I’ve caught approximately half a bazillion crappies over the years, and all but a handful of them bit the most basic hooks, feathers, and plastics you can buy. You see, crappie are the fish of simple pleasures—part of their charm is that you only need a little ultralight gear to catch them. Sure, you can get a little freaky by throwing flashy lures and giant jerk baits at these papermouths, but the best crappie lures largely prove the old adage that less is more.
My crappie tackle box holds a hodgepodge of simple lures I’ve collected from a lifetime of fishing farm ponds, sand pits, sleepy creeks, and silty reservoirs across much of the United States. While many anglers stick to bobbers and minnows, I prefer casting these proven lures whenever I can.
Best Crappie Lures: Our Top Picks
- Marabou Jig
- Blakemore Road Runner
- Triple Tip Grub
- Bobby Garland Slab Slayer
- Rapala Jigging Rap
- Rapala Husky Jerk
Best Crappie Lure for Finicky Fish
Marabou Jig
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Why I love it
Feathers catch fish, especially when they’re finicky. Marabou crappie jigs sink slowly—making them easy to fish in shallow water—and have a subtle action that doesn’t spook fish. Those feathers pulsate with the slightest current or twitch of the line. And once they’re waterlogged, marabou lures assume a thin profile, which resembles small minnows or worms that are easy prey.
You can fish marabou jigs slowly—often a key for crappie. You don’t need extra speed to keep a spinner blade spinning or a curl tail wiggling.
Most of the time, I’ll cast and retrieve them as slowly as possible over brush piles and close to visible sticks in the water. Marabous also excel under bobbers, and dangling a pair of these jigs over crappies’ heads is a great substitute for live bait. You can also vertically jig them off docks and marinas.
As a bonus, crappies don’t chew up marabous like they do plastics. With feather jigs, you don’t have to worry about beating up plastic bodies sliding down your jig head or fish biting off tails. You can catch dozens of fish on a single marabou jig—as long as you don’t snag it in the sticks.
They’re also good cold-water lures. I mostly fish marabous in the early spring or fall when fish metabolism isn’t going full bore.
When the crappie spawn rolls around each spring, it’s time for my annual trip to the tackle shop or box store to pick up a couple new cards of marabou jigs. One $5 card of white or chartreuse marabou jigs could easily land hundreds of crappies.
Reasons to Buy
- Versatile
- Inexpensive
- Stands up to multiple bites
Consider Another Model If
- Crappie are active
- Finesse presentations bore you
Bottom Line
When you’re fishing slow for cranky crappie, it’s hard to beat a classic marabou jig.
Best for Aggressive Fish
Blakemore Road Runner
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Why I love it
The Blakemore Road Runner is a marabou jig with a twist—a small spinner blade dangling beneath its pony-shaped head. The added flash and vibration of that little spinner may be a turn off for neutral fish. But when crappie are aggressive, it’s a definite turn on.
I’ve caught many of my Master Angler-caliber crappie casting Road Runners in early spring. About two or three weeks before the average angler dusts off their crappie rods and minnow bucket, I’ll be slow-rolling an 1/8 ounce Road Runner through the mid-depth staging waters just beyond traditional spawning grounds. That’s when and where big fish binge on minnows before moving shallow to get laid.
In one of my best hours of fishing, I casted a Road Runner a foot below a Marabou jig into the mid-depth waters of my local sandpit. I hooked into a sturdy fish that stayed deep and went on a drag-stripping run. Bass? Walleye? Nope, a 17-inch crappie. The first of twenty in the 2-3 pound class that I more or less caught on consecutive casts—along with landing a 25-pound catfish and losing a 6-pound largemouth.
For forty years, I’ve caught more slabs on Road Runners than any other crappie lure.
Reasons to Buy
- Great for aggressive fish
- Crappie-killer for 60+ years
- Also catches bass
Consider Another Model If
- Fish are in negative or neutral moods
- You’d rather catch smaller fish
Bottom Line
If you want to spice up your crappie fishing and catch bigger fish, tie on a Blakemore Road Runner, especially for pre-spawn and fall fishing.
Least boring grub for crappie fishing
Triple Tip Grub
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Why I love it
Let’s face it, the best crappie lures are pretty basic–and a bit boring. For example, I’ve caught most of my fish on the simple grub or curl tail. A Triple Tip Grub gives the standard twister tail a slight makeover with a tri-tip tail—which makes it slightly sexy by crappie standards.
I can’t prove it scientifically, but I swear that the triple-tail’s extra action attracts more fish than the standard curl tail or twister tail. The added vibration and wiggle-ation seem to catch their eyes.
These lures need to be swimming to activate their action. Cast them out and slowly retrieve them to get those tantalizing tails churning to trigger strikes. Slowly swimming three-pronged grubs through spawning beds, stick-choked banks, and slack-water sections of rivers is also a great way to catch fish.
Reasons to Buy
- Cheap and effective
- Easy to fish
Consider Another Model If
- You’re bobber fishing
- Fish keep biting off the tails
Bottom Line
If you’re casting for crappie, the Triple Tip Grub often outfishes the standard twister tail or curl tail.
Most Versatile Plastic for Papermouths
Bobby Garland Slab Slayer
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Why I love it
Versatility. With its solid body and thin spear tail, the Bobby Garland Slab Slayer works for almost any crappie presentation—from casting to vertical jigging to bobber fishing.
