When fall time rolls around the crappie tube bite, are getting excited about the coming fall bite as these fish start preparing for the cold days ahead. Water temperatures are dropping and fish are moving from their summer locations to where there is more of an abundance of food migrating to.
Forage minnows at this time of year, are definitely getting to a bigger size, and that in turn has the predator fish moving along with them. Shallow water bars with access to deep water very close, create an area that these fish are able to push numbers of these minnows into, creating a situation for a feeding frenzy.
Once these areas have been found, either seeing the forage breaking on the surface or clouds appearing on the electronics, now is the time for matching that forage with a bait. NEW, for the fall of 2017, is the Northland Mimic Minnow® Tuff Tube.
The Tuff Tube is a new bait that imitates frantically moving baitfish that comes in 4 different sizes: 1.5”, 2.5”, 3.5”, and 4.5” lengths with 12 color choices as well. The crappie tube has a body is made from sturdy silicone that holds up to repeated attacks from larger game fish but maintains an extremely soft and flexible feel for those finickiest of fish.
The Tuff Tube is pre-rigged with a Northland Inner-Tube® Jig and when fished along these deeper weed edge walls, you can add a split shot weight, 18 inches above the jig, to get the bait down a bit quicker, especially the 1.5” size. When the bait is at the fish’s level, lightly jigging the rod tip, will make the tail tentacles move freely, similar to that of the forage minnows they are feeding on.
These fish that were caught, were related to that weed wall in 12 feet of water scattered on the outer edge weeds. In the morning, the bite was fairly aggressive and the fish were inhaling the Tuff Tube, but as the afternoon came, the bite turned very light. Still caught good numbers, but never felt the hit and only was weight there when jigging the tube.
By Kevin Dahlke