Poorman's Downrigger

Jigets

Mr. Waxy

Egg-N-Eye

Tail Dancer

Crappie Monkey

Crappie Bait

The Crappie Bait Jig is a premium SCENTED plastic crappie jig built with hot colors for all water conditions and the waters where crappie live. A full selection of premium crappie jig and tail combinations allow you to change with the weather - fish dark shades in bight conditions for crappie and then change to brighter colors as the sun goes down or on overcast days.

Different bodies of water and stains (shades) of water also call for a change in your crappie bait jig color. For fishing stained rivers, you will find our bright chartreuse crappie baits to be ideal when mixed with pink or chartreuse crappie jig heads.

Our Crappie Bait Jigs are SCENTED with the highest quality scent infused in the plastic. You should store your scented crappie bait jig back in its tube so that the scent can recharge and maintain its strength!! The scent triggers strikes for inspecting fish that pause at the jig. Scent trail can be the deciding factor for when fish decide to turn away (or with the scent, strike and take the meal). We use only the #1 proven scent unlike cut-rate scents that cost less and work less. Chose Gapen Scented products to score more fish.

Gapen's crappie bait jig can be used as a cast and swim bait or can be vertically jigged to entice big crappies to take the bait. Tip with a small bit of bait or use the Gapen Red Ball as a scent tip to draw the attention of crappie nearby. Use the Gapen Red Ball after attaching a small crappie minnow to hold your live bait in place and keep it on the hook longer. You may find that no bait at all will trigger strikes from hungry crappies as the swim action on these crappie bait jig combos gets crappie feeding.

The swim of the bait will activate on the drop because of the crappie bait jig's design and crappie absolutely love baits on the drop. Strikes will occur as the bait slowly swims downward into or above a school of crappie. Be sure to watch your line on the cast for signs that the jig has been intercepted, crappie to suspend and ascend to attack their baits.

The lighter crappie bait jigs are great for this tactic and for catching fish "on-the-drop". A hot tip, when using the crappie bait jig, use your rod tip to not only slow the decent of the bait but also to feel the strike of the crappie as your crappie jig drops through the water column. Have your rod tip follow the jig down the last 5 - 6 foot as this is the strike zone where often crappie will strike. By using your rod tip to slow the descent, you will put the crappie bait jig right into the action as hungry fish are watching the drop. Try both fast drop and controlled slow drop to see which the fish are preferring on your day. Conditions and crappie moods change so be ready for anything by having an assortment of additional colors and sizes.

Crappie Bait Jig Color Chart: Chartreuse/Black = Chartreuse Head/ Black Body, Etc...

Crappie Bait Jig | Plastic Crappie Jig | Crappie Jig and Tail | Crappie Swim Jig

Mousey

Teardrop

Tear Drop Ice Fishing Jigs

Gapen's, great winter jig, cold water jig - and many use it in summer as well. Tip this with a wax worm (bee moth larvae) or spike (maggot) and you are set to catch fish. Thin strips of plastic lure can also be used on these lightweight jigs that flutter. Come in two sizes #8 & #10 (smallest size). The Walleye Icer is a larger jig built for minnows, cut bait and crawler chunks for bigger fish. The teardrop jigs are for smaller baits - bluegill, perch, crappie, trout and many other species.

Ice Jigs Hues for Light Conditions

Load up on colors and have spares on hand. Different colors are good for changes in light conditions as well as deeper and shallow water. Fish respond to bright and dark colors at different times. Deeper waters might have brighter color jigs getting more bites. On brighter days, the dark colors will work well also. As the sun sets, you might want bright colors on hand. Good anglers have these pre-tied so that they are ready for these changes. Spare rods are good or pre-tie them on leaders for quick changes.

Quality Nickel-Coated Ice Jigs

The Tear Jig offers wobble, shimmy and shake. All Gapen products are coated in anti-rust coatings with nickel. Cheaper jigs, will make a mess in your box and destroy your hooks. The nickel coating doesn't hurt for that little extra flash it offers to attract fish.

Crappie Vixen

Ice-N-Ant

Ice-N-Ant Ice Jig
Ice-N-Ant

Dan Gapen, Sr. created the Ice-N-Ant for the sole purpose of enticing bluegill (bream). Since its creation in the year 2000, it has become a standard lure for the ICE FISHERMAN as well as OPEN WATER FISHERMAN.

Tipped with a small GRUB, the Ice-N-Ant takes most species which feed on insect life beneath the waters of your favorite lake or stream. Bluegill, crappie, redears and multiple species of trout fall to the charms of this buggy little lure. Pick your color and size, then enjoy!

