Bro also nods his head to the new Tungsten Crappie King’s head shape.
“Northland spent a lot of time getting just the right jig head shape. While it does have a vertical line-tie, the flatter head tips a bit when you work it—plus you get the big red eye—which make crappies bite.”
“Fishing plastics is great for crappies on the feed, but if I think live bait is the ticket in the spring. I’ll dorsal- or nose-hook a crappie minnow. Or a couple waxies are deadly—one threaded up the hook shank and another flopping off the back—for light-biting crappies and big bluegills.”
Technique-wise, Bro says he generally pitches the jig without a bobber, but also uses a slip or fixed float at times.
“As crappies start moving from deeper water toward weededges and flats, standing vegetation, etc.—and then in and out depth-wise depending on weather—and then into shallow, spawning areas—the Tungsten Crappie King works, whether you’re using electronics or not.”
Transitionally, Bro adds that crappies will move into hard-bottom bulrush and pencil weed beds when water temps reach the upper ‘50s, and he likes the Tungsten Flat Fry Jig under a slip float, no weight, no swivel. “The ‘rushes up north are often tangled with canary grass, brush, maiden cane, etc., so I want to avoid snags. The tungsten jig itself is enough to make a slip float system work great without any additional hardware.”
Bro concludes: “If I’m going out with clients and they want to keep a few fish for the frying pan, it’s a no-brainer. The Tungsten Crappie King is exactly what we’re fishing to get the job done.”
