and you'll understand my fondness for the straight shank/eye flies (Clousers, too). We can downsize wonderfully without concern for too small or short a hook for it is a clear path along the top of the fly. Nothin' in the way on a hookset, most fish hook themselves well with such designs.

Such designs when heavier rock on the far and deep extremes of slip bobber techniques with spinning tackle, one need only reel and your in the lip.

Good chassis style to tie various patterns on, IME.

 

[Pup]

Interesting points you've made, Joe. :icon14: