It's varied for me, TJ. When the pressure's high (when they're finicky) I have better luck with the live bait. When the pressure's low and/or dropping, and I find where they're schooling, it's game on and I'll stick with plastics, etc.
For me I definately favor the crappie jigs! More fishing time, better challenge and less time baiting the hook, which makes them as you say, more efficient!
With the less experienced though, I have no problem setting them up with a hook, bobber and minnow and watching them have fun.
Regarding the BCP spawn, I was told they don't make or create beds, that the females lay their eggs on rocks or hard surfaces, the males then fertilize, but that they don't stick around to protect the eggs. But maybe that was related to my BOW where I have no rock or gravel beds, just mud bottom with the ocassional rock, cinder blocks, etc., scattered throughout.
So which ever is true, maybe they'll be fooled into thinking our weather has warmed up these past several days, lay their eggs, then they'll freeze up when we drop back into the 20's this week and end up with a "bust" spawn
So far just about every one I've fileted has been full of eggs
