Any baits that look like crappy that you know of? I have learned that they are great this time of year on deep brush piles. 

Crappie is an under-utilized color pattern by anglers and lure companies. I wish more companies made them. I know a few dudes that get lures custom painted like crappie and do quite well with them. I'd look for a deep crank or deep diving jerkbait and get it custom painted. I got one of these guys a week or two ago but haven't used it yet. This one is a JDM lure by a company called Mibro. Spro makes a color called Cellmate, that's supposed to be like a crappie.

 

Still my favorite, but you can get by with most any splatterback-type pattern, or old “coach dog” I’d imagine.

 

Mike Bucca's Baby Bull Gill comes in a crappie pattern...I've had good luck with it.

berkley gilly comes in a realistic crappie pattern and looks great.  Haven't fished one though.

Savage Gear Pulse Tail

 

Dirty White Chatterbait is also a good option.

 

Honestly I think something like this is close enough

 

I'm thinking of making my own name for this bait. It's a terror

Get a shad colored crank or lipless bait, and dot the sides with waterproof marker.

Deps Cover Scat really looks like a "Crappy"

These SK Chick Magnets are looking good to me. 
Look at Jeckyll custom painted lures, pink crappie. Beautiful 

Jackall Gantarel

9 minutes ago, webertime said:

Jackall Gantarel

Or the Gantarel Jr...

This is based on neighborhood ponds and not lakes, but I've been having a lot of luck with a 1/8oz Owner flashy swimmer with a 3" Keitech swing impact in sight flash in the ponds around our new house that are loaded with white crappie. Tried spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and crankbaits before trying that setup and it's blown them all away in species and numbers caught. 

Any deep crank baits?

 

14 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

You can't do that to us....show us a lure and not tell us what it is....not cool, man. ☹️

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

You can't do that to us....show us a lure and not tell us what it is....not cool, man. ☹️

But then you'll look at how much it cost and like me even less ?

 

It's a KGB Crappie and it cost as much as a lot of rod and reel combos that we use. 

My all time favorite Rebel Deep Wee R was a crappie pattern . I doubt it was the color that made it so effective but the action .

My favorite is DJ swim jig crappie w/ a d walker in silver side.  Not a great pic of the lure, but it's in the right spot

 

scott

8 hours ago, scaleface said:

My all time favorite Rebel Deep Wee R was a crappie pattern . I doubt it was the color that made it so effective but the action .

I agree with you on that one. I had days with that color if you weren't catching anything you might as well go home. You weren't going to catch anything no matter what you tried.

10 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Getting out the fillet knife....that is soooo realistic?

2 minutes ago, WRB said:

that is soooo realistic?

At $190 each - it better look good.

Yep, $190 is extreme until you try to buy a wooden Black Dog slow sink today.

Nearly every big bass lake has a crappie population that those bass target.

The 9” length bothers me more then the price.

Tom

5 minutes ago, WRB said:

The 9” length bothers me more then the price.

Ya - I'll stick with my 3-3/4" Baby Bull...I've also got it in Bluegill...double whammy.

20 minutes ago, WRB said:

Yep, $190 is extreme until you try to buy a wooden Black Dog slow sink today.

Nearly every big bass lake has a crappie population that those bass target.

The 9” length bothers me more then the price.

Tom

Very interesting, and a topic I've tried to research in recent months.   I found a thread from years ago on Crappie as Bass prey but didn't glean a ton of info.   

 

I just discovered my homelake has a population of full sized Golden Shiners, to go along with copious threadfins, small and big gizzards, super abundant Crappie, and perhaps equally abundant Blue Gill.   Visible Crawfish are also easy to spot on the shorelines and in traps.  

 

Assume all that bait is present, what do you think the big Bass prefer from the lot?    I imagine there isn't a real answer, but there can be an opinion certainly.   

 

I almost started this thread a number of times.   I'd love to narrow down the bait type like some of you guys did during the heyday with 12" Rainbow Glides and such.....you knew that was the preferred meal for the WR class fish.     That said, in the back of my mind while hunting my White Whale....I think of you and all those monsters caught on a Crawfish imitator.  My fishing mentor swore the Jig N Pig was the definitive big Bass bait.    Then I learn about your incredible catches and the bait you used.    

 

I wonder if big Bass are smart enough to understand the mortality risk of eating a big Crappie or Bluegill vs. a narrower Trout, Shiner, or big Gizzard, as I've heard stories of big Bass dead floating with big Bluegills stuck in their throats.