As long as there are crappie fishermen in the world, they will always fight over which is the best bait for their all-time favorite fish. Is it the jig or is it the minnow?

Personally speaking, I have no idea which one I’d choose. I've been a panfisherman since the tender age of four and have always failed to catch crappies on both minnows and jigs with equal consistency.

The jig is so versatile, jig fishermen passionately avow. It can be fished in countless ways using a variety of techniques. The U.S. Army once even included fishing jigs in soldiers' survival kits. Granted, that is a testament to versatility, but I'll just bet if the soldiers had a choice they'd prefer more Vienna sausages and a few extra soda crackers. If this practice is still in effect, I just hope the Army tells its non-angling recruits the jigs are for fishing, not eating.

Versatile though they are, jigs won't work when you simply cast them out and allow them to hang suspended beneath the surface. You know, like a worm or a cricket, for instance. No, the jig must be employed in some manner requiring effort and a minimum of skill on the part of the angler which serves to make the jig appear lifelike. On the other hand, a minnow impaled on a #4 hook provides its own motion, making it an ideal bait for those too lazy or uncoordinated to move a rod up and down and crank a reel handle at the same time.

However, on the other hand, crappie fishermen don’t have to worry about keeping their jigs alive and free-swimming during a fishing trip. The only thing that will "kill" a plastic jig is a good dose of direct sunlight, which turns the lure into gooey syrup in a matter of minutes. That and the occasional chain pickerel or bowfin or snapping turtle that sinks its teeth into one. There is also the occasional small child who thinks a plastic jig’s color resembles closely that of a bag of assorted Gummie Worms.

Also, it is rarely necessary for one to go out and catch his own jigs, as is sometimes the case with minnows. Passing motorists are apt to stop and gawk and snicker at the sight of a grown man struggling to untangle a minnow seine while up to his neck in a roadside creek. I once drew a huge crowd that stayed and watched my efforts for the better part of an hour. The onlookers were morbidly fascinated as I paused every few minutes to pull leeches from my outer extremities. The grand finale came when I accidentally trapped a large brown snake in the net. A bit of natural history: It's uncanny how a common brown water snake resembles an angry cottonmouth in muddy water. It’s even more uncanny how fast a 57-year-old, out-of-shape minnow-catcher can move when properly motivated.

Fish, even willing-to-bite crappies, are often choosey about bait color. Here is where jig fishermen have a strong argument. Jigs are found in all colors imaginable. Minnow hues are decidedly limited. One may, on occasion, see purple, red, or chartreuse minnows, but only after a night of copious drinking. Or perhaps in flowing water directly downstream from a chemical or nuclear power plant.

When it comes to jigs and minnows, I guess I'm angling’s answer to Henry Clay, the Great Compromiser. I believe the truly serious crappie angler would be remiss if he ventured out on the lake or river without an adequate supply of both live and artificial baits. I always make it a point to do just that, armed on every fishing trip with both minnow bucket and well-stocked jig box. Be prepared, as both Bob and Boy Scouts always say.

"After all," I mentioned to my buddy Cletus Monroe the other day, "jigs and minnows both catch their share of crappies every year, and if I’m going to call myself a crappie fisherman I figure it pays to have both baits on hand."

"Right you are, Hoss," Clete replied. And it’s a natural born fact you are one pure-dee crappie fisherman. Matter of fact, you might be just about the crappiest fisherman I ever met."

Hmm. Was I just discussing the pros and cons of live and artificial bait? When are they going to invent artificial fishing partners?

(Email Bob Kornegay at cletus@windstream.net)