Another popular presentation is to tie the Ice N Ant above your hook bait. To do this, tie an Ice n Ant about 12" - 16" above your hook line - leaving that tail of line below your knot. Then add your hook bait or small jig and you have a killer, multi-depth presentation. You may just find that the fish hit your Ant more than the lower bait.

Bait-Walker

Freshwater Shrimp

Freshwater Shrimp Jig

Important Ordering Information:
The size you order determines the style
1/64 oz = Glitter Tail (Chartreuse shown)
1/32 oz = Glitter Tail (Chartreuse shown)

Because tiny shrimp are found all over the globe, their flash and size are a universal feeding shape to most every fish. The freshwater shrimp jig has the flash tinsel and fly combo that fish hone in on and strike. Grabbing their attention with the flash of light similar to the real thing as it catches rays, the freshwater fresh shrimp catches the focus of fish and gets strikes.

With the quality materials making up this fly jig, the freshwater shrimp jig flicks on the fall, flashes and parachutes into the eye line of now curious fish. The hair and structure form a slow-fall drop that brings strikes from crappie, trout, bass, perch, walleye, white bass and blue gills - any fish that ever ate eats the shrimps.

Crappie fisherman know how on-the-drop fishing is key to catching. A proper crappie jig features water-catching hair shoots and materials that offer a superb slow-drop. Crappie anglers can choose between the Freshwater Shrimp Crappie Jig with glitter tail or the 1/16 oz. and up Freshwater Shrimp Maribou Crappie Jig With Glitter tail for premium hair fly jig combination that few monster crappies resist.

Jigging Tips

Materials make the jig and make the presentation. Proven tie patterns with premium materials make jigs that hook lips because the jig performs in the water column. The sliver flash of the jig head as it pops from the twitch of your rod tip, back to the tinsel glitter tail put a flash in the water that locks the fish in. Flick your rod tip and then follow your jig down -visualizing the slow drop in your mind - follow that downward with your rod tip. Be ready to strike if you get slack line or feel a tap as the jig is suited for attacks "on-the-drop" as the jig slowly falls. You can also watch your line for any sign of slack - this is a fish strike or structure which you should be ready to raise the tip back up to set the hook or lift the jig.

Also essential in a jigging setup is a rod that will transmit the lightest tap back to the angler's hand at the rod handle. High quality carbon wrap spinning rods send the line vibrations from the tip eye straight through to the handle and the angler's fingers. Placing your trigger finger on the rod blank above the cork is a great way to add a little extra feel to sense the lightest strike tap. For great jigging rods with unsurpassed touch and sensitivity, try some of the Gapen Adventure Spinning rods to work your jig and feel light strikes before they get away.

Gapen's Maribou Crappie Jig

These sizes come in Maribou Tail
1/16 oz = Glitter + Maribou Tail (shown-pink below)
1/8 oz = Glitter + Maribou Tail (shown-pink below)
1/4 oz = Glitter + Maribou Tail (shown-pink below)

Made with a tantalizing tail of marabou and glitter flash, the combined with a body structure similar to a Wooly Bugger fly makes Gapen's freshwater shrimp in 1/16 oz., 1/8 oz., and 1/4 oz. such a deadly fish enticer. All heads are nickel-plated and can be used in both freshwater and saltwater. Over 5 million of the smaller 1/64 oz. and 1/32 oz. sizes were sold the first 5 years they came out for panfish.

Bait-Walker Long Wire

RED BALL JIGS

The RED BALL JIG

Gapen Introduces The Red Ball JIG

The Red Ball comes with three extra red egg tippers which are heavily scented with anise oil, a natural attractant for all game fish. The Red Ball lure is made of tin, an environmentally safe metal. It is plated in nickel or gold, which creates a flashy fish tempter which fish instinctively gravitate to. See the Fantastic Fishing Tips explaining "How-To" use and why the Red Ball works--and what species it works best on.

Summer or Winter...It Matters Not!

This "NEW" fishing creation, the Red Ball, will produce results on gamefish such as panfish, perch, rock bass, walleye, bass, trout, pike or lake trout.

Gapen's Red Ball JIG brings to the angler a completely new concept in fishing NEVER BEFORE SEEN!

Why???: All fish, from minnow stage, instinctively feed on the eggs of others, even their own species. It is this instinct which the Red Ball targets. Most fish spawn (eggs) tends to carry an opaque orange or red color. It is this shape and color that the Red Balls duplicate. The main silver or gold body design and color is just a device on which to present the red egg. It is the body which creates and triggers a fish attraction and draw to the Red Ball.

As the body flashes, dips, dives and erratically darts towards the fish staging area, it creates interest and fish come directly to it. But, it is the shape, color and scent of the Red Ball that stimulates the reaction to strike.

