Tips for finessing crappie

[Berkley4life]

Ive been fishing in a spot 10-12 ft deep will a good amount of cabbage.  The water is very clear and i am basically sight fishing watching them eat it.  Today around 10:30am a school came in and i caught 2.  Then the rest would come up and look at and turned away.  I was using magots.  I had pin heads the day befor and they prefered the maggots over the pinheads.  Should i try down sizing or plastics maybe.  Ive also read the clear water tends to mean a good night bite, is this true.  And what hours does the "night bite" mean?  I just started fising crappies at the end of last year and they have me hooked.

[rboot]

I would try a few things.
1.  Plastics
2. Spring Bobber
sometimes the action you get from using a spring bobber will tiger finicky fish to bite.  Also, the fact that it's clear water gives you a good chance of catching them at night.  The clear water might also be hurting you during the day, they might be seeing you.  If you have a flasher try leaving a little slush in the hole and using your electronics.  Good Luck

[fiesty]

yes...try at night...get on the ice shortly before sunset and stay as long as you can....they probably will be active at some point during the night....try plastics too....something with a fluttery tail.....

[Swift]

Horizontal presentation with plastics and/or Jiggin' Raps, at night or pre-dawn and glowing

[Ironeagle]

Try the plastics, like ones from yourbobbersdown, make them chase the bait up. And yes! Try at night

[Ironeagle]

Oh and remember. Crappies and fathead minnows were made for each other.

[Van_Cleaver]

Try a minnow and jig combo dead stick near enough you can reach it quickly. A black hole cover made for tip ups might be useful as well, since the water is so clear. Don't be shy about using some scent on your lure, either. A lot of times I slowly take my jig away from crappie, and jig just enough to move the tail. Seems like the higher off the bottom you can get them the better. The spring bobber tip was a good one; I always jig my lure in the hole to see how much action looks good. That reminds me; stretch your line or make sure it is fresh, as spinning lures are a real turn off.

[littlebigfish]

Fatheads and a couple hours after dark or a couple hours before light.

[HUNTnFISHSD]

Tiny jigs.

[fiesty]

fatheads.....goldfish. ...

[beeverfishing]

fatheads.....goldfish....

be sure to check your regulations..  no goldfish in pa !

[quivira kid]

Switch up your colors!

[Berkley4life]

I have used the fat heads and pin heads "emeralds" they seem to like them better.  I am fishing inside of a shelter so i dont think light is an issue, there has been no snow cover on the ice.  In the morning i can see them crusing on the bottom and as the day moves on they move up in the water column, but theyre are more lookers than biters.  Ive got to admit this sight fishing is addicting, watching them take only half the minnow with your jig still ouside there mouth waiting or that second gulp is almost unbearable.

[CrappieVermonter]

They should inhale the hole thing maybe down size alot to a tungsten jig with a nuggie or bros slug bug just get the tail to quiver no big movements they should get the jig first shot and I always get great hook sets with friskas. I sight fish all the time its my fav way to ice crappie and never have much luck with miinnows in the winter plastics rule on the ice good luck

[iceman22]

I have found plastics seem to work the best

[Berkley4life]

what colors should i start with? white, red, green?

[BassOn]

I use a plastic called a gitzit...tip it with spikes...my #1 go to jig for crappie,bass,perch.

[CrappieGuy]

Tip Downs with Crappie minnows.  You guys out east can use 5 lines, jig with one and set 4 Tip Downs, you will be running you butts off trying to keep up.

[Postletown]

When they get finicky, I use a plain #8 or #10 hook that is really lightweight instead of a jig.  I hook a minnow just by the lips and let it swim around as much as possible.  I use a tiny float that has little resistance when its pulled down.  It takes a while to get my bait down to where I need it, but it usually pays off. 

[Townie]

Find another spot with active biters. 5 mins. no bite I'll leave & return on haul-out...

[johnb340]

Years ago I would have laughed at bobbers and ice fishing.  Read Postletown's reply.  This is my favorite way to ice fish at night in my shelter.

Here's a cool video.

[Postletown]

That video is exactly how it works!  Notice how long he is waiting to set the hook.  Sometimes the crappies will dance your bobber around the hole for several seconds until they take it (if they take it).  Sometimes your float will go down and you set the hook and nothing is there, we call them "ghost hits" and that's how you know when the crappie have arrived as opposed to perch or blue gills.  Wait until the bobber is consistently going down, down, down, then slowly lift your rod until you feel the weight then lightly set the hook.  It's addicting!   

[big bobber]

ive found...either they bite...or they dont..ive noticed a big drop in night crappie the last few weeks...had sniffers all night...could not get them to commit...tried everything in my box ...and they just would not hit...moved 20 ft to 2 ft less water...caught 3...then same thing...they are on to my tricks i think.

[Swift]

ive found...either they bite...or they dont..ive noticed a big drop in night crappie the last few weeks...had sniffers all night...could not get them to commit...tried everything in my box ...and they just would not hit...moved 20 ft to 2 ft less water...caught 3...then same thing...they are on to my tricks i think.

Change times. Have noticed on some waters that a pre-dawn bite is much better than the after dusk one during mid-winter. Similar to 'gills mid-winter where the midday bite is often better than the dawn/dusk routine before switching back towards ice out. O2 level in areas, fishing pressure, food chain changes, who knows for sure, just know I look for it and it can pay off nicely

[big bobber]

Change times. Have noticed on some waters that a pre-dawn bite is much better than the after dusk one during mid-winter. Similar to 'gills mid-winter where the midday bite is often better than the dawn/dusk routine before switching back towards ice out. O2 level in areas, fishing pressure, food chain changes, who knows for sure, just know I look for it and it can pay off nicely

im sure you are right...unfortunately i am forced to fish at night...so...i make do...its all i can do...

[captain54]

If they chase they seem to bite,but all and all it's been a tough year the longer the ice is on the fussier they get. I always like first and last ice.I'm sure things will get better,I've been having best luck on clean Ratso's till about 6:45 pm,tried till about 8 pm with the light on but did not do well. Last year fished 3 or 4 times predawn and did well till it got bright out.

[sparky]

Down size your line and bait as lite as you can.  1 maggot on a fly hook # 14 on 2# test will help. The fish will inhale the bait with little resistance, watch the line not the bait when it moves a little jerk.

[Glowjigger]

x2 on the smaller the presentation the better. I have had good luck with the 3mm fiska glow jigs tipped with a small piece of meal worm.

[big bobber]

Change times. Have noticed on some waters that a pre-dawn bite is much better than the after dusk one during mid-winter. Similar to 'gills mid-winter where the midday bite is often better than the dawn/dusk routine before switching back towards ice out. O2 level in areas, fishing pressure, food chain changes, who knows for sure, just know I look for it and it can pay off nicely

you are more than likely correct...but due to scheduling most of my free time is at night...thats the breaks...even if they dont bite...ill be there waiting when they do

[EssoxHunter]

Is that whole lake 10-12fow? If yer gettin'em in the day shallow in weeds, maybe deeper water near there.I've found sometimes that crappies hide in brush and weeds during the day, and suspend over deeper water at night.example: suspended at 10-12ft off the bottom in a basin 20-30fow.they seem to stray from cover under the cover of darkness, if this holds true, a good place to ambush hr before to hr after sunrise, would be just outside the shallower weedy areas that hold them during the day.tiht lines buddy....