Schooling on Roadrunner Jigs

[Quailtail]

Can someone educate me on the use of Roadrunner Jigs for Crappie? Have always fished with minnows but watched a boat that was using Roadrunner Jigs catch several nice fish in just a few casts.

Want to try them but have no clue as to what weight to buy or colors.

Suggestions, comments would be appreciated.

[KiK]

Quail, while I am in no way a "teacher" and consider myself a perpetual student of fin-based learning, I have had some good fortune using RoadRunners for speckled fish.

The first thing I could offer, is S-L-O-W. And when you think you are fishing the RR slow...slow it down more. Learn to get the feel for the spinning blade and fish it just fast enough to keep that twirly going on. A quick tug when beginning your retrieve after the fall to get it spinning. Most recently on West Point, I had great results using 1/16 oz RR's on 4 lb test mono with various bodies. I converted my brother to RR's on that trip after he wore out his minnow's lips with limited results.

I am partial to chartreuse colors and darker bodies but also have had good luck with some pinks and yellows and blue combinations. Twister tail bodies and paddle tails...joker-style bodies also but not so much as a simple twister-tail. Go to bodies: chartreuse/black, chartreuse/blue...about any combination will get the job done once you drop it in his house and get the retrieve down pat. Match the bodies to the weight...maybe even trim the head a bit if need be. Cast...let if fall and be a line watcher on the fall. Also, 1/8th oz at times but I try to keep it light as possible. Palomar knot cinched to the eye works for me. Twister tail body rigged with the curl pointing north...what else? That should do it. Match your rod/reel with your offerings. I stay light...9' Sam Heaton Super Sensitive with ultralight spinning reel. Thinking about going to 2 lb test line and see how many jigs I can lose. :-)

Love fishing them RR's. They'll catch anything that swims. (No...I don't work for Blakemore...retired and luvin it)

[crappiepappy]

I'm a long time user of Roadrunners ... and mostly use 1/16oz marabou RR's in solid Chartreuse or pink/char/pink. They stopped making a solid pink marabou RR, so I have them custom made by a guy that's authorized to sell them.

The new Slabalicious RR's I have, have not yet been tested by me ... but, I see no reason why they won't be great lures. I have tried some of the Crappie Thunder solid tube body version, and they've produced some good fish for me.

In the Slabalicious version, I like the "Popsicle" & Electric Chicken colors ... and in the Crappie Thunder version, I like the Junebug/Char & Elec Chicken colors.

As for "how to fish them" .... I'm a straight cast/retrieve guy when it comes to RR's. I like a constant moderate speed retrieve ... just fast enough to keep the line in a very slight bow (so as to keep the RR going deeper during the retrieve, yet still with as little slack as possible). I've even single pole trolled with them and caught fish. I mainly use them to fish for Crappie, but still catch many other species when using them. (Bluegill, Bass, White Bass & Hybrids, Drum, Catfish, Walleye, and even have a Tiger Muskie on my wall that I caught on one while Crappie fishing).

... pappy

[Quailtail]

Thank you so much for the info. Tried the 1/16 oz today at Taylorsville. Black body chartruese tail. My brother was using minnows. I caught several fish but seemed the minnows caught more and larger fish. I guess I just need more practice.