Working the Red Ball: Numerous lifts and twitches at rod tip are required as the Red Ball is presented. Once in the fish staging zone, this lure should be held still. If, after 30 seconds, no strike is felt, anglers should twitch the Red Ball two or three times and wait. Still no strike--repeat the process of casting or vertically jigging.

A Look Behind the Scenes of our "New" Red Ball JIG

History
Bob Kook, fishing buddy, cameraman and good friend of the Gapen's, first laid the idea of the Red Ball style jig on Dan Gapen, Sr. after he'd done research while ice fishing for panfish. Bob noted that more times than he could count, panfish had a tendency to attempt to eat the split shot which held his offering down. Eventually, he used just a shot on a hook with no natural bait, and caught fish. Next, the split shot were painted a number of colors. Red turned out to be the best. Then a small 1/4 inch red plastic bead was placed on a nickel flat spoon hook. It worked! It seems the flashing wobble of the spoon drew the panfish in, but it was the red bead which they struck.

A Theory Why It Works
All fish species begin as eggs, which in turn turn into very small fish fry with a large egg sack attached. The sack, normally an orangish or reddish color is what the tiny minnow feeds on while it grows. During this period of life, a fish is extremely vulnerable to predation.

Thus, there is a natural instinct in all fish species to feed on eggs or anything which consists of a round circular shape.

It is a genetic instinct which cannot be withheld when fish are in search of food.

Therefore, fish, no matter what the species, are drawn to this food's shape more than they are drawn to the egg by smell or action. As a matter of fact, the Red Ball is best presented to fish in a still manner (motionless).

Presentation of the Red Ball
Two years of research proved up the following. The flash and darting action of the tin body of the Red Ball brings the fish in to this bait. But, it's the red egg-tipped on the metal body which drives them to strike it. "Strike" will come 90% of the time when the lure is held motionless for several moments. At times, the angler should allow the Red Ball to sit still and for as long as 30 seconds before striking results will occur.

Normally, species such as perch, bluegill, crappie, rock bass, whitefish and ciscoes will charge into the bait as it is vigorously jigged up and down, and then nose in to within a couple inches. Only then, when it's held still will they close in on it, flare their gill plates and suck the Red Ball in.

In the case of crappie and perch, they will rise as the bait is ingested. This creates an easing off of line pressure at rod tip. Bluegill, rock bass and other species suck the Red Ball in and dart off creating a hard strike at rod tip.

Gapen's continue with future research on other gamefish species as you read this copy in their newest catalog. Research in new lure styles, with the Red Ball construction and theory are on-going. Fish such as walleye and bass are now being offered new Red Ball lures. As of today, the new idea is working well. Gapen's knows the round ball works. They only have to develop body styles to carry the Red Ball to other gamefish.

It is my belief--Dan Gapen, Sr.--that many of us, as well as myself, have been working our winter and summer jigs too hard. We've held with the theory that a rapid jigging action is the key to cause fish to strike.

Not so!!!
The rapid jigging action of a lure is what causes the fish to notice an offering. Thus, drawing them to our lure. However, if this rough working of the lure continues, such action will flush fish from your lure. It matters not if you've tipped it with natural bait or not.

Holding it motionless after a series of jerks and twitches is by far the best presentation. If you have an underwater camera this theory can be well-documented.

If fish fail to strike the motionless lure, a painfully slow rise of the bait will renew their interest. If that fails, then the target probably isn't ready to feed and you best repeat your attractive jigging action to draw in another fish target.

Bait-Walker Plus

Flicker

'Bobber' Anne Float

Muddler Jig

Flicker BT

FLICKER BT Sale - 50% off our 1/2 oz. Flicker BTs - hurry, this special ends when the ice starts to get thick!

Red Ball - (24ct.)

Red Ball

Fish Focus and Strike on the Red Ball

The new fishing creation, the Red Ball, will produce results on gamefish such as panfish, perch, trout, rock bass, walleye, pike or lake trout. Gapen's Red Ball brings to the angler a completely new concept in fishing NEVER BEFORE SEEN- WHY??? All fish, from minnow stage, instinctively feed on red balls (the eggs of others), even their own species.

It is this instinct which the Red Ball targets and the instinct that entices so many strikes and holds by fish everywhere. Most fish's spawn (eggs) tend to carry an opaque orange or red color. It is this shape and color that the Red Ball duplicates.
Use the red ball tipped on any treble hook from crank baits, to jigs to jigging spoons such as the Flicker or Flicker BT.
The main sliver or coloration on a jig's flash and shape attract the fish but sometimes the fish stop short of striking. It is the Red Ball that draws the fish's attention and the shape and color - combined with a proven scent, triggers focus and a strike more times than without.

