first crappie!!!

[pondjumper]

Tuscola il farm pond had 3 inches of ice on tuesday,boy was that one long 4 day wait for saturday 5am start.We go out fishing and catch three 9 inch crappie for my first ones ever.
 I usually fish for bluegill and caght a 10.5 incher last year in this pond and have caught some crappie in the summer but where do you start on a bowl shaped pond.We were in 15 feet of water and using red wigglers and waxies,i pulled my line up to check the bait and pulled out about 5 feet of line and when i was ready to pull the next time i felt something and viola-crappie.We did end up catching two keeper gills and also caught one bass.gotta go and good fishing.
OH almost forgot-longtime viewer first time poster.shane
 

[blufloyd]

Wow that is pretty far south in Illinois. Good job though. Got a derby next Sat the 29th in Pistakee Bay.
Red worms are on the menu.  Hammered them crappie up there last week.

[pondjumper]

My buddy was telling me he had talked to a friend here in town and this guy has a pond of his own.He was told that they don't start fishing until 8pm and the fishing gets really hot at ten pm,and said he won't go out any other time.
 Just wonderin' do the crappie usually sit about 6 feet under the ice during darkness with lanterns on?I was hoping i stumbled onto somethig.

[blufloyd]

Whatever?  I like to catch them when I am awake....

[Pop]

Shane, crappie are famous for suspending in the water column somewhere between the bottom and the ice.  One reason a Vex is so handy to see them coming through.  It sounds like the crappie you caught was at about 10'.

I fish one of the barrow pits, near I-57, at Tuscloa and the crappie there just cruise around about 10' to 12' deep over 20' of water early in the year.  Later in the season they will move out over the deepest water, in the middle, but still be about 10' under the ice most of the time.  Last year they were as shallow as 3' under the ice there.


Pop ( Mr. Obvious )

[kingfshr16]

 Crappies are notorious for suspending up high, but i have also caught them right on the bottom, they are a weird fish, but once you figure them out you will be rewarded nicely.

[pondjumper]

Pop,the one i fish is three miles north of town.They were at about 5 feet because i reeled up to check my bait and i pulled out about an arms length and let that go in and as i was ready to pull again he just flat nailed it.Went this morning and caught 2 keeper gills 1 smaller one a bullhead 5 feet down and a small bass

[Pop]

Shane-It sounds like you are having fun.  With the crappie, they do move around a lot.  If you want to have a hoot, fish for them at night.  I have always caught some nice fish after dark.  Try a red glow lure and bait with wax worms, minnows, etc. and keep checking different depths under the ice.

If you try fishing after dark make sure to take care and follow all of the safety rules.


Pop

[outdoors13]

I agree, i have my best luck after dark for crappies, there always on the bottom for me though, the "shallowest" iv'e senn them is 2 feet off the bottom, the real treat is when a school of 10" white perch move through, i fish the resiviors up here mostly, small ponds i cant really speak for.