Crappie feeding habit change frequent; however, the feeding habits of crappie depend on how well a jig match what the crappie can see. Crappie is attracted to certain colors and, at the same time, will repel from others. The color of the crappie bait is especially important when the water clarity or the light level change.
Understanding how the colors of the crappie bait work in specific environment will allow anglers to choose the correct color of crappie bait to increase there chance of catching crappie. Chartreuse colors is proven to be successful in catching crappie. This color remains visible to crappie even in stained water.
Best Colors to Catch Crappie
Use white colors when the water is clear because crappie naturaly target shad, which present themselves in the clear water with a white bodies. Pink colors are successful when crappie are spawning. Crappie will exhibit aggressive behavior when exposed to pink.
Orange and red colors work best in combination with a chartreuse jig head. Black color work best for night time fishing or when using dock lights. Use blue or watermelon seed color when the water is especially clean because crappie will mimic these colors.
The clarity of the water will determine what color crappie can see. For clear water, use colors like watermelon seed and white to avoid startling the crappie. For stained water, use colors like chartreuse, orange, and pink for contrast against the stained water.
For muddy water conditions, use bright colors of chartreuse, orange, and pink to ensure visibility against muddy water. Use black colors when using muddy water because crappie will use silhouette when water conditions are muddy. The light level in the water will show what colors will work best for crappie fishing.
Use natural colors when sunlight is present to allow crappie to easily see the bait. For overcast skies, use bright colors like chartreuse and pink for contrast. At dawn or dusk when warm lights are present use orange and red colors because these color will glow in warm lights.
At night use black or dark purple for visibility under the light source. The spawning season will influence the color that crappie will prefer. For spring months when crappie are very active and spawning, use pink and chartreuse colors to encourage aggressive crappie strikes.
In the summer months, crappie will move to deep water near structure so use white and blue colors to mimic the shad they eat in deeper waters. Fall is the time of year for feeding frenzies so use orange and red colors to attract the crappie. In the winter months when crappie are not as aggressive, use small jigs with subtle colors that will be easier for the less aggressive crappie to inspect.
The depth of the water will affect what colors crappie will see. In shallow water almost any color will work because the light reflect well. In the shallower waters pink and orange colors will work best.
In mid-depth water use chartreuse and white colors because there is less light at these depths. For deep water use black, green or neon chartreuse color. For depths beyond 100 feet use black or white colors for best results.
A jig can be constructed in a variety of ways. A jig head and jig body can be of any color but ensure that the contrast between the two colors will work to attract crappie. Use a chartreuse jig head and pink jig body to work well in stained water yet also exhibit spawning behaviors.
A red jig head with a chartreuse jig body will also exhibit contrast colors to crappie. Black jig heads with black jig bodies will exhibit silhouettes that will work well at night. The size and color of the jig work hand in hand.
Use heavier jigs if you are fishing deeper water yet ensure the colors is visible to crappie. For shallow and cold waters use lighter jigs so that less aggressive crappie can see the colors. Carry a variety of sizes and colors to accommodate for different condition.
If crappie are not biting, change one variable at a time until crappie begin to bite. You should of brought alot of different colors. Its important to recieve results.
Dont forget your equipment.