Using The Double Jig Rig

When the crappie are suspended, sometimes it can be tough to keep your presentation within the strike zone. The double jig rig works great in doing this and can help you catch more suspended crappie. Crappie will suspend in the water column at certain times of the season. This technique works great when other anglers have given up after the spawn and you can have the lake to yourself, searching for suspended crappie that have moved out to deeper water in the summer and again in the winter.

The first step is to locate suspended crappie which should not be far from suspended baitfish. Locating the baitfish can be enough to begin your search with the double jig rig. To locate suspended crappie you must have a quality fish finder. I would suggest using a colored fish finder with a GPS system to help mark the schools of crappie as well as the baitfish, so you know where to look for them again if you have to leave in search of more schools or more active fish.  This allows you to return to that spot later to see if they will bite. Some schools of crappie are more active during different times of the day and its great to be able to return right to where you found the school earlier.

SHOP CRAPPIE GEAR

The double jig rig utilizes two jigs and allows you to present, to the suspended crappie, two different colors. You can even add a minnow to one or both of the jigs for more enticement. This crappie rig works for both the cast and fall or the vertical presentation. My favorite tube for this rig is the Gary Yamamoto Tiny Ika.  It is important that you keep the jigs close in weight so the jigs fall together. You don’t want one jig to fall faster than the other, as this could cause some tangles.

Tie on your first jighead and leave a two- foot tag end. Tie your second jighead at the end of the tag end. Dress each jig with a different color skirt. This helps to see what the crappie wants for that day. I’ve noticed over the years that certain colors work better on certain lakes. I’ll stick with those shades and color combinations when I am fishing that particular body of water. I still use two different jigs. If I’ve never had any luck with a white jig on that lake I won’t start out with white. However, I will put on a white skirt if the fish aren’t biting anything else. The colors you’ve learned catch crappie on that body of water will work best most of the time. A journal is a great tool for figuring out these little nuances where you fish.

How To Rig A Double Jig Rig For Crappie

The double jig rig is a crappie rigging that I have used for many years. It can be used for spider rigging, drift fishing, casting from a boat or even used for crappie fishing from the bank as the video below demonstrates.

Video showing how to use the double jig rig for crappie from the bank

Note The Depth Of Suspended Crappie

When you have located suspended crappie or baitfish on your fish finder, note the depth. You can vertical jig the double jig rig or cast it out and allow it to fall through the suspended crappie. Let the crappie tell you what they want. The vertical presentation works great when the crappie are suspended in or around cover. This presentation will help limit hang-ups. A good fish finder will show your double jig rig on the screen. Lower the rig into the suspended crappie, but keep it out of the cover. This is a great presentation.

Another great way to use the double jig rig for suspended crappies is by spider-rigging. There is little argument about the efficiency and effectiveness of spider-rigging. With the rapid advancement of electronics and other tools of the trade, spider-rigging keeps on producing. This is especially true when the crappie suspend in open water. The double jig rig is a great presentation when spider-rigging in open water for suspended crappie. The two jigs allows you to present different colors as well as at two slightly different depths. This combination can help you catch more suspended crappies in open water.

Cast And Fall Presentation

When crappie are moving around and not relating to cover the cast and fall presentation works best. When suspended crappie are moving around they are chasing baitfish. They will move up and down within the water column to feed. Locate the scattered schools of baitfish. They will be on a certain part of the lake. Once located, you can cast into open water, allowing the double jig rig to fall on a tight line. Give the jigs a couple twitches as it falls. You can see the depth of crappie on your fish finder. It’s important to keep your presentation above this depth to increase your bites. After you catch a few crappie you’ll learn the depth and color that works. Sometimes two different colors perform the same, but most times there is a color that gets more bites. Put that color on the second jig and continue your day.

How To Catch And Cook Crappie

Video showing how to use the double jig rig from a kayak and two great crappie recipes at the end.

Be sure to check out Streamline Your crappie rigs for minnows with Tungsten