The 10 Best Crappie Jigs
This wiki has been updated 17 times since it was first published in August of 2019. As you methodically bob the end of your rod up and down, you feel a sudden, subtle tug at the end of your line. You quickly flip your wrist up to set the hook, and there’s a fish on ready to fight. The thrill of this feeling is why many anglers love jigging, and these jigs will allow you to land plenty of crappies, blue gills and other small panfish using this exciting technique. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Strike King Mr. Crappie
2. Eagle Claw Jig
3. Crappie Magnet Kit
Editor's Notes
October 15, 2019:
Though it’s a relatively narrow category — a specific type of lure for a specific species of fish — we were able to identify 10 items worthy of inclusion on the list as well as three Special Honors models.
We tried to diversify the list as much as possible, with a few naked jig heads, some options with built-in twister tails, and a couple combo packs that include add-ons like tube bodies and floaters. The Shaddock Gear, for example, includes 100 tubes (10 each of 10 different colors), though we do note that these tend to slide off the hook rather easily. It’s an adequate affordable option, but the Crappie Magnet Kit (though it contains slightly fewer bodies) is a bit higher in quality.
We included the Goture Winter to give ice fishing enthusiasts a viable option for angling during the cold-weather months. The Eagle Claw Jig and Strike King Mr. Crappie are both highly effective baits, meaning a choice between these two will boil down to personal preference. The Eagle Claw models feature a feathery tail that flutters as you let it dive or retrieve it through the water, while Strike King offers a traditional jig head with a special hook designed specifically for latching onto crappies.
Special Honors
B&P Jighead Tru These lures stand apart from other jigs in that they’re designed to be weedless — the hook is buried within a plastic twister tail, preventing it from getting hung up on underwater cabbage. In addition to vertical jigging, they’re also effective when casting or dragging it behind the boat. bpjighead.com
Jiffy Jigs It’s not just a catchy name; Jiffy Jigs waste little time hooking crappie and other small to medium-sized pan fish. The jig heads come in packs of a dozen, and they’re available in a wide range of body and feather tail color combinations. All the eyelets are clear of paint, too. jiffyjigs.com
Crappie Hut Custom This family-owned shop is run by passionate anglers who focus on creating baits that they’d be excited to fish with themselves. They offer jig heads in different shapes, some of which feature tails — from feathery and colorful to tentacle-style — with barbed hooks on the ends. crappiehutjigs.com
4. Temorah Sharp
5. Merlaxy Ball
6. Goture Winter
7. Wtrees 2732
8. Hawken Trap
9. Shaddock Gear
10. YZD Silverside
In addition to his corporate career as a marketing and communications professional in Chicago, Sam runs a popular blog that focuses on the city’s flourishing craft beer and brewery scene. He received his degree in journalism from DePaul University (which spurred his interest in freelance writing) and has since spent years developing expertise in copywriting, digital marketing and public relations. A lifetime of fishing, hiking and camping trips has left him well-versed in just about any outdoors-related topic, and over several years spent working in the trades during his youth, he accumulated a wealth of knowledge about tools and machinery. He’s a travel junkie, a health and fitness enthusiast, and an avid biker.