The scent in Red Ball is a Gapen family proven fishing scent which is also rechargeable. After fishing the Red Ball you can easily remove it from the hook and return it to it's original bag with the others. Seal the bag and your Red Ball bait will scent itself and recharge for the next time out! Not many baits are this durable and can recharge scent. The Red Ball is also very durable and can be unhooked over 150 times and placed back in the bag, tackle box.

The Red Ball carries scent on the back of any crank bait and can be that last deciding factor in causing a following fish to strike instead of turning away. Red Ball masks human oils and is a scent the Gapens have used for 100 years - it is the critical, potent pure scent that some expert anglers have used for the longest time for its fish-catching powers.

Red Ball comes in 3 sizes each of 24. Select Small, Large or Mixed (12 Small - 12 Large in same package). Use the small for most ice lures and smaller fish species and use the large for crank baits and larger species of fish.

Red Ball is a trademark of the 2020 Gapen Fishing Co.

Fish Fry 1.5" Crank Bait

Lure Kit - Bluegill - Panfish

Everything you need to catch more bluegill, crappie or perch. One of our favorite kits because it is so versatile. Always willing to attack, the bluegill and other panfish have a number of ways to fish them. Our panfish kit includes a number of lures, the jigs and bodies with everything needed in one kit. We even include a how-to use video to show you killer tactics on catching more panfish. The Ugly Bug goes down and gets them. Jigets twist, attract and entice while Mouseys just finish the deal. Panfish can't resist the lures in our kit.

• 4 - Ugly Bugs�1/32 oz.(White, Black,Purple, Green)
• 2 - Ugly Bugs�1/16 oz.(Black, Clear glitter)
• 4 - Jigets�1/64 oz.(White, Black, Chartreuse, Pink)
• 4 - Twist Jiget Tails(Assorted colors)
• 6 - Mouseys1/64 oz.(Assorted colors)
• 6 - Mouseys Extra Bodies(Assorted colors)

Lure Kit - Jumbo Perch Kit

Want great value and a fantastic perch-catching kit - try the Gapen's Jumbo Perch Kit and save over $14! This kit includes some of the most effective perch-catching lures, an instructional DVD and bite-making Gapen's Red Ball Eggs - proven irresistible to perch everywhere.

Wilderness Rod - Spinning

Most Sensitive Fishing Rod - Kevlar Carbon-Laced Graphite

WILDERNESS SPIN ROD by Gapen
Most Sensitive Fishing Rod - Gapen Wilderness Series fishing rod is an unbelievable value. Don't be fooled by rod manufacturers who boast of 70 & 80 million modulus cloth in their rods! To be safe, ask them what percentage (%) of 70 or 80 million modulus their rods contain?? If they are honest, most will answer that their rods contain less than 20% of the claimed material.


Gapen's NEW Kevlar carbon laced graphite, along with the NEW hard wrap graphite cloth, has allowed these NEW Wilderness Fishing Rods to come to the angler at a much lower retail price.

Buying TIP: 2nd Rod Ships Free. It is best to have a back-up rod on trips that is the same as the other you are fishing. Nothing worse than losing a rig or rod with no back-up when the fishing is getting good!

Rod POWER.All gapen rods fish like two rods. You can fish light-biting ultra-light species and the rods all have power underneath. When you get into big fish, these rods are built to still have the power to play the big beasties. These are the lightest, most-sensitive yet powerful rod blanks you can fish. Use the same rod for small trout to medium pike without switching rods! Saves room in packing and allows you to use the same rod with heavier lines or a lighter touch. They all fish braid or mono with highest quality guides.

Most Sensitive Fishing Rod - Feel the Taps. Natural Cork Handles - Blank runs all the way through handle. Fuji Titanium guides are tough and will fish braid, firewire.

Gapen Wilderness Spinning Rod Specs:

Rod Type	Rod Length	Rod Spec	Line Rating	Action	Lure Weight	Guides	Pieces
Spinning	5'	Light	2- 6 lb.	Medium Fast	1/64th to 1/8 oz	Fuji Titanium	1
Spinning	5' 5"	Medium	6 - 10 lb.	Fast	1/32 to 5/8 oz.	Fuji Titanium	1
Spinning	6'	Medium Light	6 - 12 lb.	Fast	1/16 oz. to 1 oz.	Fuji Titanium	1
Spinning	6' 6"	Medium	10 - 16	Fast	1/2 oz to 1 1/2 oz	Fuji Titanium	1
Spinning	7'	Medium	10 - 16 lb.	Fast	1/2 oz to 1 1/2 oz	Fuji Titanium	1
Spinning	7'	Medium Heavy	10 - 25 lb.	Fast	3/4 oz to 3 oz	Fuji Titanium	1
Spinning	9'	Medium Light	6 - 16 lb.	Fast	1/16 oz. to 1 oz.	Fuji Titanium	2
Spinning	10'	Medium Light	6 - 16 lb.	Fast	1/16 oz. to 1 oz.	Fuji Titanium	2

