Hook sizes
What size hook for crappie
Crappie hooks are small and light: a #8 to #4 light-wire hook for a live minnow, #6 to #2 on a jig head and #10 to #6 for worms and crickets on a plain hook. A jig head carries its own hook, so use the size printed on the package; the head weight does not set it. A live bait shown with a jig hook is tipped on a small jig head. Crappie are called papermouths because a hard hookset tears the soft membrane near the jaw, so a gentle hookset matters more than a bigger hook.
Hook size by bait
Where a bait appears twice, each row is a different technique, because the presentation can change the hook. A hook marked "comes on the lure" is the size the lure usually carries, not one to choose.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Bait or lure | Technique | Hook size | Hook style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nightcrawler | Jigging or spinning | #10–#6 | Octopus hook |
| Red worm or garden worm | Jigging or spinning | #10–#6 | J hook |
| Live minnow | Jigging | #6–#2 | Jig hook (leadhead) |
| Live minnow | Spinning | #8–#4 | J hook |
| Cricket or grasshopper | Spinning | #10–#6 | J hook |
| Waxworm or mealworm | Jigging or spinning | #6–#2 | Jig hook (leadhead) |
| Tube bait | Jigging or spinning | #6–#2 | Jig hook (leadhead) |
| Plastic grub or curly tail | Jigging or spinning | #6–#2 | Jig hook (leadhead) |
| Hair or marabou jig | Jigging or spinning | #6–#2 | Jig hook (leadhead), comes on the lure |
Sizes are ranges because hook numbering is not standardized. Two hooks stamped the same size in different styles or from different brands can differ noticeably in gap.
Hook size by rig
The common crappie rigs and the hook each one takes.
- Minnow under a bobber or on a split-shot rig
- #8 to #4 · Light-wire Aberdeen, a long-shank J hook. A 1- to 1½-inch minnow hooked through the back just below the dorsal fin, with a light split shot about a foot above the hook. The light wire keeps the minnow lively and can be bent free of a snag.
- Jig head with a hair, marabou or plastic body
- #6 to #2 · Jig hook molded into the head. The most popular crappie heads weigh 1/80 to 1/16 ounce. Head weight and hook size are separate numbers, and some weedless crappie jigs carry a #1.
- Jig tipped with a minnow
- #6 to #2 · The jig's own hook. Hook the minnow through both lips rather than the back.
- Jig under a bobber
- #6 to #2 · The jig's own hook. Set the bobber so the jig rides at least a foot off the bottom.
Sources for this guidance
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources — Crappie A small #4, #6 or #8 hook for a 1- to 1½-inch minnow under a light split shot; lead-heads from 1/80 to 1/16 ounce; a minnow on a jig hooked through both lips; jigs under a bobber at least a foot off the bottom; and a warning that too much force on the hookset can tear a crappie's soft mouth. Checked October 6, 2026.
- Missouri Department of Conservation — Crappie Fishing Tips Small 1/32- to 1/16-ounce jigs, and a light-wire hook with a small shiner or fathead minnow. Checked October 6, 2026.
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — How to catch a crappie Hooks in the No. 6 to No. 10 range for crappie fished under a bobber, with split shot about a foot above the hook. Read through the Internet Archive's copy of June 17, 2026, because the live page blocks automated access. Checked October 6, 2026.
- Eagle Claw — Lazer Sharp Crappie Aberdeen hook Manufacturer description of the light-wire, long-shank crappie hook: keeps minnows alive longer and can be bent back into shape.
- Eagle Claw — Panfish Swimbait Head A crappie head sold in 1/32 and 1/16 ounce with size 4 and 6 hooks: head weight and hook size are separate specifications.
- Kalin's — Triple Threat crappie jig A #4 hook on the 1/32-ounce head and a #2 on the 1/16- and 1/8-ounce heads.
- Gamakatsu — Crappie jig head A crappie jig head built on a #2 jig hook.
- Eagle Claw — Pro-V Weedless Jig A weedless crappie jig with size 1 and 2 hooks on 1/32- to 1/8-ounce heads, at the larger end of crappie jig hooks.
Get a size for your exact setup
Get a hook size and hook style for what you are actually fishing, the sizes either side of it, and when to move up or down.
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Need the rod, reel and line too? See the complete crappie fishing setup guide