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  Minnesota Fishing by Species  Crappies - white and black crappie fishing information  Ice Fishing Cra...
 Ice Fishing Crappies right now.. here are a couple tips that help
 
 1/28/2006 12:59:21 PM
president
698 posts
multispecies.com
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Ice Fishing Crappies right now.. here are a couple tips that help
 (United States) Modified By president  on 1/28/2006 3:13:38 PM)
QuoteReply

I have noticed that lots of people are having a tough time icing crappies, while we are nearby catching quick limits.  Here's what, I know, can help you catch more crappies through the ice:

  1. Stop fishing only the fish you see at the bottom of the lake on your sonar. Be sure to let your jig and minnow hover for a while every foot of the water column. 
  2. When you see something move into your sonar's view, which is a small area when you are only a few feet below it, just keep your lure inches above it.  Note the depth the fish appeared at.  Most of the fish, active at that time, are probably cruising in the same zone.  For example, lately we have found them in the top 5-12 feet of water over 16-23 feet of water. 
  3. If the fish don't take the lure sitting still in front of them, jig it a time or two, slowly not hard and fast, and then let it sit still for them to decide.  If they still don't bite, start pulling it slowly away from them.  If they don't bite and there are now several fish on the sonar, move to another one and start over. If they are hungry, they will hit the bait when you move it away.  Sometimes they will follow it for several feet and almost to the bottom of the hole first.  Hey most of us have caught crappies on the surface in the summer and the bottom of the ice is deeper than that.  They aren't afraid of the ice, I am willing to bet they push some minnows upto it for an easy meal.  Remember any barrier fish find, they can use to help catch they dinner by pushing their dinner up against it. 
  4. Lastly, if they are not biting, then try another hole.  We had 15-20 holes in a small area, sometimes one worked for a while then nothing.  Moving to another hole might be the ticket even if it is only a few feet away.  If you don't get a fish on the ice in a while, keeping looking and moving around your holes.  The crappies we have been seeing keep moving in small groups.  If you catch one, you catch 3-5 crappies, then a slow time.  Moving around you run into them again and every 20-30 minutes the fish come back around to the same holes or general area. 

Remember to stay over the deep water part of the lake and keep testing to see what the fish want and where they are.  We have been catching limits of crappies and more with what we release immediately.  I hope this helps you do the same. 


Douglas Pirila, MMTS President 1999-2006 and Multispecies Tournament Director
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