Updated: October 2026 (Papa Jig sizes and prices checked on the live product page Oct 9, 2026 evening)

How to fish a TTS Papa Jig for crappie, the short answer: start with a TTS Papa Jig size 2.0 (2 in) around docks, weed edges, and brush. Twitch-and-pause, or jig it vertically; tip a minnow, wax worm, or crappie nibble. Size 1.0 for pressured/shallow fish; size 3.0 when you want a bigger profile. 3D-printed spiral tail, treble + snap swivel, designed and manufactured in Iowa, USA. From $2.00.

Below: size ladder, three retrieves, colors/tippers, when this jig is the wrong tool, and how it differs from a slip-bobber-only page.

What is a TTS Papa Jig for crappie?

A TTS Papa Jig is a 3D-printed panfish jig with a spiral tail, a treble hook, and a snap swivel - built for crappie, bluegill, and perch, sold as a single jig, and designed and manufactured in Iowa, USA. Fish it plain with a twitch-and-pause, tip it, jig it vertically through ice or open water, or hang it under a bobber.

This page is the Papa Jig how-to for crappie - not the slip-bobber method guide (How to fish a slip bobber for crappie) and not the kit picker (TTS Bass Kit vs Walleye Kit).

Which Papa Jig size should you buy for crappie?

Live catalog sizes (checked Oct 9, 2026 evening). Base price is size 1.0 at $2.00; size 2.0 adds $1.00 ($3.00); size 3.0 adds $2.00 ($4.00).

Size	Length	Price (live)	Crappie role
1.0	1.5 in	$2.00	Pressured fish, clear shallow water, bluegill mix
2.0	2 in	$3.00	Default crappie start; also the Pack 50100 size
3.0	2.25 in	$4.00	Bigger profile / stained water / aggressive fish

Shop start: size 2.0 until fish tell you otherwise. Drop to 1.0 when they short-strike or follow without eating. Bump to 3.0 when you need a larger silhouette, not because "bigger is always better."

If you want four size-2.0 jigs in one click, the TTS Papa Jig Pack (50100) is a Papa Jig 2.0 4-pack at $12.75 - related buy, not this page's CTA. This article's next click is the individual Papa Jig so you can pick color + size one at a time.

How do you fish a Papa Jig with a twitch-and-pause?

1. Tie to the snap swivel (or clip on if your leader setup prefers the snap).
2. Cast past docks, weed edges, brush piles, or timber.
3. Let it settle to the depth you marked on electronics or by counting down.
4. Twitch the rod tip a few inches - short, sharp, then dead-stick 2-5 seconds.
5. Most eats come on the pause while the spiral tail settles.
6. If you feel weight, sweep-set; the treble is already working for you - do not horse small fish.

Keep the cadence slow on cold fall/early winter days. Speed up only when fish are visibly chasing.

How do you jig it vertically (open water and ice)?

Open water: position over brush, a creek channel edge, or a marked school. Drop the Papa Jig to depth, lift 6-12 inches, then let it fall on a semi-slack line so the spiral tail works. Pause at the bottom of the stroke. Stay vertical - if you drift off the mark, reel up and drop again.

Ice: same vertical stroke in a smaller window. Glow is the product-page pick for low light and murky water. Tip a wax worm or minnow head when they want scent. Work the hole patiently before you move - panfish often need a second look.

How do you fish a Papa Jig under a bobber?

Hang the Papa Jig under a slip or fixed float so the jig sits at the depth crappie are holding - often just above brush or along a weed edge. Use a light float so the treble does not drag the float under on every wave.

For the float/stopper how-to (slip knot, bead, stem choice), use How to fish a slip bobber for crappie and, for the panfish float family, How to fish a Gapen Panfish Float. This page covers the jig side: size, tipper, and color under that float - not a second float tutorial.

What colors and tippers for crappie?

12 live colors: black, blue, brown, bubble gum, chartreuse, glow, orange, pink, pink dark, purple, white, yellow.

Condition	Start colors	Why
Clear water / bright day	white, chartreuse, yellow	Clean silhouette without screaming
Stained / dark water	chartreuse, orange, pink, bubble gum	Visibility lane from the product page
Low light / murky / ice	glow	Catalog call-out for low light and murky water
Natural / pressured	brown, black, purple	Match craw/bug tones; brown is a live color option

Tippers (from the live product page): wax worm, minnow, crappie nibble, or a small soft plastic. Shop default for open-water crappie: minnow on size 2.0. Ice: wax worm or minnow head. Plain (no tip) is fine when fish are aggressive and you want the spiral tail to do the work.

Papa Jig vs slip-bobber-only setups

Approach	Use when	Gapen/TTS page
Papa Jig twitch-pause or vertical	Active fish on docks/brush; ice; you want a spiral-tail profile	This page - Papa Jig PDP
Slip bobber + bait/jig	Suspended fish; precise depth lock; light bites	slip bobber crappie guide
Kit/pack picker	You want a 4-pack of size 2.0 or other TTS kits	TTS kit picker / Pack 50100

One CTA on this page: the individual Papa Jig. Float and kit pages stay related links.

When should you not use a Papa Jig for crappie?

• You need a heavy stand-up rock jig for walleye or river smallmouth. Use the Ugly Bug family and its how-tos (Ugly Bug size guide; river smallmouth guide; fall walleye guide) - different tool.
• You only want to learn slip-float rigging. Start at slip bobber crappie guide; come back here for the jig choice under that float.
• You need a soft-plastic Ned/leech profile for bass/walleye. That is the TTS T-Leech lane, not the Papa Jig.
• Saltwater / squid / jetty fishing. Papa Jig is a panfish jig (crappie, bluegill, perch).

Shop the TTS Papa Jig

TTS Papa Jig - from $2.00
Sizes 1.0 / 2.0 / 3.0 · 12 colors · 3D-printed spiral tail · treble + snap swivel · designed and manufactured in Iowa, USA · sold individually.

Related guides: TTS Papa Jig Pack (2.0 4-pack) $12.75 · Slip bobber for crappie · Panfish Float how-to · TTS kits picker

TTS Lures - designed and manufactured in Iowa, USA. Family tackle shop in State Center, Iowa.

FAQ

What size TTS Papa Jig for crappie?
Start with size 2.0 (2 in, $3.00). Use 1.0 for pressured or shallow fish; 3.0 for a bigger profile in stain or when fish want more bulk.

Can you fish a Papa Jig under a bobber for crappie?
Yes. The live product page lists fishing it under a bobber. Pair with slip bobber crappie guide for slip-float setup details; keep this page for jig size, color, and tipper.

Do you tip a Papa Jig?
Yes - wax worm, minnow, crappie nibble, or soft plastic. Minnow is the shop open-water default; wax worm is common on ice.

Is the TTS Papa Jig made in the USA?
Papa Jigs are designed and manufactured in Iowa, USA per the live product page.

What colors come on the Papa Jig?
Twelve: black, blue, brown, bubble gum, chartreuse, glow, orange, pink, pink dark, purple, white, and yellow. Glow for low light and murky water.

Papa Jig vs the Papa Jig Pack?
The individual product page lets you pick any color + size 1.0/2.0/3.0. Pack 50100 is a size 2.0 four-pack at $12.75 - handy once you know 2.0 is your size.

Will a Papa Jig work for bluegill and perch too?
Yes. The catalog positions it for crappie, bluegill, and perch - same retrieves, often a size 1.0 start for bluegill.