Shocker

[cometh the doc]

 I'm a newbee and my partner and I were targetting panfish, especially crappie. He was using  an unpainted 1/32 oz.  jig with a green tail about 1 and a half inch tail,on 4lb line The jig was tipped with 2 waxies. He started yelling "Help me ,"I can't get this in. It was bass was 21 and 1/2 inches long. We didn't have a tape to do the girth but the fish was freakie fat.

[fishermantim]

I think everyone who jigs for panfish has learned the important lesson: EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.

When I first tried jigging, I had a make-shift jigging setup.
A "kiddie" medium action rod, about 3 ft long, and a small trout reel with 6 lb. test mono.

I learned the fine art if finesse jigging due to the gear I had, but was pleased that I was able to catch just about everything the waters had to offer.

I spent the first couple of seasons try to jig up crappie, but got sunfish, perch (white & yellow), pickerel, bass and trout....BUT NO CRAPPIE!
 
Then I picked up s bunch of ice rod & reel combos with different rod lengths.
Then I looked at what tackle was available for jigging and started using small jigs.
I started getting crappies, but I still got everything else as well.

So....getting a big fish on a small lure is ALWAYS a possibility because fish don't always follow the habits we think they follow.
(you may have heard the saying "Match the hatch"?)
Sometimes a big fish just wants to eat and they don't care how big the meal is as long as it's food.

Hopefully you can fine tune your tactics to (at least) get the fish you want.

[Piketipper]

I was really curious as to what the “Shocker” was going to be on this thread and I wasn’t expecting a fish.

Congrats to your partner on the Bass!!!  That’s a tank for sure

[snow snake]

 yes always fun

[slipperybob]

Yes!  The time I spent fishing for crappies and end up yankering up sturgeons that wasted hours upon hours of trying to retrieve my lucky crappie lures.  Well after a few years of that, I'm not hooking into anymore sturgeons with my panfish gear.  Oh no, I see a big mark, I reel away my lure from them.  Cuz sturgeons aren't known for chasing lures, but hungry crappies do.

[icedude999]

I was fishing for bluegill with a tiny tungsten jig with a spike on ultralight gear, 2 lb line. Ended up getting a massive fish on that was either a nice bass or a record bluegill. Turned out to be a 18" largemouth

[icefishman]

🖖shocker

[JohnnyO19]

I was really curious as to what the “Shocker” was going to be on this thread and I wasn’t expecting a fish.