
Spring is here. Finally. The water is warming up, and crappies are on the move, preparing for their annual spawn.
If you’ve been fishing crappies for any length of time, it’s likely that you’ll turn to a float and live bait, such as crappie minnows or meal worms. Or, you might tie on a small plastic bait.
But have you ever thought about trying a jerkbait? Yes, that’s correct – a jerkbait on pre-spawn crappie. If not, a new video by Lindner’s Angling Edge, featuring host Jeremy Smith, may surely convince you otherwise.
On chilly spring days, when the water is in the 50-to 60-degree Fahrenheit range, crappies start schooling in 6 to 10 feet of water in preparation to spawn. As the day warms up, and the water temperature increases, crappies that were swimming close to submerged vegetation will start moving up to warmer, shallower water, often heading toward structure such as bullrushes.
These are perfect conditions to pull out an X-Rap®, size 4, lure, according to Smith. And if it’s windy, which is often the case during the springtime, even more so, because casting an X-Rap jerkbait into the wind will provide you infinitely more control than a float presentation.
The versatility of the X-Rap allows an angler to use any number of fish-catching actions in a single retrieve. It casts like a bullet for long accurate casts. Prominent scales and lateral line on the fuselage capture and flash light like a beacon. It can be fished both in an aggressive slashbait technique or with a classic Rapala wobble. The angler defines the cadence for maximum effectiveness. Loaded with features from tip to tail, textured translucent body, internal holographic foil, internal long cast system (XR04 excluded), 3D holographic eyes, flash foil teaser tails, Slashbait® action, Rapala “wobble” action, suspends on pause. All topped off with premium VMC® black nickel hooks, each hand-tuned and tank-tested to ensure top performing action from the start.
The X-Rap 4, notes Smith, is the perfect size for crappie fishing. It’s 1-1/2 in. long and weighs 1/16th oz. It features two VMC size 12 treble hooks, and its runs about 2 to 3 feet deep. Use a spinning rod and reel for best results, and when fishing for crappie, as shown in the video, Smith likes to cast the X-Rap, tighten the line up, then jerk it, let it pause, reel in the slack, and then jerk it again and let it pause. Crappie tend to bite on the pause, when the lure is suspended.
“The X-Rap is one of my all-time favorite suspending jerkbaits,” said Smith. “It’s really effective on pre-spawn crappies, which are often quite aggressive at this time of year.”
“What I like the most about it,” he added, “is the control I have. Whether crappie are in 2 feet of water or down in six feet, I can put the lure in front of them, wherever they are. They often hit when I pause the lure after I jerk it.”
If you’re looking for a sure-fire bet that you can fish all day long, check out the X-Rap 4 this crappie season.