The Gapen Wilderness Rod is the most sensitive fishing rod a high-quality graphite casting rod great for spin casting, walleye, bass, crappie, perch, bluegill or trout rod this sensitive and strong kevlar graphite rod is used by Dan Gapen - it's his go-to fishing rod. Select one or two of these great spin casting rods and add the touch and hook-setting speed that a quality graphite rod puts in your hands. For casting spinners, bobbers, floats, jigging, and live bait rigs to feel the lightest tap of any finicky perch, shy-biting walleye or panfish, and to get the jump on lightning-quick trout bites, you will love the feel, speed and touch of this graphite spinning rod. These quality spinning rod blanks will improve your casting, speed up your hook set and give you sensitivity and feel like you have never experienced in a rod. Dan Gapen fishes this spinning rod to feel the lightest bite as kevlar carbon raps transfer touch from your fishing line and hook to your rod top and right to your fingers. Gapen rods are mostly designed one-piece for superior touch, feel and power - at an affordable cost.

High quality construction at a great price, the Gapen Wilderness Rod series puts high performance in your hands for much less money and a replacement warranty to boot. So affordable, you can purchase two or three Gapen spinning rods for the price of one of the more commercial brands. No matter how you might break your rod, you are always covered by our warranty replacement service (see below). Many anglers pick two of the same rods to have extra spinning rod rigs, extra live bait set-ups ready and to have a back-up rod in case of a break. Although we thing you will love this spinning rod so much that you wouldn't think of breaking one, accidents happen. No need to stop fishing if you have a back-up rod, grab two Gapen Wilderness spinning rods and throw, throw, throw to score more fish, feel more bites and or set more hooks on your favorite waters.

Don't let this spinning rod be the one that got away, try one and get to your walleye rod, perch stick or trout rod working your favorite water. Using a more sensitive fishing rod for any method, you will feel every detail and more subtle bites than ever. Upgrade to a Gapen Wilderness rod and feel the great hook set touch and action only a kevlar carbon-laced wrap can offer. Fast action, powerful response and the rod backbone that Dan Gapen demands in his spin casting rod. Hook a rainbow trout, stop a perch from emptying your jig or rip a crappie off the top of structure with our spinning rod and see for yourself.

This rod is the most sensitive fishing rod we can make. Superior in sensitivity and strength to the graphite blanks of the past, these NEW rods carry a friendly and fair lifetime replacement warranty. Your Gapen Wilderness Rod will be replaced for HALF it's retail price due to "ANY" manufacturer defect or customer breakage. We don't care what your accident was, we want you to fish the best rods and get back to fishing with a new rod - warrantied for the life of the rod. We will give you a brand new rod at half it it's current replacement cost! This way you can enjoy catching more fish with a Gapen fishing rod. The following are examples of the current replacement costs:

WARRANTY PRICING:

5' 6" rods retail at $80 -REPLACEMENT PRICE = $40 (Plus Shipping & Handling)

6' 0" and 6' 6" rods retail at $85 -REPLACEMENT PRICE = $42.50(Plus Shipping & Handling)

7' 0" and 7' 6" rods retail at $95 -REPLACEMENT PRICE = $47.50(Plus Shipping & Handling)

9� rods retail at $169.95 - REPLACEMENT PRICE = $84.95 (Plus Shipping & Handling)

10' rods retail at $179.95 - REPLACEMENT PRICE = $89.95 (Plus Shipping & Handling)

The Gapen 9 Foot

The Gapen 10 - Pro-level Float Fishing Rod for Stream, River, Boat & Shore Fishing Rod. The highest quality rod at this price point in North America - an amazing touch - with ultimate battling power. Long-casting power and versatility in one rod. Light touch and curve point for setting hooks on light line as well as the power to fish braided line (Fuji Guides) for firewire or braid!

The Gapen 10

The Gapen 10 - Pro-level Float Fishing Rod for Stream, River, Boat & Shore Fishing Rod. The highest quality rod at this price point in North America - an amazing touch - with ultimate battling power. Long-casting power and versatility in one rod. Light touch and curve point for setting hooks on light line as well as the power to fish braided line (Fuji Guides) for firewire or braid!