I have been catching crappies most any where this year. All nice but not a lot. I think it is time to do what I learned from some buddies. I haven't been mobile most of this year, just hanging out with family and friends. That's fun but it's time to bring home some fillets.
What I learned from Tommy Skarlis and Scotty Fairbairn was to get over the deepest water, drill lots of holes and go down them cleaning and dropping a sonar down. When you see some fish, fish them.. If they are crappies, they will bite. Be sure to use waxies and small jigs. The aggressive biters will take it fast. When you find where they are work em. We always did great.
Even mid day in Feb. on Fish Lake. The best tip is to move from crappie village and to the deepest water. You will catch crappies, bluegills, and perch.
Just my two cents worth. Who wants to give it a try and see what we can do?
Doug P. ( Tenacious D)
Early ice this year I did manage to stumble into some crappies in some shallow locations, recently in 12 FOW a week ago and local reports in WI had them holding in the same depth. Over christmas I was on a 250 acre pot hole in 50 FOW, I dropped my ducer in the hole and saw that the bottom was looking more like 25' down. after fiddling with my unit I came to realize that it wasnt bottom and that the bottom 25' was actually crappies stacked and alot of them. Needless to say they did not stay down there long.
Goes to show them fish can be anywhere anytime.
Thanks Tom. I love fishing small pot hole lakes, those can have awesome bites. Especially a bite like you described. I have been on a couple every winter and they are awesome and I take a crappie dinner home.
I am going to try to get on some crappies this next weekend, so if you hear of any, let me know. I can go for the day and fish morning to dark. Then use the fillet knife to prepare a dinner of crappies. I just hope the slush is frozen up and the ice safe. I hear it has been melting from the bottom up with this warm spell.
Talk soon and good fishing..
Sorry about the delay in the reply.
I was out in the Aitkin area where this took place. I went to my Mothers new boyfriends house for christmas. He is on this little lake and said we should go out for a little bit. I didn't think much of it till I got in his shack and put the graph in the water. WOW what a suprise, the guy is OK in my book. He said I am welcome to go out there for day trips so if that becomes the case I will get in touch with you. He has a menards shed all decked out with 12 holes on "the" spot. Weird thing is its a 10-3 bite, actually perfect for the drive out there. At 3:15 they all took off and the graph was clean.