Author Topic: Crappies  (Read 4386 times)

Offline BowHunter1527

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Crappies
« on: Jan 01, 2019, 09:53 AM »
Alright guys im curious, most of the lake around me will have fantastic crappie fishing close to last ice when they're coming in for the spawn. What I would like to know though is why cant we seem to get any until this happens. IMO there has to be some of them that stick around these lakes year round or am I way off on this? I do fish the weed lines and look for them suspended in the deeper areas but most of these lakes are just kind large flats in the deeper areas. People say you wont catch them until the late ice so im just curious on everyones thoughts on this.
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Offline Skywagon

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Re: Crappies
« Reply #1 on: Jan 01, 2019, 03:51 PM »
I am no expert,the following is from what I have read, then observed in our lake system in N/W Ontario, someone else's take may be different.

This time of year the only place I have found crappie in our lake system (50,000 acres of water) is in the deeper areas, which in our case is 20'-30' of water (have never seen them in shallow water like in some of the videos from the States).  From first safe ice on the crappie in our lake are normally at or near the bottom and not in big groups.  They are not very aggresive early on like this, you have to have a fish finder, see the fish and make them bite, even then, many still swim on by.  This seems to change as the months go on, I start seeing larger groups, they are more aggresive and seem to be in more varying depths starting in February on to ice out (for us, late April-May).  I have been experimenting with different lures this winter, trying to trigger the bite, but as of this time, 1/8 oz or smaller jighead and small minnow seem to be working about as good as anything for me.

This may or may not be the situation going on in your lake, but try fishing the deep holes, early in the day, late in the afternoon, that may be where they are at.

Offline slipperybob

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Re: Crappies
« Reply #2 on: Jan 02, 2019, 06:23 AM »
Perhaps, that is just that kind of pattern.

Just like for some lake, it's a day bite while others it's a night bite pattern. 
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Offline happyheber

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Re: Crappies
« Reply #3 on: Jan 02, 2019, 07:09 AM »
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Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Crappies
« Reply #4 on: Jan 02, 2019, 08:56 AM »
Oxygen levels and light penetration ..may keep them shallow ..no need for them to move if green weeds are producing O2...that's where the small fry and minnows and bugs will be ...they eventually will go to the basin then to the spawning areas...so just back track ..from the northern end of the basin/spawning area to the basin ..if its mostly featureless flats try and find the structure...bottom composition changes..any thing "different"..to hold them up as they cruise the flats .Also find out the main forage of the crappies ..they can eat a wide variety of everything ..and this too can change as the season progresses ..see what they are burping up and/or check the stomachs of harvested fish. Running to the basin as soon as safe ice is available in early season may produce some fish but most will be on the flats up to the basin ..tough fishing for sure. Also try fishing higher in the shallow flats ..just under the ice to half way down ..fish will be able to see your baits from a distance...watch your line when you hook up ..this will indicate the direction the school is moving...plenty of holes … or set up and wait till the come through . I also like tip downs ..set high ..decoying so to speak .
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