Author Topic: Bait for Night time Crappie?  (Read 5945 times)

Offline rboot

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Bait for Night time Crappie?
« on: Feb 08, 2010, 07:38 AM »
minnows? spikes? plastics? what do you guys find works best?
<br />Ice Fish Vermont

Offline captain54

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Re: Bait for Night time Crappie?
« Reply #1 on: Feb 08, 2010, 07:58 AM »
Depends on your lake,the lake I fish,is full of zoo planton,small glow jigs,like Rafinkee's size 12 w/two mags seems to make the hatch so to speak.If you see crappies at night on your machine,they will tell you what they want,I mostly jig for gills and crappie,I take 7 to 10 rods with different lures on them,this gives me option to switch on them quickly,because sometimes you don't have a small widow on time to ice fish,a lot of times I'll rip a few fish and then get lookers,a quick change of lures will useally produce more fish(but not always).At least have 2-3 three rods rigged.I'm a little bit of a nut and tend to go over board with the rods,and it's very hard to tie (to see) 2 or 3 lb test at night with my 57 year old eyes.If your working with aggressive fish,they will hit larger offerings,Frosty's,Forage Minnows,Slender Spoons all have iced fish when their pounding,a clean Ratso's may be the best all round lure,it spanks them when their pounding and gets then on the most negative bite. Use Glow anything,hope this helps.

Offline rboot

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Re: Bait for Night time Crappie?
« Reply #2 on: Feb 08, 2010, 08:02 AM »
The fish have been very picky, I'll have 5-6 come in and no takers, had to work a fish for while to fool him into biting.  tried glow jigs and spikes with plastics, think minnows might do the trick?
<br />Ice Fish Vermont

Offline captain54

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Re: Bait for Night time Crappie?
« Reply #3 on: Feb 08, 2010, 08:22 AM »
You'll have to try them,sometimes the lookers are all very small fish, the bigger fish may be under them,If they chase I useally can get them to hit,move your lure very slowly up 1/2inch at a time with a quivering action,there seems to be a cut off point where they just will not come any higher( I call it the strike zone) at take point its either they hit it or slowly sink back down.

Offline rboot

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Re: Bait for Night time Crappie?
« Reply #4 on: Feb 08, 2010, 08:32 AM »
I have noticed it, and the ones you can get above that zone hit it.  I'll try some minnows.
<br />Ice Fish Vermont

Offline fiesty

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Re: Bait for Night time Crappie?
« Reply #5 on: Feb 08, 2010, 06:54 PM »
tubes tubes tubes...spikes squid....secret sauce.....
It's all about Karma.....

Offline MainelyCrappie

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Re: Bait for Night time Crappie?
« Reply #6 on: Feb 08, 2010, 07:00 PM »
I drill two holes close enough together to see both lines on the Vex but far enough apart to keep from tangling the lines.

one line I use a glow jig, (Genz Bug) tipped with minnow head. If fishing is slow I bring it up often to recharge jig. next to it I fish a Dead stick with small shiner with #8 hook, split shot about 1 foot above bait, Slip bobber. Fish this near the upper 1/3 of water or where slightly above where the fish are suspended.

Offline rboot

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Re: Bait for Night time Crappie?
« Reply #7 on: Feb 09, 2010, 06:32 AM »
minnows worked
<br />Ice Fish Vermont

Offline PerchPirate97

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Re: Bait for Night time Crappie?
« Reply #8 on: Feb 18, 2010, 01:56 AM »
waxworms on glow jigs have been the ticket

Offline $ignmoney

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Re: Bait for Night time Crappie?
« Reply #9 on: Feb 20, 2010, 10:20 PM »
waxworms on glow jigs have been the ticket

We got them using the same set up.Were getting gills then a crappie school came in. Vex said 12 FOW they were 8-10 FOW, nailed'em

Offline slipperybob

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Re: Bait for Night time Crappie?
« Reply #10 on: Mar 03, 2010, 06:51 PM »
There's a preference difference from lake to lake, but I always have minnows and plastics. 
For more information read my MN nice journal

 



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