Author Topic: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.  (Read 11658 times)

Offline dabills

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Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« on: Dec 09, 2013, 09:01 PM »
I recently made some tip downs using CrappieGuy's design: http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=18760.0. I've never used them before but am excited to try. I want to catch crappie(and perch) and my plan is to use circle hooks. What size should I use? I was looking for quality hooks of the offset variety, and checked out gamakatsu but the smallest they have is an eight. I am planning on tipping with a small minnow (shiner). Also should I add beads? What size? I am thinking a snell knot is the way to go for this type of hook. Any information you might have is welcome. I'm new to the sport and appreciate all the help here, great place.



Offline Van_Cleaver

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #1 on: Dec 10, 2013, 05:32 PM »
I would think a sz. 8 would be fine. I catch lots of crappie on a sz. 8 horizontal jig and fathead combo; mostly fished on a dead stick. Often the same combo goes on a Mr. Jigger which can also be effective; pretty much a tip down.

Offline bart

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #2 on: Dec 10, 2013, 05:36 PM »
I have been using #6 Aberdeen gold hooks, they have been working great.
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Offline Ice-D

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #3 on: Dec 10, 2013, 07:12 PM »
I've never heard of anyone using circle hooks for crappie you'll have to let us know how the work.  I use a drop shot rig with my tip downs usually with a #6 Aberdeen hook.  I tie it with a palomar knot, leave the tail long and use just enough split shot to make the hook stand out perpendicular to the line. 

I tried 2 or 3 red glass beads above the hook on some of them last year.  I'd read that the action of the minnow would make them click together and act as an attractor.  I didn't really notice any difference but I'll probably try it again this year.

Offline Idahogator

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #4 on: Dec 10, 2013, 08:02 PM »
Dabills, you mentioned perch, I've had good success with a 5mm Swarovski emerald green faceted bead, up the line, before tying the hook on. Just let it slide down against the hook.    ;)2
      

Offline dabills

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #5 on: Dec 11, 2013, 05:13 AM »
Thanks all for advice, I think I'll try aberdeen drop shot method as well as circle hooks, with and without beads. Possibly an emerald green swarovski in the mix. I'll let you know how it goes.



Offline pokey

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #6 on: Dec 11, 2013, 04:31 PM »
I have tried circle hooks for crappie during open water. I didn't like it. I didn't get a good hook up ratio. I don't think they pull hard enough on the take to make the circle hook effective, got a much better hook up with just a standard jig head. Hope that helps.

Offline dabills

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #7 on: Dec 11, 2013, 09:01 PM »
I have tried circle hooks for crappie during open water. I didn't like it. I didn't get a good hook up ratio. I don't think they pull hard enough on the take to make the circle hook effective, got a much better hook up with just a standard jig head. Hope that helps.

Thanks. I'll be experimenting with aberdeen and circles. Should be interesting to see the results.



Offline CrappieGuy

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #8 on: Dec 17, 2013, 03:36 PM »
Use a #14 or #16 treble depending on the make.  #14 Eagle Claw or #16 Mustad are about the same size.  Your hook up rate will be much better than a single hook

Offline wolfpak3770

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #9 on: Dec 21, 2013, 01:12 AM »
X2^^^
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Offline rabbittrapper

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #10 on: Dec 21, 2013, 02:55 PM »
x3^^^^^^

Offline sangell

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #11 on: Jan 20, 2015, 06:14 AM »
I use circle hooks exclusively and do quite well with Crappie, Perch, and Bass. I use #6's and have landed a number of 3lb + bass including a 5lber. I made the switch mostly because of getting really tired with swallowed hooks and hurting the fish. The gills up de-hooking works well, but is not fool proof. My leaders are a small black barrel swivel to the braid, 18-24" fluorocarbon leaders, split shot 6-8" from the hook, and I take a sharpie to the weights to make them black. This year I am trying the hook thru the minnows open mouth and nostril. That is working very well if done right as the fish takes the bait head first.

The key is to the let the fish run and gently apply increasing pressure till you feel the fish hook itself. There is always a training curve when I go out with friends that use bait hooks but it is not hard. Last weekend I watched my friends 11 year old son "get" and pull a 5" perch thru the ice, and 4 bass with three of them easily in the 3lb class. It was a great day, and we did also catch a bunch of Crappie.

Offline dabills

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #12 on: Jan 20, 2015, 06:36 AM »
Very informative first post Sangell, thanks!



Offline TIP DOWN BUD

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #13 on: Jan 20, 2015, 04:03 PM »
X4 on the treble hook.

Offline AON09

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #14 on: Jan 21, 2015, 12:37 PM »
When running tip downs what distance from the bottom do you leave them?

Offline TIP DOWN BUD

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #15 on: Jan 21, 2015, 08:36 PM »
I start 3 to 4 feet off bottom maybe 5 or 6 in deeper water. Since crappies are usually suspended and looking up for food. Flasher helps find where the fish are holding. Put them around that depth.

