CRAPPIE FISHING CHEAT CODE

When Bobby Garland Crappie Baits introduced the Itty Bit Series with the 1.25-inch Itty Bit Swim’R, the concept, design and development were focused on ice fishing. Northern anglers loved the 2-inch Original Baby Shad for the open-water season but had requested something smaller for fishing under the ice.

Two-inch baits had been established as the gold standard in crappie fishing at the time the Itty Bit Series was created. Southern anglers were skeptical that a bait so small would have any positive effect, especially in the stained and muddy waters that have come to define slab country.

Call it coincidence or divine intervention, but two incredibly important factors came into the purview of crappie anglers as the Itty Bit Series was introduced: dietary studies and forward-facing sonar. The results have been astonishing, changing crappie fishing forever.

Most anglers associate a crappie’s diet with shad and minnows in the 2- to 3-inch size range. While that is certainly significant, recent crappie dietary studies have shown crappie consume a wide range of food sources of less than two inches.

Before the Itty Bit Series, innovative crappie anglers would customize soft plastic baits to make them smaller. A popular approach was cutting or biting a 2-inch Original Baby Shad in half and running the jighead hook farther down the tail. This created a smaller bait profile, more finesse tail movement and a hook point closer to the back of the bait. The result was more bites and more hook sets during tough bite conditions like the heat of summer, cold fronts and full moons.

Why is this important? When crappie feed, they don’t actually “bite” the bait. The fish’s mouth opens, creating a vortex that sucks the prey back to the gullet. The same biologic mechanisms that allow the fish to inhale work just as quickly to spit the bait back out. Smaller profiles match a wider and more abundant range of forage in the water. This “natural” presentation is always an attractive option for crappie.

The Itty Bit Series opened year-round crappie fishing for jig fishermen. Bite rates went up across the board. Crappie anglers across the country started associating small local forage like Mayflies, nymphs, fry, crustaceans and grass shrimp with certain Itty Bit Series body styles.

Crappie fishing went from beating the banks during the spring spawn to year-round jig fishing. This has introduced myriad new anglers to crappie fishing.

If dietary studies weren’t enough to sway the skepticism surrounding the Itty Bit Series at its conception, then forward-facing sonar certainly did. Crappie angler numbers have grown exponentially over the last decade. And the information sharing revolution that is social media, along with live sonar, has rapidly increased jig fishing knowledge across the country. Crappie anglers can now confirm bite patterns in real-time and share that information instantaneously.

Bobby Garland fishing staff saw the immediate returns of the Itty Bit Swim’R after a year of use. It was determined that other body styles were needed to fine tune different techniques and presentations. The 1.25-inch Itty Bit Slab Slay’R and 1.25-inch Itty Bit Slab Hunt’R were created in response.

As forward-facing sonar grew in popularity and application, long-pole jigging exploded in use. Anglers could now target individual fish with proper boat control and mastery of the electronics. What we confirmed from anglers across the country was that big fish eat small bait more often than not.

Being able to watch crappie behavior and feeding pattern in real-time set off a flurry of bait and color innovation at Bobby Garland Crappie Baits, ultimately resulting in the crappie brand’s most meticulously detailed bait to date – the NEW 1.25-inch Itty Bit Mayfly.

The Itty Bit Mayfly has been on the water for less than a year but has already garnered a stout nickname from crappie anglers – The Cheat Code. The versatility of the bait’s design and detail makes the Itty Bit Mayfly incredibly effective across environments, techniques and presentations.

Like the Original Baby Shad, the Itty Bit Mayfly has successful application in any fishing condition. Its balanced body, ribbed abdomen, forked tail and proportional appendages create a wealth of finesse vibration and action.

It’s a great imitator of fry in open water, shrimp over grass flats and bugs/nymphs around timber and brush.

The bait’s forked tail will give action both horizontally and vertically, depending on technique.

The Itty Bit Mayfly is a phenomenal bobber bait near shore during the spring and early summer. The slightest breeze or current allows the bobber to give the bait all the action needed.

Since its September release, the ease of use has created universal success. From under the ice to Mississippi giants, crappie anglers across the country have been piling in the reports.

Designed to be paired with a wide range of jighead sizes and styles utilizing a size 6 or smaller hook, the Itty Bit Mayfly pairs perfectly with Bobby Garland Crappie Baits Itty Bits Jigheads.

The new bait comes in 20-count bags, with a MSRP of $3.99, and is currently available in 17 color patterns designed to combat any water condition. An exclusive color, Outbreak, is now available in a limited run Bobby Garland Crappie Kits for both the Itty Bit Mayfly and Original Baby Shad, MSRP $14.99, while supplies last.