The most common way to rig a Crappie Nibble is to slide a single Nibble onto the hook point. You can leave it resting there on the jig’s hook point, or you can further slide it onto the bend of the hook. For an even more stealthy approach, you can slide the Nibble all the way to the base of the jig so that it blends into the baits intended profile.
My personal favorite use of Berkley PowerBait Crappie Nibbles is to inject them into the cavity of a crappie tube.
Find out more about how to rig these versatile and super effective crappie scents below.
3 Common Ways To Rig Crappie Nibbles
1. Cover The Jig’s Hook Point
I see lots of people rig their Nibbles by simply sticking one of them on the point of their hook, like the middle jig pictured above. Honestly, I’m not sure of the logic behind this. I suppose, with the barb of the hook, this does create a fairly stable area for the nibble to sit. Perhaps it’s also faster to rig them this way, rather than working the Nibble all the way onto the hook. Nevertheless, this is my least favorite method of using these scented baits, as I think it creates an unnatural looking profile in the water.
2. Slide The Nibble To The Hook Bend
Sliding the bait further onto the bend of the hook seems to be the most stable method of rigging. The nibble is least likely to get knocked off by a fish while in this position. I think that’s probably why this seems to be the recommended rigging method on the back of the jar of a pack of Nibbles, as seen above.
This “hook bend” position is also less likely to interfere with the action of a jig than the more stealthy approach discussed below. I use this rigging method quite often.
3. Hug Your Nibble Tight To The Jig
For a stealthier approach than the 2 options listed above, you can slide the Nibble right up next to the body of a jig. This works better for some jig styles than for others. As you can see in my video linked below, the Bobby Garland Slab Slayer, for example, has a nice groove that a Nibble will slide into quite nicely. Other jigs, such as the Baby Shad, don’t have anywhere at all that a Nibble will blend into.
Inserting Nibbles Into Crappie Tubes
Perhaps the least popular way to use Crappie Nibbles, but still my favorite, is to inject them into the hollow cavity of crappie tubes. This provides a few benefits, best of which is that your scent and taste stays with the jig potentially for a long time and through many bites. Also, because you really have more than 1 Nibble attached to your jig, the scent stays with your bait for a very long time without having to be repeatedly refreshed.
There are a couple ways to inject PowerBait into your tubes. You could use a “Bait Pump”, which is a device purpose built for the task, or you could use a run of the mill plastic syringe like those included with liquid medications. You can read about these 2 installment methods below.
Using The Bait Pump
My preferred method of inserting bait into crappie tubes is to use a Bait Pump. It’s a 2 piece device that has a screw driven plunger that forces the Nibbles into a paste, and then pushes that paste through a small nozzle that is sized perfectly for the hollow cavity of crappie tubes.
It’s been so long since I purchased my Bait Pump that I don’t remember what they used to cost. To be honest they seem to be pretty pricey these days. If you are interested in checking them out this is their website http://thebaitpump.com/
Using A Syringe
The syringes I typically have on hand are those that come with childrens medications, as shown above. These small syringes are perfect for injecting nibbles into the cavity of a crappie tube. This is a much cheaper option than buying a Bait Pump, and they’re basically disposable.
Using Crappie Nibbles With Minnows
You can even use Crappie Nibbles in combination with a minnow. When spider rigging (trolling) with a jig/minnow combination, sometimes I’ll insert scent into the crappie tube. Although this might seem like overkill when you already have a minnow in the mix, I find that it does provide some benefit. I only do this when trolling with 6 or more poles. With so many poles in the water, a lot of times you’ll get your minnow stolen when you’re not looking, or if you’re busy with a fish on another pole. In those cases, having my tubes stuffed with scent gives me added confidence that I still have an effective bait in the water. That way I have less temptation to constantly pull up all my poles just to check if I still have a minnow on.
Do Nibbles Spook Crappie
Although it does look odd to have a little doughy ball hanging off the hook of your crappie jigs, I don’t feel like it typically does much to dissuade crappie from hitting the bait. If this is a concern, especially in clear water, a more subdued presentation is to slide the nibble close to the base of the jig’s body where it blends more into the profile of the bait. This spook factor is obviously not an issue when injecting the bait into crappie tubes.
Additional Tips For Using PowerBait Nibbles
Remove Extra Bait From The Jar
One tactic I use often is to take 10 to 20 nibbles out of the jar and set them onto my boat carpet. It will depend on how furious the action is as to how many nibbles I take out of the jar. Having to open and re-close the Nibble jar after every fish is a time waster if the bite is good. Additionally, sometimes nibbles are very soft when they are fresh out of the jar and prone to break apart when sliding them onto the hook. Letting them rest just a bit outside of the jar firms them up a bit, thus making it easier to put them on the hook without splitting them in two.
Protect Your Nibbles From Excessive Heat
While I find that they’re a fairly durable bait that keeps well, you should take care to not leave your Nibbles exposed to extreme heat for very long. The package states that you should store them under 130 degrees.
Conclusion
As you may have gathered, I’m a huge believer in Berkley Powerbait Crappie Nibbles. Perhaps some of the other brands work OK, as I’ve definitely seen competitors pop up over the years. I have always stuck with the original, as they have never let me down. The original Crappie Nibble is a tried and true scent to add to crappie lures. If you have any doubt, do a little searching on the web and you’ll find plenty of testimonials to back this up.
Tight Lines!
Augustus Clay
If you found this article helpful, you might like some of my other crappie fishing articles linked below.
Best Color Of Crappie Nibbles
3 Best Crappie Baits
Loop Knots For Crappie
For further detail, check out my YouTube video below on how to rig Crappie Nibbles.