Offline AON09

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #16 on: Jan 22, 2015, 11:47 AM »
I start 3 to 4 feet off bottom maybe 5 or 6 in deeper water. Since crappies are usually suspended and looking up for food. Flasher helps find where the fish are holding. Put them around that depth.
Thank youu!

Offline Kevin23

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #17 on: Jan 27, 2015, 06:40 PM »
Circles will not work on a tip-down. Tip-up, yes, but not tip-down. The reason why is due to the circle hook design. A fish has to run away from the hole so when you pull on the line the hook will catch in the corner of the mouth. If the fish is right below you, like with a tip-down, when you set the hook the hook will fly right out of the mouth every time.

I alternate between #8 octopus hooks and #14-16 trebles on my crappie rigs. I prefer the trebles.
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Offline UFCreel

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #18 on: Feb 02, 2015, 06:24 AM »
Tru turn hooks work well on tip downs.
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Offline Idahogator

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #19 on: Feb 02, 2015, 11:45 AM »
And, the TruTurn hooks are available in extra long, great for crappies. 
      

Offline Cantgetenough

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #20 on: Feb 02, 2015, 11:58 AM »
Lots of good info here Thanks. I've been using tip down this year for the first time also. I have tried both tru turn and #6 octopus hooks (RED). The tru-turn seams to have less action than with the octopus which has had more hook ups. No stats but just an observation. I like the idea of the beads- Thanks- will give that a try tomorrow or the next day. Keep the info coming ..
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Offline rdhammah

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #21 on: Feb 02, 2015, 12:05 PM »
eagle claw crappie hooks - like tru-turns. when targeting crappie and perch, I use a size 4

Offline big_guy_13021

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #22 on: Feb 02, 2015, 12:10 PM »
eagle claw crappie hooks - like tru-turns. when targeting crappie and perch, I use a size 4
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Offline sangell

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #23 on: Feb 03, 2015, 01:52 PM »
Your welcom dabills....

When the Crappie show up I also vary through the water column. I start a foot off the bottom, and will spend some time pulling the minnow up slowly and letting it down. If they are around I have been successful as in the previous post about 4-5 feet up. If I am really targeting them I'll vary every 2-3 feet right up to 2 feet just under the ice. They seem to be on the move mostly at first and last light at least in the lake I fish. Wife and kids away this weekend so going Friday and Saturday and will target them on one of the those days. Also, my glo in the dark paint showed up last Friday so going to be painting up some beads and jigs this week. It'll be interesting with all the snow if it helps.

Scott

Offline Johnsonarcher

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #24 on: Feb 12, 2015, 02:58 PM »
Use a #14 or #16 treble depending on the make.  #14 Eagle Claw or #16 Mustad are about the same size.  Your hook up rate will be much better than a single hook

X5

Offline Yopy

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #25 on: Dec 27, 2015, 11:11 AM »
Use treble hooks, it will improve your catch rate. Standard hooks slip out of their moves quite a bit.

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #26 on: Dec 29, 2015, 02:16 PM »
Tru turn hooks work well on tip downs.

Going with that on my set ups this season...in RED
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Offline dabills

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #27 on: Dec 29, 2015, 05:53 PM »
So an update on the circle hook usage. I wasn't well versed in tip down usage so I wasn't having very good luck getting a good hookup rate with the circle hooks. I attribute this to my inexperience and not to the method. In theory it seems like a circle hook should work with a tip down. The fish takes the bait the pole points down and the fisherman picks it up and can slowly apply pressure by reeling in or raising the tip until the circle hook catches on the fishes mouth. This makes sense no? Maybe I'll try it again this year now that I have a lot of experience with tip downs.

That being said very early on (like my second trip out with the tip downs) I switched to tiny treble hooks maybe size 14 or 16 and they work great. I absolutely hate however when I catch a nice fish like a lunker bass and it swallows the treble only to die later. Luckily I fish on some of the finger lakes that allow you to take bass in the winter.

Also one other thing I noticed is when I catch a pickerel on a tip down with the tiny treble it almost always catches it in the corner of the mouth which works out great when using 3 lb. test.

One other thing lol... the Swarovski crystals that someone mentioned earlier in the thread work awesome. I tried different colors and really like using them.

Hope that post wasn't too long!



Offline sangell

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Re: Tip down fishing for crappies and circle hook usage.
« Reply #28 on: Dec 30, 2015, 05:18 PM »
I am going to try some Gamakatsu shiner hooks this year, size 6, for the mediums to smalls. I did shift this fall to Eagle Claw bait holders for the heavies. They worked very well, so always experimenting..... The trebles I understand, but as previously mentioned I'd hate to see that swallowed because the likely hood of getting it out is low. Just need some ice now!

 



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