I prefer casting these near cover, so that the thin tail can do its tantalizing, underwater dance. However, this lure also presents horizontally, so you can vertically jig it over brush piles or under docks. Unlike Road Runners, Triple Ripple Grubs, curl tail, and twister tails, Slab Slayers also fish well under a float. The slightest ripple on the surface or twitch of the rod tip gets that tail fluttering with a life-like action.
The big debate is how to rig them. They’re made to be fished with the open cup facing up. However, some anglers fish them upside down to prevent the tail from getting stuck on the hook.
Either way, these things are crappie candy. And yes, as their name suggests, these things can catch those 12- to 18-inch slabs.
Reasons to Buy
- Works with most presentations
- Catches all kinds of panfish
Consider Another Model If
- You’re not a fan of plastics
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for the most versatile plastic body for crappie, stock up on the Bobby Garland Slab Slayers in 2-inch and 3-inch sizes.
Best for Vertical Jigging
Rapala Jigging Rap
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Why I love it
The Rapala Jigging Rap is an iconic ice fishing lure that also excels when vertical jigging in open water.
It’s fun to fish, whether you’re in an ice shanty, fishing kayak, or V-bottom boat. Open your bail and let the Jigging Rap sink to the bottom. Or—if you’ve graphed suspended fish—let it sink until it’s just above the school of fish you’re targeting.
Here’s how to get jiggy with it:
You fish Jigging Raps with short pops of your rod. For the best jigging action, pop your rod tip up a foot, and let the lure fall with a little slack in your line. This lets the Jigging Rap dart and glide back down to the bottom—an action that resembles an injured bait fish.
Be alert at all stages of this presentation. Fish may hit on the jerk, on the fall, or when the Jigging Rap is dead-sticking on the bottom. Experiment with your cadence of pops and pauses, so you’re jigging just enough (and not too much) to trigger strikes.
This vertical presentation catches crappie as well as walleye and smallmouth bass. For crappie, I carry these in size 2 (1/8 ounce) and size 3 (3/16 ounce). However, you can go bigger and heavier if you’re targeting slabs in deeper water.
Reasons to Buy
- Outstanding for vertical jigging
- Four-season success
Consider Another Model If
- You’re fishing horizontally, not vertically
- You only fish shallow water
- Money is tight
Bottom Line
If you’re ice fishing, targeting suspended fish, or fishing deep water in summer, the Rapala Jigging Rap is a classic for vertical presentations.
Best Crank Bait for Crappie
Rapala Husky Jerk
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Why I love it
Crappies and crankbaits? Hell yeah!
Like most anglers, I learned by accident that crappie can absolutely crush crankbaits at certain times of year, especially in the early spring when they’re binging on minnows before they spawn. A buddy and I were throwing 5-inch stick baits for bass in a back bay when we surprisingly caught a 12-inch crappie. Then a 13-incher. After catching another dozen slabs over our next fifteen casts, it was clear that crappie won’t hesitate to hit larger lures when they’re feeding aggressively.
That day we used Smithwick Rattling Rogues, but the Rapala Husky Jerk is an even better choice.
With its natural buoyancy, you can slowly twitch and retrieve a Husky Jerk without it floating to the surface. Varying your twitches and pauses lets this lure present like an injured baitfish—an easy, high-calorie meal for a hungry fish that’s coming off winter or preparing for winter.
You can catch crappie on 5-inch jerkbaits, but you’re usually better off with Husky Jerks in the 2.5 to 3-inch range: Rapala’s Size 06 or 08.
Jerkbaits won’t be your bread and butter most times of the year. But if you whip them out when crappie are binge-feeding in early spring and fall, you can have a ball catching them on jerkbaits like the Rapala Husky Jerk.
Reasons to Buy
- Big fish baits for early spring and fall
- Fun presentation
Consider Another Model If
- You’re fishing in winter, late spring, and summer
- Crankbaits are too expensive
Bottom Line
If you like throwing bigger lures for more aggressive fish, cast Rapala Husky Jerks in early spring and fall for crappies binging on minnows.
Crappie Lure Buying Advice
The artificial lures selected for this article all catch crappie—and other species of gamefish. The key is choosing the right lure for the right time of year, the right body of water, and the right presentation.
Colors also matter. I mostly stock up on chartreuse, whites, a few pinks, and natural minnow colors. These colors work for the weedy and muddy waters where I’ve caught most of my crappie.
Again, you don’t need to go bankrupt buying crappie lures. North America’s favorite panfish is relatively easy to catch. At the risk of being boring, this roundup of lures emphasizes inexpensive lures that generations of anglers have used. If you stock up on a few of these artificial lures in a few colors and sizes, you’ll have a versatile tackle box to fish for all four seasons.
Crappie Lure Brands
- Bobby Garland
- Blakemore
- Rapala
- Strike King
- Z-Man
- Bass Pro
- Mr. Crappie
- Big Bite
- Northland
- Southern Pro
How we tested
These lure recommendations are backed by 40-plus years of crappie fishing. Most of these artificial lures have been well-known catchers for half a century, and the author personally carries each of them in his tackle boxes.
Why trust us
Jory Brass is a freelance writer, editor, and researcher who’s caught more crappie than he can count, including 3-pound slabs and 100-fish days. He’s caught crappie in all four time zones of the continental United States and has more boxes of crappie lures than his wife knows about.
