newb question

[Thinkingredneck]

I stumbled across this website this week and joined.  Very good site with a lot of good information and collegial environment. I have been a fly fisherman primarily until moving back to the deep south.  I want to learn to catch crappie with jigs.  So my question is, how do you decide whether to use a marabou jib, or a kiptail jig, or platics, or what?  I understand that color preferences can change through the day.  I understand that you want your jig a little above the fish.  But I cannot find anything like "under such and such condition, start with marabou."  Are there general guidelines, or is it advised to just try something and see what works?

 

[AtticaFish]

I have general 'rules' i try to stick to, but am often proven wrong by catching fish on the last thing i think of and find my theories are just that............. theories. I mainly stick with slower and not so fluid materials during colder months. Kip tail, raccoon and buck tail are some stiffer materials that i get a lot of use out of during the winter. As it warms up, jigs with faster material tails like marabou, hackle, craft hair and rabbit zonkers tend to get tied on more often. Same with general profile size of jigs..... smaller in winter and bigger as summer heats up.

BUT - a simple sparse tied kip tail jig will catch crappie, bluegill, bass and even the occasional walleye in every season. They are the most frequent i tie on of all the different types i make.

 

[Pup]

For crappie, the best advice I could give is to keep it small and think 'like a minnow'. Craft fur works excellently for minnow-imitating jigs whenever and wherever crappie are found.

 

[Thinkingredneck]

Thanks, that makes sense.