does size really matter?

[daffydone]

during the summer, I use teardrop jigs for crappie, they seem to work the best, but I also have caught them on a mepps #2.my question is does size really matter in the winter? can you catch them on large twister tails and jigs of that nature in the winter?

[frostbite]

Due to COLD water temps and lowered o2 levels in winter, size is one of the biggest concerns for any spieces in the winter, as thier metabolizims are very low.
They don't need to eat nearly as much, and in many cases don't even want to move. My lure of choce is a smallish swedish pimple in glow. I really like the small treble hook for the added hook-up on those papery mouthes.

[fishingking]

yes believe size matters like the previous post fish fill up with food heavy in the fall to increase their body fat so they can make it through the winter with little food as possible  already this year  the ice has only been safe for 1 week so far and im already finding myself using the smallest jigs i have  

[OU812]

during the summer, I use teardrop jigs for crappie, they seem to work the best, but I also have caught them on a mepps #2.my question is does size really matter in the winter? can you catch them on large twister tails and jigs of that nature in the winter?

I was baffled by this for a while but a friend of mine put it this way: The whole food chain is different when that water is cold and things that immitate "warm" water foods don't always work. The smaller baits work because of the above mentioned reasons but also since a main source of food is the insect larvae buried in the bottom. Small lures (waxies instead of huge nightcrawlers) more closely immitate the natural food that is already present.
Biology is a trip 

[iceintheveins]

Aside from all the funny jokes guys, I would say it most certainley does. How you work it is important too though.
For crappies I like the smallest jigging rapalas, and also the custom jigs and spins ratsoes and shrimpos, along with cubby mini mites jigs. Use these for aggressive or moderately active fish.
For turned off crappies, go to 2 pound line and use smaller tear drops or ratfinkees with a single maggot or waxworm. A small sliver of nightcrawler also works well as a tipping agent.
Mostly just remember to not jig too aggressively with anything. Crappies will usually suspend off the bottom, and they aren't shy if you work the bait right.

Tyler

[Fat Boy]

Good post Mackdaddy, couldn't have said it much better.  I might add that owning and using a flasher helps to see the suspended fish.  Knowing what depth they are at and how they are reacting to your lure really makes a difference and would put more slabs on the ice. 

[Oldfart]

But when the bite is on, I put on large 3" baits. When slabs are pounding the weed beds out here, they dont seem to want to slow down to look for grubs or maggots.  They want to pounce on the first thing that moves, and a big bait brings them in from 25' away,....fast.

[wny angler]

big baits catch big fish-at least where i fish..
i was using a jig and wax worn on one rod and small minnows on the other and had decent luck catching crappie in the 9 t0 11 inch range ,i had some bigger 3"+ minnows in my bucket so i put one on just to give it a try---as soon as i got the big minnow down near the bottom my rod doubled over with a large fish--had trouble getting the fish up the 8" hole --looked to be about a 17" crappie,ended up breaking me off--had 6 more big minnows in the bucket--caught 6 of the largest crappies i landed that night on e,m

[crappieloo]

OK referring to the original question. If your going to use summer baits like small 4 inch twisters your catch rate may be very low. For example im catching fish really good and my buddy isnt. I'm using a 1/50 oz.jig with 1# test and my buddy is using a 1/32 oz. jig on 2# test. Most of the time the fish are turned off or neutral during icefishing and big baits are a low percentage deal. Its possible to catch the biggest fish in the lake, with the smallest lure.

[crappiemaster]

It depends what time of year it is.  If your fishing early ice the crappies are going to hit anything you put in front of them.  While during mid-winter when the fish are usually less active, you usually have to down size your presentation.  That usually works the best for me.

[Swift]

Think that if they are down there and a little bait isn't working then dropping a bigger one down has at least a chance. Have saved many a trip buy up-sizing to a jigging rap or pimple type on an otherwise dead day. May not catch many but better than none, usually good sized ones too. Use 2 rods one with a large and the other a small presentation to start, helps figure out what's going on a little quicker then change to whats working on the other.

[iceintheveins]

Using small but not too small lures works best most times. But when crappies are scattered, something a little bigger draws them in better. I find that most all the crappies I catch are suspended, and if you didn't have sonar you would never know they are there. So if your not seeing many fish on your sonar, switch to a larger, more aggressive bait like a jigging rap, a bigger pimple, a custom jigs and spins stinger, or bigger tear drops. If your seeing lots of fish on the sonar, I would stick with more subtle baits like ratsos, shrimpos, nuclear ants, and smaller tears. Maggots seem to be the best tipping agents for smaller lures as they don't overbalance the lure. Sometimes using anything more than one maggot is too much.

Tyler