Never caught one.

[FishADK]

Going to a pond that has decent crappie and bass. I have never caught a crappie through the ice, so I'm looking for help. I do mostly tip ups and I have some that I can set pretty light. I know most you guys us tip downs, but I can't buy them or make them in time before I go out. I'm looking for tips on location and presentation I should use for tip ups and jigging. I also have a homemade jawjacker.
Here is the pond, it is about 30 or 40 fow at the deepest

[Whopper Stopper]

How big of crappies are in this pond? how clear is the water?

I find that keeping my bait a few feet off the bottom is better that being too deep. Crappies love coming up to a bait from underneath to grab it. If a school comes through and the bait is too deep they normally won't go down to get it.

I never fished them with tip-ups but you would need a light setting on the tip-up and fairly light line 2# too 4# test.
We always jig fish for them. I would think a tip-up would be more of a dead sticking method.

I sure would be interested in hearing a follow up on your outting.

            WS

[FishADK]

Crappie around 10ish, I'm not sure though as I have mostly bass fished it.

The old man that lives near me says he you used to get em on tip ups, since like 25 years ago there are no crappies in the lake he fishes.

The water is fairly clear, there is a bit of a channel that runs from the lake through the cove.

I'll probably set up by the mouth of the cove. Have my friend set up with five tip ups on the lightest setting and 2ft 6lb leader and fatheads. Then have four tip ups set up for bass. And my jig rod with some kind of jig for crappie.

[FishADK]

No crappie today. Baitshop was out of fatheads. Only bass on the tip ups. I only had shiners.

[Swift]

Could be your minnows for the tip-ups are too big for their needs. They may investigate but if they're into much smaller prey they may simply ignore it which can happen on smaller bodies of water. You may wish to consider hole hoping around and through the tip-up layout with a small horizontal or tungsten jig and some plastics or grubs, keep the presentation small(ish). Occasionally use the same basic approach with tip-ups on Pike by working a Rattle Trap or big tube bait in a figure eight pattern around the bigger live stuff. Usually do well if they're more into a munch than a major meal. 

[EssoxHunter]

To make it simple...get a flasher....how thicks the ice, what's average depth? Are there deeper areas than what you've been fishing? Crappies either hug a deep bottom or suspend in deeper water during the ice. It's either/or, find a place where they can do this.drill all yer holes first, then jig where u first drilled, fish the line of holes in the order you drilled them,jig the whole water column,if no bite in minimum of five min, move to the next.if u don't findem then they ain't there...unless you found an exception to the rule.

[Flint]

If you dont have a flasher use what I call the dock crawl. Drop jig to bottom and then reel up very slow it gets them lite up bites well.

[PRICE COUNTY STRIKE ZONE]

Like previously said, the minnows might be to big. Give just a minnow head a try if you don't have any grubs or waxies. I usually use a small jig instead of jawjackers or buckshots though i heard they will work too. Good luck!

[Squarehog]

I caught my first crappies through the ice this season.  It was a lot of fun.  The flasher was key.  I found that crappies act totally different than the perch that im used to fishing for with the flasher.  They move around a lot more.  They would come up under my hole I think just checking out the lite coming in.  It was definately the most fun Ive had using the flasher to catch fish.  I would say flasher+tent were how I got the crappie this year.

[FishADK]

Its the end of the season, most of the shops near me have gotten out the fly stuff already. Flashers aren't an option unless I got it online. My next game plan is to go deeper. I'll set 4 tip ups at 5 bellow, 10 bellow, 15 bellow, and 20 bellow the surface with light line spools, and fatheads.
Then what should I do for jigging? I was thinking one of those clam Drop jigs tipped with a Gulp or wax worm.

[FishADK]

Interesting day today.  I fished my home lake which I had deemed crappieless a few years ago. Started at my usual spot and after two hours of watching the guys on the other side pull up fish, I decided to move. One flag. Then four guys set up in the deeper area which I usually don't fish because kids like to build hockey rinks there. They started catching. I got to know the guys and they told me to move closer so I could get on the fish too. Then it slowed. Then around 1 they got 3 crappie! I've lived on the lake all my life and I've only caught 2 and heard of 3. Then then I got three pickerel (I was in shallower water.) When I left I asked them where in the water column they fished, they said 5 below. I was setting most of mine at 3 above the bottom and had a few at 5 above.

Now I have a new mission!

[Townie]

I'd try hole hopping with the drop jig with waxie or plastics. Never caught many crappie on tip ups. Better to chsse 'em down.

Also real hard finding suspended schools without electronics...